I'm constantly reading blogs and articles on the internet that keep talking about Time Management. The original title of Organizing for Success was Time's On My Side in 1996. In 2004 I changed the title to Organizing for Success because based on my research, manging time was not the problem.
Increasing productivity and effectiveness is all about strategically or analytically organizing or scheduling tasks/activities/projects/distractions. Activities that are done frequently or periodically should be analytically planned based on factors like importance, energy and/or focus required, and accurate deadline. These factors require clear thought to create the optimal schedule. Of course, room must be left for interruptions, deistractions, and unplanned requests.
By strategically organizing and planning your day and week, you'll be able to fit more into each day. The biggest mistake people make is that their plan should be more "worst case" than "best case." Many plans I see would need God to intervene to have any chance of succeeding. Key, stop pverplanning your day. I like to "under-promise" - "over-deliver." Each day identify the two (2) most important tasks on your list and commit to completing them. Productivity is teachnically not measured by how many check marks you get in a day but rather what you check off.
Finally, the biggest key to improving your effectiveness and productivity (which no one talks about and very few do) is before you finish for the day STOP, REFLECT, ANALYZE, and create mental seperation between work and home. While your day is still fresh in your mind, analyze what you accomplished and your results. Ask yourself, "What did I do well today and what could I improve tomorrow?" Now plan and organize for tomorrow. The optimal time to plan is at the end of each day, NOT the beginning of the next day. This strategy will help you sleep better at night and wake up refreshed. The mind doesn't care you didn't get it all done, it just wants to feel "comfortable" or in "control" that you have a plan for tomorrow.
Step One - Keep track of your time for a week (use our free timekeeping journal) The left side of the page is for your plan tomorrow and the right side record what actually happened.
Step Two - Analyze your results. USe your results to make your daily plan more realistic and achievable.
Step Three - Try moving tasks to different one-hour time periods. Creating the most effective plan is often by trial and error.
Step Four - Analyze your results. Did any of your changes improve your results? If so, keep those activites in that time slot. If a change didn't show an improvement, try another time slot, and so forth.
If you have any questions please reach out to me and I'll help or answer any questions you have!
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