| My business experience has taught me one true | | | | disorganization -- generally leads to busy work. If |
| thing: That maximizing your productivity, | | | | your desk is piled high, every piece of paper says |
| happiness, peace, or impact can best be | | | | "look at me." You can end up doing a lot of work |
| accomplished if you clearly understand the 12 | | | | without ever getting to the important stuff. |
| Rules of Time. | | | | 7. Delegate |
| 1. Have goals | | | | One way to expand your time is to get others to |
| Being more efficient with your time is irrelevant if | | | | help you with it. The key to delegation is to hand |
| you don't know how you want to spend it. In | | | | off any tasks that someone else can do |
| managing time, the compass is more important | | | | significantly faster or more easily than you can. |
| than the clock. Know where you want to go and | | | | If you're protesting that you don't have anyone |
| spend your time on the things that get you there. | | | | working directly for you to whom you can |
| Many people spend energy trying to be more | | | | delegate tasks, no problem. Consider delegating to |
| efficient without first doing what's important: | | | | a peer, a superior, a supplier, or even a customer. |
| setting goals. It's like being lost on your way to a | | | | Treat delegation like networking: who in your |
| new city. Driving faster doesn't help if you are | | | | network would be best for the job? |
| going in the wrong direction. Figure out what | | | | In some cases you will need to invest up-front to |
| direction to go in and head that way. | | | | train someone so he or she can take over a task |
| Once you've prepared it, your list of goals will | | | | from you. The long-term savings are usually |
| reveal what is important to you. | | | | worth the up-front time and costs. |
| 2. Analyze how you spend your time | | | | After delegation, remember to thank |
| It is always good to know how you're spending | | | | appropriately. You might think people would resent |
| your time right now. You can track this by setting | | | | being delegated to, but exactly the opposite is |
| a timer to go off every 15 minutes; whenever it | | | | true. People like to be asked, especially if it is to |
| sounds, write down exactly what you are doing. | | | | do something that they're good at. |
| Alternatively, divide your day into 15-minute | | | | 8. Master efficiency tricks |
| blocks and record each activity you do. | | | | The best trick I have found is "The Power of |
| Once you have your time logs, examine them. | | | | While." What can you do while you drive? While |
| How do they compare to your goals? Are you | | | | you walk? While you clean? While you watch TV? |
| spending time where your priorities are? | | | | I am a huge audio tape advocate and frequently |
| 3. Keep a to-do list | | | | listen to tapes while I am doing something else. |
| This sounds too simple, but it really is the basis of | | | | Being a techno person, I love all the organization |
| all time-management systems. Your to-do list can | | | | software out there that allows me to keep my |
| be electronic, on fancy paper, bound in a | | | | contacts, to-do lists and appointments. I also use |
| notebook or loose-leaf. The key is to have | | | | gadgets such as cellphones, wireless e-mail, and |
| everything you want to accomplish on one list. My | | | | personal digital assistants. Good use of technology |
| to-do list might have a one-line item on it, such as | | | | can save you valuable time. |
| "write annual report," which refers me to a much | | | | 9. It's OK to say no |
| larger file or even a file box on that item. | | | | Saying "No" can be the most powerful time tool |
| 4. Prioritize your list | | | | you can master. When someone asks you to do |
| Once you have the list, determine which are the | | | | something, ask yourself how important this is. |
| important items. Mark these with a highlighter, a | | | | Does it help you achieve your goals? Is this a |
| red pen, or in any other way that makes them | | | | task you would be better at than most people? |
| stand out. | | | | Don't always look for reasons to get out of |
| I sometimes find my to-do list is too big. Every | | | | things, but be strategic about what you take on. |
| item on the list calls out "pay attention to me!", | | | | This doesn't mean that I always say no when |
| even though most of them weren't highlighted as | | | | asked to help out. But if I do say no, I am always |
| important. In these cases, I take a blank sheet of | | | | polite and tactful, and try to suggest someone |
| paper and cover my to-do list and write down | | | | else who would do the job well. |
| only the three or four most important items. | | | | 10. Focus |
| Those are the ones to focus on. | | | | Committing 100% focus and concentration on one |
| 5. Control procrastination | | | | task at a time can be very powerful. Eliminate |
| I use a number of tricks to break any lingering | | | | distractions. Focus on the task. When you're |
| tendencies to procrastinate. For instance, I happen | | | | properly organized and prepared, when your |
| to like having a hard copy of my digital to-do list. I | | | | energy and power are high, you can often |
| reprint it every few days as new items are | | | | complete a task in 20% of the time it would take |
| added and completed ones dropped. It is at these | | | | when you're distracted or open to interruption. |
| times that I look for the items that I've marked | | | | 11. Build your efficiency bank |
| as high priority, but which are just not getting | | | | High efficiency is not possible if you don't look |
| done. | | | | after yourself. Eat right, exercise, sleep well and |
| People often say I have great self-control. In | | | | drink moderately. Mom knew best: all the things |
| truth, though, much of it is environment control. I | | | | she said were good for you just happen to be |
| control my environment to eliminate things that I | | | | best for your efficiency, too. |
| might use to procrastinate. Take games off your | | | | I also believe meditation can be a great way of |
| computer, for example, sell your TV, and get rid | | | | building your efficiency. It could be transcendental |
| of the busywork jobs that you use to avoid the | | | | meditation, Zen, or just finding a way to get into |
| important tasks. | | | | a relaxed state that lets you focus on the task |
| I have developed one effective habit that has | | | | you have to do. No matter how you do it, |
| helped break me of procrastination: "Do the worst | | | | recharging your batteries gives you the power to |
| thing first." At the beginning of every day, I do | | | | do more during the times you need to be at your |
| the one task that is causing me the most stress, | | | | best. |
| and that I haven't been getting done. Sometimes | | | | 12. Take care of yourself |
| I just give it a quarter of an hour -- based on the | | | | It isn't possible to be "on" all the time. Take the |
| theory that I can stand just about anything for 15 | | | | time you need to look after yourself -- body and |
| minutes. Frequently it is this short thrust that | | | | soul -- so that you can reach peak efficiency |
| breaks me through. | | | | when you need to. Have a list of things you like |
| If I still find myself procrastinating, I review my | | | | to do. Find out what activities energize you, and |
| reasons for setting a goal. To create extra | | | | spend more time doing them. This will give you |
| motivation to complete a task, I strengthen the | | | | the power and energy to be more productive |
| reasons why it should be done. Similarly, many | | | | when you return to work. |
| people reward themselves for completing a job. | | | | Finally, a word of advice. If after reading this far |
| 6. Organize | | | | you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, I suggest you |
| Organization and time management are linked. I | | | | go back to Rule 1 and add peace (contentment) |
| find that I get important things done when I have | | | | to your list of goals. Time management is not |
| all the tools I need to perform the job. | | | | about adding stress; it is about giving you the |
| The opposite of organization -- chaos, clutter, | | | | time to be the person you really want to be. |