Print out this quick tip to get ahead with time management and try it for one week to see how it works for you. It can take less than five minutes for you to get ahead of your projects, your schedule and your competition.
Five Minutes in the Morning
Do it first thing in the morning, maybe as you are enjoying a cup of coffee or sitting at your desk and mentally preparing for your day. Get a notebook and pen ready. Do not get distracted by email or phone. Prepare to donate five minutes or less of your time to yourself. Go ahead, you are worth it.
Some people prefer to do this exercise at the end of each day and that is not a problem. I suggest doing this at the very beginning of each day because it sets the tone for the rest of your day. It is more effective to feel rushed by the desire to get started on your activities than to feel rushed by the distractions of what is really on your mind at the end of the day.
Your List of Things to Do Tomorrow
Many people find it effective to make a daily list of things to do today. It can be helpful in keeping track of important activities, meetings or chores that need to be completed. It also creates a feeling of accomplishment as items get checked off the list one by one. It is always nice to see progress.
Starting today, we are going to kick progress into the next gear. We are going to start thinking about what we need to accomplish tomorrow.
As you start each new day you will already have a list of things that you need to do today because you made it yesterday. You already have a jump start on your projects and your competition because you were already thinking about what you will do today. Furthermore, your mind had a chance to sort out some of the details on how you will accomplish your goals because you had time to think about them the day before.
As you make your list for tomorrow, you will be able to reflect on how your decisions and actions today will contribute to your activities and goals for tomorrow. If you are planning to complete some paperwork, presentation, or interaction tomorrow then you may be able to do some of the preliminary research, analysis or preparation today. Planning for tomorrow will change the way that you think about your priorities and how you invest the quiet moments of today.
Another important advantage of planning based on your list of things to do tomorrow is that many activities require collaboration with other individuals. By planning in advance, you can communicate and coordinate with other resources so those people can also plan and prepare accordingly.
Urgent or Important?
What is the difference between urgent and important? The urgent things are those milestones that must be complete by a scheduled deadline. The deadline may be today, tomorrow or several days in the future. Important things are milestones that have significant meaning. Important milestones may have an impact on business decisions, results or future activities. You know which items are urgent to complete and which ones are important to you, but do you allocate your time accordingly?
Review your list of 'Things to do Tomorrow' and annotate the items that are urgent or important. If something has an urgent deadline then write down the date and time that it must be completed next to the item on the list. If something is important then give it a rating. Some people use a rating scale of 1, 2 or 3. Some people prefer to use an asterisk or a star to identify an important task, adding more stars as the significance increases. The list and the rating belong to you, so mark it in the manner that has meaning to you.
Keep It in View
One common mistake of making a priority list is putting it out of the way once it is done. Some people will take the time to make a list and then close up the notebook or fold up the piece of paper and put it out of the way. Out of sight is out of mind.
Once you have started this process, you should have two lists at your fingertips every day. One is your list of things to do today, and the other is your list of things to do tomorrow. The most effective way to manage your lists is to keep them in a notebook or daily calendar and place it prominently on your desktop. The list contains the items that are urgent and important to you, so it should be in plain sight as a constant reminder and for easy reference.
Celebrate Accomplishment
How do you celebrate accomplishment? Check off each one of the milestone tasks as you get them done. Do you feel the sense of satisfaction? How can you reward yourself for keeping commitments that you have made on your list? Some people celebrate by taking a short walk from the desk to get some fresh air. Some people celebrate with a cup of coffee or a snack from the vending machine. Some important accomplishments deserve to be rewarded by a nice lunch or fancy dinner. Treat yourself with something special when you complete a commitment that you have made to yourself. Go on, don't be shy, you are worth it.
Another Way of Looking at It
Another way of looking at it is a style that combines the list of things to do today with the list of things to do tomorrow into one list for easy reference.
TODAY
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
TOMORROW
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
To Do ________________________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______
Give this a try for a week or two. When someone introduces the "issue de jour" because the sky is falling, and you are asked to jump though flaming hoops in three directions at once, then pause to reflect on your structured schedule of urgent and important milestones for today and tomorrow. How does the new issue of the day compare to the previously scheduled commitments? There is no need to panic. Simply prioritize your list of urgent and important activities, discuss your availability and schedule with those other individuals who may contribute or be affected by it.
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Words of Wisdom
"A schedule defends from chaos and whim."
- Annie Dillard
"One of the simple but genuine pleasures in life is getting up in the morning and hurrying to a mousetrap you set the night before."
- Kin Hubbard
"'Good Faith' implies mutual trust and commitment. Without mutual commitment, 'Good Faith' is really nothing more than 'Blind Faith'. Wander around blindly long enough and eventually you will step in something."
- John Mehrmann
"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full."
- Henry Kissinger
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About the Author:
John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital
