If you feel your workday’s plunging headlong into the never-enough-time abyss, you’re not alone. Many other busy professionals veer down that same dark chasm. It is possible, however, to rein in runaway time and manage it to your advantage. It might take a few simple techniques, or it might take an overhaul. Take stock, decide on an action plan and be the victor in the time war.
Pinpoint The Lost Time
A number of factors indicate that work time isn’t being managed efficiently.
Here are some clues to pay attention to. Time management becomes problematic when working professionals:
- Don’t have the income level they have potential to achieve.
- Aren’t seeing as many clients (as they could be).
- Aren’t being promoted at work.
- Take too long to physically find things in the work space.
- Feel stressed and frustrated.
- Might not be focusing on the best value-added activities for the company. Value-added activities bear a closer scrutiny when looking at time management.
So, where do already busy professionals begin to manage the time that got away, short of adding a few more hours to a crammed 24?
Take a good look around your office workplace. Is your in box buried? Is your desk covered by sliding mounds of paperwork? Do you have files in file cabinets that are dusty from disuse?
Organise From The Desk Up
If your time management has gone awry, disorganization might well be the root cause. To get a grip, set concrete goals about what you need to organize. Set aside a weekend (or two or three) to eliminate clutter from your workplace Write out a plan and tackle the project in small pieces:
No. 1: Desk.
No. 2: Shelves.
No. 3: File cabinet, and so on.
Purge ruthlessly. If the job seems overwhelming by yourself, consider hiring a professional organizer.
Accessibility of materials professionals need most often leads to better time management.
Anxiety, Phobia and Meditation Sponsors
Rethink The Bits and Pieces
Consider “only” 10 minutes as valuable time to get a piece of the project done.
Registered nurse Amy Wilson, 40, knows this mantra well. She often plans out her day during her morning 35- to 40-minute commute.
As a care coordinator on a busy cardiovascular unit at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley Colorado, Wilson contends with high stress, constant interruption and the need of patients, families, medical staff and insurance companies. On any given day, Wilson is responsible for monitoring the admissions, discharges and insurance care guidelines for nearly 20 patients.
She uses a monthly desk calendar to keep track of meetings and appointments, as well as jots notes reminding herself where she was during a task before she was interrupted.
By employing various techniques and resources to help get your time back in line, you’ll notice how your productivity increases and your stress level decreases.
In addition, here are seven easy-to-follow principles:
- Be active, not reactive.
- Set goals.
- Prioritize actions.
- Keep your focus.
- Create realistic deadlines.
- D-O I-T N-O-W.
- Balance your life.
George
