(The specific actions and resources necessary to fully develop the system are part of our "Making Time for Time Management"TM seminar)

Don't be discouraged by the the work required to get results. Take the Swiss cheese approach. Bite sized pieces and the biggest projects become manageable.

Stage one: Establish efficient work environments and develop effective time control strategies

Time management is not an occasional seminar it is a continuous process which includes self-discipline. The process requires a self improvement attitude, specific knowledge, tools and resources. Take an inventory. Do you review your personal performance, use a planner, have "quick find" filing? Start by changing habits: e.g., practice saying a firm "no" until you get caught up and can plan ahead. Set specific time aside weekly to acquire and use T.M. tools and to develop  resources. The return on your "time investment" will gradually compound into time that generates income or is available for other meaningful goals.

Stage two: Select and finish a few key projects, don't overload, stay focused

If you have multiple projects, assign time slots (schedule), and work in "chunks" for each area (e.g. one hour per item). Assign more "chunks" for key items. Use technology to leverage your time, but spend hobby or personal time researching and learning the technology. Avoid using "cold call" time to learn software - take "quickie" courses or keep a concise software handbook beside your computer. Make lists of your personal time wasters, write them down on a log sheet as they occur, review them, and rectify. Develop a comprehensive, ongoing data base - written or computer. Post every week while information is fresh. Schedule fitness time no matter how busy you get, 45 minute workouts, 2-3 times a week. If you make commitments to people - keep them, or communicate the changes early, never late. Monitor your behaviours. If you do it once you create the path for doing it again. Work at doing things differently, i.e. better. Get excited about being  in control of your life, i.e. the way you do things. The excitement will turn into confidence once the skills are mastered.

Stage three: Be professional in all things, use ethics, give value, keep learning and stretching

The stage three development areas will have a positive impact on your time if entrenched as habits. Have fingertip control of all your data, files, contacts, and projects. Use file folders and electronic aids. Spend between 15-30 minutes a day planning daily and long range activities. Plan before the pressure starts. Involve others in the execution. Be good at asking the right questions and lots of them. Take time out to stay balanced: family, social, and recreational activities make the business effort worth while. A rich life comes from more than just money. Being able to "give back" is a value added benchmark. The ultimate measure of good time management is whether you have time for other people.

Overview: Develop connectivity between all of the above and your system will be easier to maintain

Change behaviour patterns. E.g. Problems become opportunities if you "stop the clock" long enough to reflect, analyze, plan, structure and then incrementally change your patterns of behaviour. It not only takes a need to start the process, but tools to capture the facts about what went wrong, and knowledge of how to start making the changes. Dyna-form has developed many types of forms that assist in this process. You can start your own method by making a list of the results you are getting, and the related behaviours that you would like to change. Then determine the behaviour characteristics that caused or contributed to the result. Very often one type of behaviour impacts on our lives in many different ways. Choose one of your habits that you would like to change or is currently having negative impact on your time management.  Then decide on the results that you want. Set some control checks in place. (Dyna-form uses specific methods for this task). Gradually start modifying  your undesirable behaviour. Keep a written record of the process, review on an ongoing basis, and plan the changes. You will get results if you systematically work at the problem/s. But, first you've got to "stop" to start the process.

 

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Email: Fred Pentney