The Organized Life archives

Techniques for Managing Your Time, Part 2

Dear Subscriber,

I’ve just returned from six weeks of traveling to Los Angeles, San Diego, Philadelphia and Maine, a series of trips that involved multiple people and multiple events. All this travel reminded me of the importance of good time management, the subject of this month's newsletter!

In the last issue we started talking about how to set up and manage your most important tool, your calendar. In this issue I’ll review some other strategies you can use right away to manage your time: creating effective To-Do lists, starting good routines, and setting personal goals.

1. Creating effective To-Do lists.
To-do lists are most effective when they’re arranged by context. Set up your list by the places you need to be in order to accomplish a particular thing, and/or with whom you need to be when you tackle it.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

To-Do at Home
• personal phone calls
• tasks that require you to be at your computer, like emails & researching vacation plans
• non-computer correspondence, such as registering for classes, sending deposit checks, etc.
• tasks that need the involvement of your children or partner
• local errands to run

To-Do at Work
• professional & business phone calls
• professional emails & other correspondence
• tasks that require the involvement of a particular person at the office

To-Do in Between
• non-local errands to run, which might include things like buying home furnishings, clothes shopping, and so on (this could be a big list!)

This is an easy way to set up your list so that you’ll won’t have to sort it in your mind every time you look at it. I find it easiest of all to set it up on my computer by category, so I can add and delete things, change categories, and generally play with it, without making a mess.

2. Starting good routines.
Everyday routines create a smooth path. Short daily routines allow you to review your day in the morning and evening, and weekly routines give you the opportunity to catch your breath and focus on your larger goals.

At the beginning of each day, take 10 uninterrupted minutes to
1. look over your calendar for the day
2. review your to-do lists
3. rough out a plan for the day

Likewise, at the end of the day, set aside 10 minutes to
1. review & update your to-do lists
2. organize the accumulation from the day, such as notes and other paperwork. At home, you can ask your older children to do the same: put away their homework and toys, etc.
3. glance over your schedule for tomorrow: meetings, deadlines, and other obligations
4. make a rough task list for the next day.

And once a week, set aside an hour or two of quiet time.
Use this time to take a deep breath, enjoy the week’s accomplishments, and bring yourself up to date. Review your calendar, To-Do lists, and goals. Dream a little. It’s a key component of effective time management.

3. Write down your goals, hopes and dreams. Put them where you can see them. They’ll inspire and motivate you, and help you keep your priorities in order.

What kinds of goals do you have right now?
• What kind of work would you like to be doing?
• Where and how would you like to live?
• Do you have any creative projects that are yearning to emerge?
• What hobbies would you love to get involved in?

Goals provide a sense of identity, meaningfulness, and control. Coming up with your own personal goals is fun, and it’s surprising what can happen when you go ahead and write them down.

I write my goals on a piece of paper and post it on my bulletin board. Sometimes those goals will live there for a year or two. But it has frequently happened that when it’s time to post a new set of goals, and I review the old ones, I find that seemingly without effort, I’ve achieved those older goals. It seems like magic, but it’s not – by putting my intentions into writing, I have brought my dreams into consciousness, and found ways to make them happen.

In fact, the most effective way to deal with interruptions is to remind yourself of your goals. Ask yourself: where does this disruption fit in helping me to stay on the path I’ve set for myself? The answer will help you discern your choices and select the best way to deal with the interruption, so that you can keep moving.

The point of time management is to help you achieve your goals. Please let me know how it goes, as you put all these strategies to work!

Until next time, Happy Organizing!

Sincerely,