Time management is a perpetual rage. It conjures up images of calendars, personal planners, and smart phones. When we still have too little time, we flail about for a new system that will suddenly lasso the hands of the clock and give us control.
But time can not be managed. It is ourselves that we must manage. Tools like calendars and planners are helpful, but for the best results, we must consider a variety of obstacles that prevent us from focusing on and completing the important tasks while dismissing everything else.
- Are you clear about your top priorities?
It is better to move a few things forward a mile than to nudge the multitude forward an inch, or worse, shuffle them side to side without any measurable progress. Decide what most needs doing. If there are too many priorities, nothing is a priority. - Are you so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start?
Or is the fear that something is about to drop through the cracks leaving you too stressed to focus? A good place to start is to make a list of all the things you must do. Once everything is on paper, your mind will be less cluttered and more able to take stock. You can then identify priorities and deadlines. - Are you distracted constantly by piles of projects and random reminders of things requiring attention?
If so, you either need to clean up the mess or move to a clean office. Projects belong in folders in file cabinets or in notebooks on the shelf. Reminders belong on calendars or lists. If you get things out of your mind by recording them in a good system consisting of a calendar, lists, and folders, you can add new thoughts quickly and focus on tasks with the comfort of knowing that everything is under control. If things aren’t under control, your productivity will suffer dreadfully. - Do you allow yourself to be distracted unnecessarily?
Most interruptions can be blocked by turning off the email notifier, silencing the ringer on your phone, and closing your door. While some interruptions are unavoidable, most are too readily welcomed. Whether seeking an excuse for a break or confirmation of our importance to others, we are often unwilling to shut out the distractions for any length of time. - Do you distract yourself constantly just because you are so used to being wired and distracted?
Don’t laugh. When you operate in a state of constant interruption, you begin to interrupt yourself. It may be time for you to replace the distraction habit with purposeful self-discipline. Before you start the next task on your list, state the outcome and allotted time aloud. Then do nothing else until you are finished. Set a timer if you must and don’t get out of your chair or turn to another task until you finish or the alarm sounds. - Do you believe in the importance of the task?
If you can’t understand why a task is important, you won’t be motivated to complete it. Revisit the rationale. Maybe it isn’t important. Maybe this is one task you can eliminate. On the other hand, a new found sense of the importance may be just what you need to pull the trigger. - Do you find yourself procrastinating despite believing in the importance of the task?
If so, your quandary may be in the means, not the end. Either you don’t believe the route leads to your destination or you don’t even have a route in mind. To make progress, you need to have both a general, believable approach as well as a specific, reasonable next step. It is hard to make progress if all you see is a mountain; it is easy to make progress if you see the first step of a stairway to a valuable destination. Replace nebulous To Do list tasks with specific, concrete next steps. - Do you have the knowledge, skill, and confidence needed to complete the task?
You may legitimately need help or you may be agonizing over nothing. What is your concern? What specifically do you need to know to move forward? What is really at stake if you make a mistake? If you get specific about what you need in order to proceed, it will be easier to find the appropriate answers and support. If you get specific about the risk you face, it will be easier to reduce or live with that risk. - Do you dwell in the land of diminishing returns?
If you have a tendency toward perfectionism, consciously target an appropriate level of quality. Thirty percent or sixty percent may be sufficient. The last twenty percent is almost always worth less than the effort required to achieve it. As a matter of fact, the difference between a product that is eighty percent ready and one that is “perfect” is often detectable only by the creator. - Do you always add and never subtract?
It is harder to decide what not to do than to simply add to the list. But if you keep adding, something has to give. Would you rather make a conscious decision by taking something off the list or let the squeezing and chopping just happen? - Do you allow others to suck up your time or expand your list?
Some people are wizards at handing off tasks to the unsuspecting or unassertive. Be alert and willing to say no. Others are famous for seeking support, asking questions, or just chatting. Sharpen your critical thinking by helping them get to the point quickly. - Are you the right person for the task?
When your talent and personality, not to mention priorities, are not matched to the task, your productivity and energy will both run low. Unless you have a particular need to develop the required skill or knowledge, delegate or outsource for the best results and the best use of your time. - Or perhaps, you would simply rather do something else and not the top priority with its obvious value that you could easily do if you had the self-discipline to do it.
Get it off your plate along with the negative feelings you derive from this situation. Decide how long the task should take. Put it on the calendar, preferably for first thing some morning. Set the timer when that time comes. Block out all distractions and focus until you finish. Then reward yourself before moving on to the next project.
Without looking at the specific obstacles to productivity, your efforts to improve are likely to be misguided. What is preventing you from focusing on and completing the important tasks right now?
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