12 Tips for Time Management (Part 2 of 2)

“To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill Last week, I posted the first six of the 12 tips for Time Management.  Here are the remaining six tips!  I think Time Management is a skill that everyone can continue to master and refine.  If you have tips that have worked well for you, please share them with us.

Tip #7: DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT Doing the right thing is effectiveness; doing things right is efficiency. Focus first on effectiveness (identifying what is the right thing to do), then concentrate on efficiency (doing it right).

Tip #8: ELIMINATE THE URGENT Urgent tasks have short-term consequences while important tasks are those with long-term, goal-related implications. Work towards reducing the urgent things you must do so you’ll have time for your important priorities. Flagging or highlighting items on your To Do list or attaching a deadline to each item may help keep important items from becoming urgent emergencies.

Tip #9: PRACTICE THE ART OF INTELLIGENT NEGLECT Eliminate from your life trivial tasks or those tasks which do not have long-term consequences for you. Can you delegate or eliminate any of your To Do list? Work on those tasks which you alone can do.

Tip #10: CONQUER PROCRASTINATION One technique to try is the “Swiss cheese” method described by Alan Lakein. When you are avoiding something, break it into smaller tasks and do just one of the smaller tasks or set a timer and work on the big task for just 15 minutes. By doing a little at a time, eventually you’ll reach a point where you’ll want to finish.

Tip #11: LEARN TO ASK FOR HELP Over the years, I’ve heard employees tell me that they are afraid to ask for help because they don’t want their supervisor/manager to think that they have failed or can’t do the job.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  If you fail, the team fails.  Asking for help is actually a good sign of time management.

Tip #12:  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.

BONUS TIP:  Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day of vacation to rest and re-energize.

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