The following steps for effective time management can provide a guide for putting your intentions into action, lowering your stress, and helping you achieve your goals.
- Identify your personal and work-related priorities.
This is a key step in the process. Think carefully about outcomes that are important to you. Write them down, being as specific as possible. Specify exactly what you want to accomplish and by when. If you have multiple priorities in the same area (personal or professional) , try to select only one or two initially, or try to rank them as to importance. Trying to work on too many at the same time will increase, rather than lower, your stress level.
- Translate your priorities into concrete goals, with component activities.
Break each goal into its component activities; identify what steps are needed to achieve the goal. Identify the requirements and resources you need related to each activity step. This helps you organise for success and have what you need to move forward towards goal attainment. Pinpointing resources is especially important if accomplishment of your goal requires the co-operation or assistance of other people.
- Identify deadlines/intermedi ary time frames related to each activity step and goal attainment.
These could include deadlines for personal goals (sign up for an exercise class by March 1) or work-related goals such as report deadlines (gather needed data to complete quarterly report by March 30). Write these activities and their individual deadlines on your calendar; scheduling them gives you a direction and affirms your commitment to carry them through, step by step. If you need access to libraries, media/computing centres, or other resources, find out their availability before you need them. Plan time in your own schedule to access these resources in advance; don't wait until the day before a deadline occurs.
- Consider your monthly calendar or planning notebook a timesaving device.
Keep it with you and use it to schedule important activities, due dates, deadlines, and appointments. Consistent use of your calendar will provide you with a visual reminder and help you keep track of your commitments. Periodically review your calendar to assess your progress in accomplishing the steps to your goals. Highlight important dates with a marker; this will keep them visible and can serve as a colorful reminder of your planned steps towards goal attainment.
- Learn to say "No" to opportunities and requests that take your time and don't move you forward towards goal attainment.
To the extent feasible, saying "no" is an important safeguard of your time. Doing so with courtesy and conviction will make it easier to say "yes" at a later date and simultaneously affirm your commitment to yourself to follow through on your scheduled activities.
