We've all had that thought that we could use more time - more hours in the day to get through all of our tasks, to exercise, to get more sleep, to enjoy time with our family and friends. But since more hours in the day seem unlikely, time management tips and strategies can help you more effectively and efficiently use the hours to accomplish more of what you need to do - and want to do. Read on for professional organizer time management tips to help make your busy NYC days more productive.
How do you use your time? Keep a journal or diary (electronic or paper) for a week to track how you're spending your time. Write down the start and end time for your tasks - getting ready for work in the morning, your commute, stopping for coffee, phone calls, meetings, shopping for groceries, etc. Knowing how much time each task really takes is can help you to better plan for each day. This is a really key tip for developing a more effective time management strategy.
Once you know how you're spending your time each day, look for ways to better utilize some of the minutes and hours in your day. Could you catch up on reading trade journals during your 45 minutes on the train? And then later spend those 45 minutes taking a walk or having lunch with a friend?
Plan your day. Take some time at the end of each day or first thing each morning - it can be as little as 10 minutes - to review and update your calendar and your to-do list, making note of those items that are priorities for the day. Be realistic about what you can accomplish by the end of the day and plan forward those things that are not critical for the current day. Effective time management starts with accepting the reality behind this tip: A very limited number of priorities will be accomplished each day. Be sure that you focus on those that are most important for the day.
Schedule important tasks on your calendar . As a professional organizer will advise, any activity that is important to you and your business or personal life should be scheduled on your calendar. Appointments and recurring activities such as classes, meetings and regular networking events are obvious calendar items. But if exercising four days a week is a priority for you, put it on your calendar and honor the scheduled time. If you want to have lunch with your child at school one day each week, schedule it so that it doesn't get bumped by other events.
The type of calendar you use is a matter of personal preference, but it's important to have one calendar with all of your events and priorities listed. Managing multiple calendars becomes a chore in itself and utilizes time you could spend elsewhere. Electronic calendars, such Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar can synchronize between your computer and mobile device, allowing you to have an up-to-date view wherever you are. If a paper calendar works best for you, there are many options, including those with daily, weekly and monthly views. Be realistic about how many tasks you're going to list for each day and select a calendar that will accommodate your schedule. Planner Pads are a great option for a weekly view of activities that you can organize into categories.
Plan for and manage interruptions. No matter how well you think you've scheduled your day, you're going to have interruptions and distractions. Plan a few blocks of time into your day so that if you're pulled away from what you're doing, you can shift your schedule as you need to. For those tasks that require your undivided attention, establish a "do not disturb" signal to let co-workers and others know that you're not available.
Turn off your phone and use your voice mail message to let callers know that you will return calls at particular times during the day. If someone else answers your office phone, let them know when you do not want to be interrupted and agree on what constitutes an emergency. Disable email notifications so that you aren't tempted to check messages every time your computer chimes at you. Check email at specific times each day, putting these blocks of time into your schedule. And as much fun as it is to peruse your college roommate's latest vacation photos, close Facebook and other social media sites when you're trying to focus on other work. How many times have you signed in for "just a minute" and found yourself still there an hour later?
Don't procrastinate. Mark Twain wrote, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." Start your day with the most important task on your list, even if it's a difficult one. Establish milestones toward accomplishing the task and just get started. Beginning each day with the most important tasks ensures that they get your attention before you can be distracted.
Take care of you . Recognize that you need breaks periodically and schedule them on your calendar. Go for a walk, drink some water, do some stretches. Often your concentration is helped by a few minutes of fresh air and a change of scenery.
Establish taking care of yourself as a priority. Getting enough sleep (7-8 hours is optimal), nutritious food and exercise are vitally important in reducing stress and accomplishing the things you need and want to do every day.
Be sure to reward yourself regularly for progress and achievement of your goals - celebrate your successes!
Stephanie Shalofsky is a New York Professional Organizer and the founder of The Organizing Zone. Using her extensive project management experience and organizational abilities, Stephanie is dedicated to helping residential and business clients manage their paper and computer information, time and space so that they can be more productive.
The Organizing Zone's professional organizer can help your New York office improve with simple strategies that are often forgotten in today's 24/7, always connected workplace environment. These are the basics and not-so-basics of organizing your NYC calendar and task list that help you maximize the workday and focus on the essential tasks.
Call (917) 375-0631 or visit http://www.theorganizingzone.com today to discuss how you.
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