Time Management Tips

We all have the same number of hours in a day, it’s up to you how you use them. We all have different responsibilities, illness, holidays, change of job, relationships or lifestyle can all make an impact

COMMON SENSE RECORD KEEPING Keep only ONE diary, ONE calendar. ONE to do list. Use a small notebook instead of post it notes to avoid clutter. Create a list of birthdays, items on loan to others, CDs you’d like to buy, books you’d like to see, movies you want to watch... Keep all this information central. A list of your bank accounts, tax file number, health fund membership etc in a safe place. Customise a diary for a great way to store lottery tickets, shopping lists, day to day information that you need at your fingertips. Update information regularly and archive the old as back up.

SHORT ON TIME? “TAKE 5” A great way to tackle clutter and disorder is to “Take 5”. An example of this is the kitchen sink, where clutter can breed. Resolve to take action by taking 5 – put away, throw out, tidy, reassess or straighten five objects in that area. Don’t move away without touching 5 objects! This is also a great strategy if you feel overwhelmed and short on time. Works a treat with paper too. You’ll be organised in no time at all!
DELEGATE! Can certain tasks fall off your list altogether? Can someone assist? Can someone else take care of these tasks for you? Try not to be a control freak. It’s not in your best interests!
LEARN TO SAY NO If you’re over-extended, it might be because you’re not practiced at saying no. A reality check could be in order. Constant requests (or expectations from others) can lead to a shortage of hours in the day for you! You’d be amazed at how much more time you’ll have when you learn to say no. If saying no is a big problem for you, defer. When you are asked to do something that you’re not sure about, simply say “can I get back to you tomorrow?” This gives you a buffer zone to really consider if you want – and have the time – to commit.

SCHEDULE & PLAN AHEAD Make time for all the things on your To Do List – allocate time and write it in your diary! The rest is up to you to be disciplined to do it. If you had a Personal Assistant, he or she would manage your time. They would do that by planning and scheduling. Schedule time for you. Many disorganised folk NEVER do anything for themselves. They are living their lives for others (often family). It’s important to make time for you, to do things that are important to you whether it be gardening, relaxing, reading, studying or just time alone. Schedule time for the unexpected. If a task takes 45 minutes, allow 60 for interruptions or things that might go wrong. Chances are you’ll get it done in 45, and then have time up your sleeve.

FOCUS Don’t spread yourself thin. Having too much on the go means you’re setting yourself up to fail. Focus on one thing at a time. Flitting from one thing to the next means you are unlikely to do a job properly, or ever complete anything. Gather everything you need to perform a task from start to finish in the one place. It’s like the concept of gathering all the tools and ingredients to bake a cake before you start... It also means that you can give that task your full attention because you’re not distracted.

FINISH Aim to finish tasks. Decide what you need to do, and then set about doing it to completion. If it’s an on-going task, set yourself a goal date to finish. Learn to let go of things you have NOT FINISHED IN YEARS!! If you haven’t finished it by now, you are unlikely to do so in the near future. Leave the finished job behind you, you never have to come back to it.

USE A TIMER If focus is difficult for you, or interruptions commonplace, use a kitchen timer. Set to blocks of time (five, ten or fifteen minutes is good) if you find your attention wandering.

WORK UNINTERRUPTED Practice taking the phone off the hook (or let it go to message bank). Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. Ask others for some time and space so you can work uninterrupted.

A STITCH IN TIME... This is a valuable proverb. Do it right first time and you have made an investment in saving time. Flag articles you want to keep in a magazine. Better still, cut it out straight away! You will save time by not re-reading the magazine again. Always read with a pen, highlighter and sticky notes at hand Invest some time making sure your clothes are well sorted. Put all your trousers together, short sleeve shirts together, sporting clothes together etc. then block them into colour... you will see what you’ve got and find whatever you want in an instant. Make sure you pack away anything out of season to avoid confusion. Mend, launder or press any items in need of care. Lose anything too small, too big, the wrong cut, colour or fabric. It’s TODAY we’re talking about, not next year! Cook in bulk in the kitchen for quick meals from the freezer. Chopping veggies for a meal? Prepare twice the amount and you’ll have half the prep done for the next meal.

K.I.S.S. Making things complicated, creating something that’s complex does not serve your best interests. Follow the K.I.S.S rule - “Keep it Simple Stupid”. Keeping two diaries creates work for you when you have to transfer information between the two. Do you really need both? Cut back on non-essentials. Do you really LOVE making sixty hand-made Christmas cards each year? Feeling obliged to send a big whack of Christmas cards may be more important to you than it is to the recipients. Creating handwritten index cards for recipes is great.. if you have less than a dozen favourite recipes! Think about simplifying what you do and how you do it. Are you the Body Corporate secretary because no-one else put their hand up to do it?

PRIORITISING. Break down big jobs – scope the work by listing elements of the bigger picture. What’s the first step? The step after that? Note all the other steps and make sure to include the last tasks required to complete the project. What’s the most important thing I can be doing with my time right now? How can my energy best be spent? Eliminate stuff that is trivial (anything that has no long term consequences), or delegate.

DO IT NOW Write new phone numbers in your address book; put that CD away; make the two minute phone call. When you have photos developed, chuck the dodgy pics away immediately. Doing it later only serves to harm you. You will double handle, spend more energy, waste your valuable time. Don’t put it down – put it away! Or, if necessary – throw it away.

ASK YOURSELF Have I got better things to do with my time? Don’t reconcile your bank statements if you don’t have to. Don’t save newspapers because you’re “going to go through them...” Don’t tell yourself you’ll renovate that cupboard when you clearly won’t ever make the time.

KEEPING FAMILY LIFE REAL If you haven’t already, start by dropping your expectations. You will give yourself a breakdown if you feel your home always has to have a clean floor. Mess = life. That’s a good thing! Celebrate the activity that happens in your home. A home that looks lived in is normal. Magazine homes are often not. Photographers, Art Directors and Stylists are paid to make spaces look gorgeous – uncluttered and streamlined, but often wildly unrealistic (but you knew that, didn’t you?). Keep some balance though... “A place for everything and everything in it’s place” means you can always return items you’ll save time looking for “lost” things.

A COMMON MISTAKE – Procrastination Perfectionism is your enemy. Unsubscribe.
DOING THE RIGHT THING (effectiveness) Is more important than DOING THINGS RIGHT (efficiency) Focus on the right task, then focus on doing it properly. Watch your achievements grow...

Plan your time. Are you procrastinating because you’re allowing one little element to hold you up? Do it now! Effective and productive people FORCE themselves to do the tasks they least want to do. Do the toughest or worst part of the task first. Everything that follows will be easier. Procrastination will only make you feel bad, miss deadlines, miss opportunities, and stress you out. Don’t do it LATER. Organised people don’t do this. Later never comes. Do it now and cross it off the list. Daily achievements (no matter how small) and productivity mean staying motivated and feeling better about yourself.