In Monday’s blog we addressed the pervasive struggle of time urgency and resulting panic that many business people experience today, and when perpetuated, the negative consequences it can have on you and your business.
Today we offer you quick tips to help you avoid and eliminate this insidious issue, beginning with 2 key principles:
1. Prioritize tasks to the most important to shorten time to results. (Remember the Pareto 80/20 principle – 80% of your results are from 20% of your effort/time/causes.)
2. Shorten (limit) your work time to those most critical elements to the successful completion of the task/project (meaning, go for success and don’t waste time on perfection)
Remember that:
• Automation (products) results in Liberation!
• Doing something unimportant well does not make it important!
• Requiring a lot of time does not make a task important!
Next, utilize these time and focus strategies to help you:
1. Use a daily to-do list – prioritized (by “must-do’s” and urgent needs verses wants and “can-do’s later”). Keep it reasonable in length and “soft” enough to allow for unanticipated requirements. (That is, do not schedule yourself all day in back-to-back meetings or try to accomplish an unreasonably lengthy list—again, the key is to prioritize!)
2. Schedule-schedule-schedule—not only the big things, but also the little tasks are just as important. Use a calendar to plan your future – a hard copy (verses electronic) is recommended, so that you can integrate your business and personal lives into your “one life” and see daily, weekly, monthly and annual activities in relationship to the whole, and it is readily and visually available.
3. Remove/reduce distractions from your work area and during your prime time. (Specifically, this means close the door during important development times to promote focus and clarity; clarify to staff and family not to disturb you during closed-door periods; set phones to forward or voice mail to get messages; and turn off your e-mail alerts!)
4. Set boundaries and limits with others and communicate your priorities. Keep your agreements and expect others to keep theirs. Renegotiate and make amends immediately when you know you must break your word or change plans. Do not over commit! This means learn to say, “No, thanks,” or I’d really like to but my plate is full.” Lastly, if needed, opt to “de-select” time-suckers (those who perpetually do not respect your time and those low/no value activities).
5. Free yourself from “incompletions”. Revisit and prioritize your outstanding items list (usually residual from your ongoing to-do list). If it is urgent or required–schedule it (ideally, within the next 30 days). If not, take it off your list. Long lists of incompletions feed procrastination and overwhelm. Do not allow yourself to get stuck in that muck.
6. Lastly, de-clutter and organize yourself (personally and professionally). Clean and clear your work area, drawers, and even closets! If you do not feel confident in your abilities to organize, get some assistance. Take control, or lose control.
Your time is a valuable, un-renewable resource, and misuse of it will certainly result in “time panic”. You will never have this moment, this hour, this day, again… how will you choose to use it?
2010 Kubica LaForest Consulting
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