| |
| |
|
Time Management Information |
|
|
|
Prioritize with Two Questions
"Because there will always be something more to do, we need to consciously choose what we are doing."
Why is it such a challenge to prioritize? The first thing we need to realize is that we will never "catch up." There will always be something more to do because life doesn't stop. So it's all about making wise choices. And how do we do that? By asking these two questions before tackling any to-do.
Let's begin with something obvious. Imagine that you're in your office, and your fax short-circuits, causing the entire room to go up in flames. It's a no-brainer that your top priority would be to get out of there immediately, but let's ask our two questions: Do I need to do this now? Answer: Yes. The office is an inferno. If I don't do this now, what are the consequences? Answer: I'll be charbroiled. Since it's easy to recognize that the top priority in the above case would be to flee from the burning office, it means that you and everyone else has the ability to prioritize. It's just a matter of practicing, weeding through what's on our plates, and reassessing when necessary. Now let's say you have a list of fifty to-dos, and you insist that they're all very important. The key is to determine which is the "most" important of the very important by asking and answering our two questions. If you also insist that every single to-do has consequences if left undone, determine which consequences would be the most drastic. Those to-dos would be worthy of a higher priority. A curve ball is inevitable, however. As soon as we masterfully prioritize our to-dos, "life happens." That's when it becomes necessary to "shift" priorities. Let's go back to the example of the office fire. Say it was nine o'clock in the morning and you were working on a proposal to present to a prospective client at noon, which could have resulted in tripling your income. At that point in time, nothing would have been a higher priority than completing the proposal. But if late in the morning, the fire broke out, there would have been an immediate "shift" in priorities. When "life happens," it will be in varying degrees, which means varying degrees of "shifts" in priorities. For example, a plumbing problem may require a "shift" in priorities for that day. A fire, or the loss of a job or spouse, may require extensive reassessment and a massive "shift" in daily, as well as long-term, priorities. Life keeps moving. Life changes. And a steady stream of to-dos continuously competes for our attention. But, the good news is, any one of us can learn to determine which to-dos are really worthy of our time, and we can learn the skill of prioritizing effectively by remembering to ask two questions:
Copyright (c) 2004 Helen Ksypka About The Author Helen Ksypka is the founder of Born Organized (R) and its divisions: Time Smarts, Communication Clout, and Galloping Goals (sm/tm). Free tips on how to live an orderly, productive, and fulfilled life can be found at her web site: http://www.bornorganized.com Helen has penned a popular e-book, "Quotes to the Rescue: Wisdom to Help You Live Life Effectively," which includes traditional topics as well as current lifestyle categories such as: Prioritization, To-Dos, Multitasking, Jam-Packed Lives, Junk. For more details, please visit: http://www.quotestotherescue.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Measure Your Time Against Active Inactivity We don't realize many things we do until we draw our attention to them.Active inactivity doesn't occur only now, it can occur later unless you catch yourself doing it. How To Pack 48 Hours Into Your Day Too much to do, too little time, constant stress. Most of us have been there. More Precious Than Gold In this world there is something more precious than gold. Diamonds? No. Isn't It Time For You? Does it seem like there is never enough time in the day? Why is there plenty of time for everyone and everything but ourselves? The fact is that you only get one shot at this life so it is important to spend it doing something you love. The good news is that you have a choice, you can continue to go on being overwhelmed letting time and life slip away, or you can make the time and start living the life you really want. Time Management Doesnt Exist! So What Can You Do? There is no such thing as time management. You cannot control time, throw it out, sell it, or give it away. If Only Your Brain Was the Size Of That Of an Ant You Could Easily Implement Habits A year and a half ago I was introduced to something called Swarming or Swarm intelligence.A big telecommunication company was actually mimicking ants to improve the performance of some of their products. How To Better Handle Your Mail Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all. There should be only two responses to every piece of mail or e-mail, do something with it, or toss it! The best way, as always, to deal with it all is in an organized fashion. When Is Time Management Not Enough? A working manager needs more than time management.That old saying, "Dance with the one that brought you to the ball," came to mind as I received a reality jolt recently. When is the Best Time to Plan Your Day? When is the best time to plan your day? Well, everyone is different. Let's take a quick look at some of the different possible times:1) Early morning before you go to work. How You Can Double, Triple, or Even Quadruple Your Reading Speed! Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do you feel frustrated because you cannot keep up with your reading assignments? You may have wondered if you should take a speed-reading course. Or can you learn to improve your reading ability by yourself?The good news is that if you are committed and actually do the work, you can develop your own speed-reading program at home. Quantum-less Time and Mathemathically Deprived Theory What would you say to me if I told you that you don't have to be at work by 8 am, but rather that you have to be at work tomorrow?What if I told you that your alarm clock is going to be reconfigured to only display days, and not specific times?Would you sleep better?Or what if your clock card was to have days, not digits, on its' face? Would your concept of time be altered?If your meetings schedules were week specific, how would you feel?Would you abandon the man-made minute, if you could?You probably would, and with little reluctance and regret.The remaining seasons and their finite hours would still supply the exact same amount of time, but any approach to it would change. Career Redesign Tools For Work-Life Balance Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School, Thirdpath Institute, a non-profit whose mission is "To assist individuals and families in finding new ways to redesign work to create time for family, community and other life priorities," held a 2-day conference in May, 2004 for lawyers, entitled "Having a Life: Creating Work-Life Balance in the Law." I was part of a small team of career and work-life professionals who facilitated small group breakout sessions that were held throughout the conference. Too Much to Do? Too Little Time? Hey - Did someone press the FFW button?Have you ever felt like someone just pressed the Fast-forward button on your day and before you know it the day is over and you are sitting there wondering what you've accomplished?I love to organize and with working Part Time outside of the home and FULL-TIME at home with my business, 4 children and Husband I really rely on a schedule and many time management tips to keep my sanity (ok, so some of you think I am already insane, I won't argue with that) but at least I am organized ;)Here are a few of my favorite Time management Tips:1. Meal Planning: Try planning 1 - 2 weeks worth of meals at a time and write them down on a calendar. Time Management: Which Advice to Follow? There are so many books on Time Management published every month that it is difficult to find the time to read and digest them all. What happens to most people is that they buy a book on time management, read it, decide that some parts of it may suit them, but then fail to adequately integrate the system into their lives. What is "Life Balance" and How Can You Attain It? We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect competing priorities. We all have three different lives or worlds that compete for our attention, energy and activity. Six Foundational Reasons for Managing Your Time Most of us know how to manage our time. It is pretty simple really. Giving Up the Cape "I find it interesting that the very cape I tried to use to fly, became so heavy it kept me grounded." --Brook NoelOne day I was racing around town, errand to errand, mission to mission. Sprint Through Your Workday, Even if Youre a Marathoner Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one sitting, they have to be broken up into steps. Some people are marathoners and work best when they can spend long, uninterrupted hours on their projects. Time Management: A Fresh View Last week I had the privilege of spending some quality time with a dear friend. Unfortunately we live on opposite sides of the world, so we do not spend a lot of time together, but when we do get together it is an uplifting experience. How to Make More Time For Your Life Do you wish you could work less and play more? Are you so stuck in the rut you can't see a way out? Have you ever said I wish I had more time for me?Well there is hope. First of all you have to be aware of your situation, have a strong desire to change and then take action.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |