1. Time Management

2. Characteristics of Time
There’s a finite amount of time.
It’s the same for everyone. Nobody has more than anyone else.
Non-renewable resource
Cannot be replaced, saved, made up, or overspent
Thus, time is either used or wasted.

3. How much is your time worth?
Time is money, right?
Wrong! Money is time.
You can always get more money – time is finite, scarcer, and more valuable.
How much is an hour worth to you?
40 hours per week X 50 weeks = 2,000 hours.
Divide annual salary by 2,000.

4. Time management helps you work smarter, not harder.
Smart time management helps you get the right things done.

5. Four Steps In Time Management
Planning
Organizing
Controlling (keeping track of it)
Evaluating

6. Planning Set goals and objectives (always time framed - deadlined).
Yearly goals: outcomes, projects, tasks, and improvement areas
Monthly objective updates
Weekly planning

7. Planning
Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities.
Do not get distracted. Focus is critical to success.
Focus on the critical 20%
Plan for the full range of your job functions and activities to get the results you’re expected to get.
Results are politically defined.
In other words, by those in power.

8. Take responsibility for being on time.
If you’re unsure about what results are expected or about priorities, ask your boss.
“I didn’t have enough time” is a cop out – you’re blaming time, being a victim of time.
Don’t be a victim, take responsibility for managing and controlling your time.
According to boss’s or team’s priorities, not yours.
Take responsibility for results as the organization, boss, or team defines them.
Take responsibility for being on time.

9. Self-Management
People who are habitually late or constantly procrastinate:
Arrogant: Try to establish power consciously.
Poor self-image: Try to establish power subconsciously.
Unhealthy fear of failure
ADHD
Are you in denial about any of the above problems?

10. Self-Management Overcome these problems with self-discipline:
Time management and priority setting
Professional help (yes, a therapist)
Don’t procrastinate on getting started or getting help in managing your time.

11. Planning Tools To-Do list Action folder Management folder
Project folders
Calendar
Only one, synch in the cloud

12. To-Do List Problems The longer, the worse – depressing.
Unconscious, stupid tricks we play on ourselves:
Do lots of little things first to give ourselves achievement feedback.
Do the easiest things first.
Do the most fun things first.

13. To-Do List Solutions Scrub it every week to keep it short.
Put a deadline on all items.
Prioritize all items 1,2,3 (boss’s or team’s priorities).
Listen to boss or team carefully.
Listen for stuff you don’t want to hear.
Don’t listen defensively – it’s not personal criticism, it’s improvement advice.

14. Weekly Planning
Look at last week’s calendar for appointments, tasks, meetings, and stuff that needs to be carried over to the new week.
Look at what you have scheduled for the upcoming week.
Synthesize and construct a weekly calendar.
Deep Work by Cal Newport.

15. Daily Planning
Daily plans are most useful if you have sovereignty over your time.
Often not necessary for routine daily tasks (you don’t have control).
Set a time for your daily planning (first thing in the A.M. is usually best).
Look at your , then delete, refer, or act on it.

16. Daily Planning Delete as much email as possible
Unsubscribe to s you don’t need.
Refer – Forward s to appropriate people for action.
Act – Respond immediately if it takes less than two minutes.

17. Daily Scheduling Tips
Be tough on yourself – do the hardest, nastiest things first.
Save the easiest, most fun tasks for last in the day – look forward to them.
On every activity, ask “how is this helping me achieve my goals?”
You distract yourself.
No Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter unless you have a job in social media marketing.

18. Daily Scheduling Tips
Break big jobs into smaller chunks and work uninterrupted:
Close your program and browser.
Shut down your smartphone or use YouMail or other answering apps.
No , texts or social media during chunking.
Each chunk completed builds momentum.

19. Don’t attempt too much. Make yourself feel like a winner.
Allow for interruptions.
If you’re a manager or team leader, leave one-quarter of your time unscheduled.
If you’re not a manager, leave one-eighth unscheduled.

20. Daily Scheduling Tips Set a time limit on each appointment or meeting.
If you add something during the day, drop something.
Ask your boss which ones to drop.
Set a time for callbacks.
Best time for callbacks is when assistants aren’t around — before 9:00 A.M. or after 5:30 P.M. (no-screening time).

21. Working Your Plan The number-one time management rule:
Do one task until it’s finished.
We interrupt ourselves ( notifications, texting, Facebook).
Focus intensely.
Champion athletes know the value of focused concentration.

22. Follow-Up Conduct a desk check at the end of the day.
No random piles of stuff — have organized piles.
No Post-Its all over the place.
What color is your desktop?
If you don’t know or can’t see your desktop, you’re not well organized.

23. Organize Your Desk and Computer
Use a headset when you’re on the phone so you can take notes.
Write everything down.
How are you most comfortable – typing or writing?
If writing, use notebooks of some kind so you can save them and refer to them later.
Work space uncluttered
Clutter is distracting.

24. Organize Written Communications
Analyze repetition: use forms, templates.
Analyze correspondence.
Have separate files and templates for s and paragraphs you write often.

25. Organize Everyone’s Time
Have no-interrupt hours.
Have quiet hours.

26. Manage Your Boss Get specific instructions.
Get agreement on priorities.
Expand autonomy parameters – gain trust.
Difficult with control freaks.

27. Evaluating Time logs (every six months) Time logs must be accurate.
Analyze logs carefully and identify the biggest time wasters:
Overextended lunch and coffee breaks?
Extended, unproductive phone conversations?
Inconsequential personal discussions, texts, Facebook, etc.?
Remember, we distract ourselves.

28. Evaluating Look at your time log and ask these questions:
“Am I doing the right things?”
“Could I have done things in less detail?”
“What kind of interruptions? How long did it take me to recover?”
“How long were my conversations?”
“Did I say ‘no’ often enough?”
“Did I go to too many meetings?”
Poorly run meetings?

29. Get organized and smell the flowers, lower stress … be happier.
Remember, you’re the one who makes yourself unhappy with unreasonable expectations and disorganization.
Create a time-management system that is right for you.
Trial and error
Get organized and smell the flowers, lower stress … be happier.