Life conspires against us in sorts of ways to steal our time and keep us from getting our most important tasks done. Here are three especially annoying time bandits, and how to put them in their place.
Trying to Do Too Much at Once: Concentrating on one thing at a time is crucial to time management. You must give each activity your complete attention before getting involved with something else. Your concentration should be on that one task. The length of the concentration is up to you but during that activity, you should be completely and totally involved in it. Often, in attempting too much at once, less is accomplished than desired, and it may take longer to do or be of lesser quality. Remember that it takes more time and is harder to finish most tasks than to start them. Completing tasks before starting new ones will help you to limit how many things you do at once. This takes a lot of discipline. You must effectively plan your day, and adopt a work ethic that moves sequentially through your high value tasks, making sure you finish the most important one before becoming involved in something else. This goal is often undermined by the next time bandit on our list.
The Inability to Say “NO.” Quite often, behind the “doing-too-many-things-at-once” syndrome is someone who can’t say “no.” Saying “yes” when you should say “no” sometimes arises from a wish to please everyone. Who hasn’t been asked the imposing question, “As long as you’re going out for the mail, could you pick up the laundry and get a few things at the store?” Whether you are just trying to be nice, or whether you have some kind of a hero complex going on which makes you think you are rescuing people by accepting every request, failing to say NO to most requests that don’t support your goals will undermine your ability to achieve your goals, no matter how efficient you think you are. Learn to say “no” gracefully when you really need to devote your time and energy to other things.
Saying “no” gracefully is a two-step process:
Remember, you are saying “no” because whatever is asked of you is not the best use of your time. When you say “no,” give a reason so that your explanation does not sound rude. Offer an option, rather than simply refusing, so you don’t sound negative. If you can comply, find out when the task must really be completed, to make sure that a false deadline is not being imposed on you. Here is an example:
Request:
Response when you can oblige:
Response when you can’t:
Failing To Use Your “Prime Time” Periods To Work On Your Top Priorities - This may not seem like a time bandit, but it can also create problems. Your prime time period is that time during the day when you feel the most alert and have the most energy. Your prime time can be at any time. If you are a morning person, you will be at your best then. Afternoon or evening people focus best during these periods. Know your own prime time and that of the people you work with to maximize your productivity. People make fewer errors and get more done during this time. Make every effort to protect this time so you can use it to work on your priorities and high-value items. Take appropriate steps to minimize interruptions during this time. Avoid taking calls or scheduling meetings. Save running errands for later. Get the most out of this time, and your productivity will take a big jump.
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December Time Management Tip of the Month – Setting Limits, Doing More
This may seem like a simple, obvious tactic, but get in the habit of setting limits on the amount of time you will devote to any one task, especially the ones that are generally routine, like handling email, returning phones calls, reading the mail, or conducting staff meetings. The first principle of time wasting is, “The amount of it takes to accomplish a task is directly proportional to the amount of time allotted for it.” Once you begin setting limits on the amount of time you will assign to certain tasks, the more time you will suddenly have to devote to high-value activities, and your productivity will go way up.
