By Doug Fowler, New England Regional President
If you are like most people, you haven’t thought about how you are going to manage your time yet today, never mind this week or month. The majority of people spend their days ‘reacting’ to what is going on around them. Far fewer proactively take steps to manage their day. Even with all of the technology and tools available, one thing we can’t save is time. Sure, we are all using some type of day planner, scheduler, Blackberry, etc., to keep activities “organized”. While these tools are important, it is also equally important to know how to use the tool to better prioritize and take action on each activity.
With that in mind, here are 7 tips for Time Management:
1) Focus on the critical few. Pareto's Principle states that of the things you do during your day, 20% produce 80% of your results. Identify and focus on those things. When the fire drills begin to pop up, remind yourself of the 20% you need to focus on. If something in your schedule has to slip or not get done make sure it's not part of that 20%.
2) Tackle your toughest task FIRST. Which activity on your list is the most difficult? Start your day with this activity. Many people make the mistake of addressing their ‘busy work’ or easy tasks first. Fry your big fish first. In doing so, you will build momentum for the remainder of the day.
3) Multi-task. Be sure to use your idle time productively. Do two things at once. Layer your activities. Constantly ask yourself: ”What could I being doing right now to grow the business?”
4) Work smarter instead of harder. Archimedes said “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I will move the entire earth.” Leverage means doing more with less. It is not so much what you do, but rather how you do it. Every time you start a task, ask yourself these questions:
- Is there anyone that I could delegate this task to?
- What system(s) can I put in place to increase my productivity and provide for additional time?
5) Schedule time for yourself. We are all guilty of scheduling too many items back to back without giving ourselves the opportunity to catch our breath. When we run from one thing to the next, we tend to feel overwhelmed, scattered, and lose focus. No, I’m not suggesting daily two-hour lunches, but 5-15 minutes between meetings and 15-30 minutes for lunch can do a world of good.
6) Reward yourself for doing the RIGHT things. Take the time to recognize the fact that you ARE making progress and moving forward. Avoid a defeatist attitude or thoughts like “Yes, I completed four major projects today. But who cares? I still have another 125 on my To Do list…”. Complimenting yourself (in moderation) will help you sustain your positive momentum throughout the day.
7) Plan your day the night before. Instead of working up until the last minute, taking phone calls, sending e-mails, etc., make a habit of taking 15 minutes before you leave to organize and plan for the next day. Thinking about tomorrow in advance allows you to proactively move toward task and project completions instead of just reacting day to day to fire drills.
Someone once said, “Because we don’t know what is really important to us, everything seems important. Because everything seems important, we have to do everything. Other people, unfortunately, see us as doing everything, so they expect us to do everything. Doing everything keeps us busy, thus, we don’t have time to think about what is really important to us.”
Take time to plan for success.
Since beginning in 2002, HiProFile has established relationships with organizations throughout New England needing to fill positions at the $100–400K base salary level. Unlike outplacement firms or “headhunters,” HiProFile carefully selects its member companies and the executive candidates provided to them. In other words, the firm maintains a “by invitation only” policy regarding member companies and executive talent and does not advertise to solicit either. Additional questions or information should be directed to Douglas E. Fowler, New England Regional President (dfowler@hpfjobs.com).
HiProFile LLC ● 125 Summer Street ● Boston, MA 02110 ● 617-345-0007 ● http://www.hiprofilellc.com/
