A question I am asked a lot is around how do I manage my time? Great question by the way! My belief is that it’s impossible to manage time it is simply a constant, the key is to manage yourself around time. Most of you will have a To Do List of some description, which will have many things you need to do in any given day that you need to tick off.
I’m going to guess that you generally start at the top and work your way down until you find a line item that you think you can tackle? Or you may have even completed a task, placed it on your to do list and then ticked it off?
So how do we manage ourselves around time? Here is my solution! Id strongly suggest you transfer these line items on to a THINGS THAT MUST GET DONE LIST, which will contain no more than 7 things.
I prioritise my things that MUST get done list like so:
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
I then have ONE priority 1 task that is my priority of effort. This is what my work day is centred around, the main task that MUST get done, regardless of the disruptions.
I then have TWO priority 2 task that come after my priority 1 task and they are in priority of effort order also.
Once I get through them I move to my THREE priority 3 tasks.
If I have day that turns to chaos and I just can’t get to finish my Priority One thing that’s ok it’s all about shifting and managing priorities as they occur. Before finishing my work day, I re-prioritise my next work day and again work out my priorities based on deadlines and disruptions that will occur. Next day I’m ready to tackle my day in an orderly strategic and self-managed manner around my available time.
Once you start a trend of completing your priorities in your day watch your productivity soar!
Give it a go and let me know what works for you… I think you will find once mastered that you will discover more time in your day that you didn’t know existed.
