Time Management

1. Time Management Adapted from www.mindtools.com

2. Why is time management important? • Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little, because they're not concentrating their effort on the things that matter the most. • Personal time management skills are essential skills for effective people. People who use these techniques routinely are the highest achievers in all walks of life, from business to sport to public service.

3. The 80:20 Rule • This says that typically 80% of unfocussed effort generates only 20% of results. This means that the remaining 80% of results are achieved with only 20% of the effort.

4. What is Procrastination? • In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.

5. How to Overcome Procrastination • Step 1: Recognize That You're Procrastinating • Here are some useful indicators that will help you know when you’re procrastinating: • Filling your day with low priority tasks from your To Do List. • Reading e-mails or instructions for projects and assignments several times without starting work on them or deciding what you’re going to do with them. • Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to another task. • Leaving an item on your To Do list for a long time, even though you know it's important. • Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list. • Waiting for the “right mood” or the “right time” to tackle the important task at hand.

6. How to Overcome Procrastination • Step 2: Work Out WHY You're Procrastinating • One reason for procrastination is that people find a particular job unpleasant, and try to avoid it because of that. • Another cause is that people are disorganized. • Even if you’re organized, you can feel overwhelmed by the task. • Surprisingly, perfectionists are often procrastinators, as they can tend to think "I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly now, so I won't do it at all." • One final major cause of procrastination is having underdeveloped decision-making skills. If you simply can’t decide what to do, you’re likely to put off taking action in case you do the wrong thing.

7. How to Overcome Procrastination • Step 3: Adopt Anti-Procrastination Strategies • Make up your own rewards. • Ask someone else to check up on you. Peer pressure works! • Identify the unpleasant consequences of NOT doing the task. • Start with the hardest or most unpleasant tasks first to get them over with!

8. Scheduling • Scheduling is the process by which you look at the time available to you, and plan how you will use it to achieve the goals you have identified. • By using a schedule properly, you can: • Understand what you can realistically achieve with your time; • Plan to make the best use of the time available; • Leave enough time for things you absolutely must do; • Preserve contingency time to handle 'the unexpected'; and • Minimize stress by avoiding over-commitment to others.

9. Scheduling…5 Step Process • Identify the time you have available. • Block in the essential tasks you must carry out to succeed in your job. • Schedule in high priority urgent tasks and vital "house-keeping" activities. • Block in appropriate time to handle unpredictable interruptions. • In the time that remains, schedule the activities that address your priorities and personal goals.