Yesterday, I went to a time management seminar aimed to improve my time management skills. What’s was shocking was how much I needed this course since it was completely tailored for me. I validated my concerns for time management with the 13 other professionals that were in the same class as me. I took a lot away from this course, in my opinion, every employee at my employer should take it so we are all more productive.
Anyhow, I noticed a section of the class focused on the psychology of how one views and reacts to a task. The course material lightly hinted that of the Ownership Spirit but of course didn’t directly mention it. Here are my takeaways from this Time Management Class:
- Plan weekly goals that you would like to accomplish.
- Plan daily goals the night before (or morning of) to strategically plan your day.
- Don’t let your big projects be at the mercy of smaller stuff.
- It’s OK to say no to a meeting that is irrelevant. Get work done. (I found this rather funny)
- Prioritize your goals, ranked from Importance versus Urgency.
- Actively setting a plan for projects and deadlines will prevent urgent/immediate situations.
- Don’t just plan work, but also your life. This will prevent chaos from happening.
- Check off tasks as you do them, so you feel accomplished. The endorphins produced will motivate you more.
- Be consistent with your task planning. Use both a paper copy (day planner) and/or MS Outlook and keep them updated.
- Dedicate time for projects that require more time — strategic time planning will often yield this result.
- If you use a computer for work, consider putting up your Away Message or similar device that tells others not to interrupt you.
- There’s much more … but that’s all I can think of.
So, this class was awesome. I am already feeling more productive and organized. No more asking myself “What should I do next?” … w00t!
