Laurie's Advice for Time Management

SPEND TIME PLANNING AND ORGANIZING.

Be smart and proactive, think and plan how you will spend your time.  Do you think anyone sets out to fail?  No, but if you fail to take time for planning, you are setting yourself up for failure!  Organize your time in a way that makes sense to you.  Some people like using colors to code levels of priority.  Some people like to keep papers in a filing system; some like to have paper piles.  Whatever works for you should be the system you use.  The most important thing is to use what does work and do it!

SET GOALS.

Goals provide your life with direction.  Decided what you want that is most important.  Set clear-cut goals that are measurable, down-to-earth and possible.  The best possible goals are the ones that cause you to grow instead of dwindle as you make efforts to reach success.  Goals provide direction.  Yogi Berra said it best “If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.”

PRIORITIZE using the 80/20 rule.

The 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle, simply states that 20 percent of your efforts produce 80 percent of your results.  Ask yourself, “What do I really want to do with my life and my time?  What 20 percent of my efforts should I be focusing on?”  Once you realize the answers, prioritize using a system that works best for you.  Flagging deadlines is a great way to help you see your priorities.

USE A TO DO LIST.

A to-do list can be essential for staying on top of your work.  The traditional strategy for staying on top of your work is to maintain both weekly and daily to-do lists.  For a weekly to-do list, you can spend a few minutes each Friday afternoon or Monday morning identifying objectives for the next week.  Using the same principle, take a few minutes late each afternoon or first thing in the morning to compile a daily to-do list.  Some people find a running to-do list most effective.  Remember, whatever works best for you is the one to use.  Be willing to try something new occasionally as you may find something that works better.  I have heard it said, keep doing the same thing the same way and continue to get the same thing.

BE FLEXIBLE.
Interruptions and distractions are part of life.  The time management gurus recommend to plan 50 % of your day to allow yourself the opportunity to be flexible.  Having flexibility in your schedule will allow you to manage your interruptions and distractions.  To help you stay on task, always ask yourself “what is the best use of my time right now?”

USE YOUR PRIME TIME EFFECTIVELY.

What time of the day do you perform at your best?  Are you a morning, afternoon or evening person?  Know when you perform at your best level and plan to use that time to handle your priorities.

ELIMINATE THE URGENT.
Tasks considered urgent create interruptions which only distract you for your real goals.  Urgent tends to focus on short term whereas important things should be related to the achievement of your goals.

EXERCISE CLEVER DISREGARD.

Disregard unimportant tasks, those that do not have long-term results.  Try to delegate or eliminate those unimportant tasks from your to-do list.  Work on the tasks that only you can do and those that will reap the most benefits for you.

 SHUN PERFECTIONISM.

Perfection can be a form of procrastination.  Be careful to know when to have attention to detail and when you are simply spending too long to get it done.

 OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION.

Break your tasks into quick, small manageable steps. 

LEARN TO SAY "NO."

“NO” is sometimes the hardest word to say.  Know what is important to complete in your life. Once you believe in the value of the completing your goals, saying “NO” will be a lot easier!

REWARD YOURSELF.

Even for small successes, celebrate achievement of goals. Promise yourself a reward for completing each task, or finishing the total job. Then keep your promise to yourself and indulge in your reward. Doing so will help you maintain the necessary balance in life between work and play