Time Management - 3 Steps to Get Things Done
How often does this happen to you? You are trying unsuccessfully to manage your time more effectively and you've decided what you want to get done.
You've set aside a day to do it and then other things start to happen.
The phone rings and that leads to having to look something up on the internet.
While you are online you decide to have just a quick look at your emails and there are some which need to have an urgent reply, or so you decide.
Then the post arrives and you have to do some jobs after you've opened your letters.
Just when you finally get down to the original task you realise you are feeling rather hungry so will have to make yourself something to eat or a friend is wondering if you might have lunch together.
So another day goes by and the task isn't completed.
Would you rather manage your day so effectively that you got the jobs done, without any hassle and then could move on to other tasks and even have plenty of time of some rest and relaxation too? You could be like that if you follow the following 7 steps: Set boundaries to stop being distracted.
Being interrupted and distractions are the two most important reasons you must be absolutely clear about boundaries.
These are set by you but explained to anyone else who may want to cross them.
Do not answer the telephone, look at or answer emails, open letters, surf the internet or socialise while you get on with your task unless any of these is actually your goal.
Be very specific Decide very precisely exactly what you are going o do in the period of time you set aside for the task.
You may be doing part of a project which will take you many hours and days.
However define what you want to get done in the hour or the afternoon you have decided to use to work on that project.
Stop when the job is done Define the beginning and end of what you are doing today.
Say to yourself, 'when I've done so and so I'll stop and take a break.
' You can continue after that if you re-define what you plane to do and the time you are setting aside for it.
It's well known that people who make plans are more likely to achieve what they plan.
You've set aside a day to do it and then other things start to happen.
The phone rings and that leads to having to look something up on the internet.
While you are online you decide to have just a quick look at your emails and there are some which need to have an urgent reply, or so you decide.
Then the post arrives and you have to do some jobs after you've opened your letters.
Just when you finally get down to the original task you realise you are feeling rather hungry so will have to make yourself something to eat or a friend is wondering if you might have lunch together.
So another day goes by and the task isn't completed.
Would you rather manage your day so effectively that you got the jobs done, without any hassle and then could move on to other tasks and even have plenty of time of some rest and relaxation too? You could be like that if you follow the following 7 steps: Set boundaries to stop being distracted.
Being interrupted and distractions are the two most important reasons you must be absolutely clear about boundaries.
These are set by you but explained to anyone else who may want to cross them.
Do not answer the telephone, look at or answer emails, open letters, surf the internet or socialise while you get on with your task unless any of these is actually your goal.
Be very specific Decide very precisely exactly what you are going o do in the period of time you set aside for the task.
You may be doing part of a project which will take you many hours and days.
However define what you want to get done in the hour or the afternoon you have decided to use to work on that project.
Stop when the job is done Define the beginning and end of what you are doing today.
Say to yourself, 'when I've done so and so I'll stop and take a break.
' You can continue after that if you re-define what you plane to do and the time you are setting aside for it.
It's well known that people who make plans are more likely to achieve what they plan.