| Much of the current time management strategies | | | | **What has to be done? |
| combine organizing techniques and time-saving tips | | | | **When should it be done? |
| along with setting priorities and improving planning | | | | **What priority should it have? |
| skills as the method of achieving success. Many of | | | | **How much time will it require? |
| us have sat through time management seminars, | | | | Plan ahead because it often takes longer than you |
| read books, seen videos and visited web sites in | | | | think to get a task completed. Think back a day |
| order to learn how to do things better and faster. | | | | or two. How long did it take you to visit the |
| We have bought more efficient planning tools | | | | grocery store, purchase your son or daughter a |
| such as day planners, electronic organizers or web | | | | new pair of soccer shoes, order an airline ticket |
| calendars, to better manage and control our time. | | | | online, or make a doctor's appointment? One way |
| And what happens? We still need more time. We | | | | for stress relief is to be realistic about how much |
| are still in a hurry, having no time for ourselves. | | | | time things take to get done. Some times you |
| Friends and family still want more of our time, but | | | | feel as though you are in a race against the clock, |
| there is nothing more to give. And we still feel | | | | but in reality, you are much better off, |
| guilty and in desperate need of stress relief! Is | | | | accomplishing things correctly so you don't have |
| there a solution somewhere out there?? | | | | to redo or revisit tasks. |
| Good news!! | | | | If you find that you have a lot of stressful |
| It's time to stop running on the proverbial "tread | | | | situations piling up in a given time period, think of |
| mill" on your way to nowhere. Let's regroup. The | | | | ways to spread out the events. It may be |
| three aspects of time management that I | | | | beneficial to you if you can postpone some |
| emphasize are: | | | | stressful events to another day as long as you |
| (1) set your priorities, | | | | don't fall into the procrastination trap. Each life |
| (2) plan accordingly, and | | | | stressor is additive, and the more stressors in |
| (3) avoid time wasters. | | | | your life, the higher is the level of stress. Planning |
| With good time management strategies you are | | | | ways to spread out the stressors in given days |
| in control of your use of time, your establishment | | | | and weeks is a good time management strategy |
| of priorities and, your stress and energy levels. If | | | | and stress reliever. Planning allows you to schedule |
| women incorporate these effective time | | | | quality thinking-time to focus on the important but |
| management strategies, they can maintain a | | | | not urgent things in your life. Examples might be |
| balance between work, personal, and family lives. | | | | planning a family gathering, preparing a business |
| Well designed time management strategies give | | | | presentation, helping your child with his/her college |
| even busy over-committed women enough | | | | search, or spending relaxation time by yourself. |
| flexibility to respond to surprises and/or new | | | | Daily planning allows you to decide which portions |
| opportunities. | | | | of your weekly plan can be achieved each day, |
| Setting Priorities and Setting Goals are Essential | | | | taking care to focus on the weekly objectives. |
| Ingredients in Effective Time Management. | | | | Each day determine the specific activities to |
| With so many people wanting part of us, women | | | | undertake. Group related tasks in the same |
| often have trouble determining what need to | | | | portion of the day so that you can attend to |
| attend to first. Stop and consider what really | | | | them together. And,don't forget to schedule |
| matters. If you are not careful, everything | | | | thinking time each day. Many have found that |
| appears to have a sense of urgency and you will | | | | spending the last half hour of their work day |
| spend time putting out "fires" without much to | | | | reviewing the day's schedule and adjusting the |
| show for at the end of the day. Many people | | | | next day's schedule is both efficient and effective |
| have a daily to-do list which they use to prioritize | | | | as a time management strategy. |
| what work is most important. Know what is | | | | Time Wasters--Be Aware of Time Gobblers |
| important and write down the key goals you are | | | | Indecision |
| working towards. These goals can apply to all | | | | Inefficiency |
| parts of your life. Setting goals gives direction to | | | | Interruptions--getting side tracked |
| what you are striving to accomplish and allows | | | | Micro-management |
| you to delineate what is important. Goals can be | | | | Procrastination |
| long range and can be short range. A long range | | | | Proactive Time Management is the ability to |
| goal may be a 4-year plan designed to help you | | | | control one's environment, rather than let it |
| complete your bachelor's degree. Within that long | | | | control you. |
| range goal you have many short range goals such | | | | 1. Plan and set goals |
| as purchasing a safer and newer car so you can | | | | 2. Communicate your goals and plans |
| drive to the college campus, or re-arranging your | | | | 3. Schedule your priorities |
| child care schedule so that you can take a night | | | | 4. Track and measure your results. |
| class. Even completing a course and each of the | | | | Crisis Mode Time Management |
| class assignments would be examples of short | | | | Urgent-do it now! Immediate attention must be |
| range goals. Setting goals is an essential ingredient | | | | given to this event, person or thing. |
| for effective time management because it gives | | | | 1. Handle it first. |
| you a sense of direction as to where you are | | | | 2. Manage your time second. |
| going, and scheduling your time based on that | | | | 3. Communicate what you are doing third. |
| direction helps you prioritize the use of the time. | | | | 4. Plan and set goals as time becomes available. |
| Solid Planning is a Great Stress Reliever. | | | | Effective Time Managers Know How To: |
| Did you know that for every minute you spend | | | | 1. Handle interruptions quickly |
| planning, you can save 4-10 times that amount in | | | | 2. Take advantage of personal peak working |
| execution. Finding an extra 30 minutes per day is | | | | times (when do you work best?) |
| equivalent to finding 22 eight-hour days per year. | | | | 3. Delegate effectively whenever possible |
| That is one extra work month per year! | | | | 4. Make time plans based on defined objectives |
| The best focus for planning is on a weekly basis. | | | | and goals |
| The most important aspect is to plan every | | | | 5. Focus on their highest priorities |
| week. Once a week, write your goals for the | | | | Remember that well designed time management |
| upcoming week. Whenever the time required | | | | strategies are a strong aid for stress relief. |
| accomplishing goals is more than the time available | | | | Setting priorities, developing solid planning habits |
| then the plan can be revised. When planning, start | | | | and eliminating time wasting activities improve |
| by asking this checklist of questions: | | | | your time management and lower stress levels. |