Strategic Time Management
As we begin a new year fully committed to keeping our resolutions, we often realize that we have bitten off more than we can chew. How can we possibly accomplish all we have planned to do? The key is to use our allotted 24 hours wisely and effectively.
There are three ways to make better use of your time:
• Discontinue low priority tasks or activities.
• Be more efficient at what you do.
• Find someone else to do part of your work.
We often get comfortable taking certain actions and don’t pay attention to whether or not they help us achieve our objectives. To determine your effectiveness, answer these questions honestly:
• Necessity – Does it need to be done? add value? support my goals?
• Appropriateness – Are you the right person to be doing the work? If not, delegate.
• Efficiency – Is there a better, faster, simpler way to do it?
As you begin to set priorities, categorize your tasks according to criticality and urgency:
A – “Must Do”, Must be completed today
B – “Should Do”, Must be completed within 48 hours
C – “Nice To Do”, Complete by week’s end or at your earliest convenience
As you become more conscious of how you spend your time, you can begin to eliminate, reduce, or increase your activities to better align your time with your desired objectives.
If you want to learn more about time management or tools to help you increase your efficiency and effectiveness, please contact Kammy Haynes.
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