Making Time in ‘08

(Revised from March 17, 2007 post)

Okay - so there are only 24 hours in a day, right? So how do you “make” more time? It’s not as hard as you think.

With just three simple steps, you can create the time you need to do stuff that keeps getting put on the back burner.

A) Take one week and track your time. No cheating - make a log that counts every second, from the moment you wake up to the moment your exhausted head hits the pillow ( I did not say this was going to be painless, did I?)

B) Take a hard look at all the time you wasted ( like the 30 minutes you blew surfing the net for travel deals when you should have been working on a project, returning phone calls, etc.). See how much of your time is dealing with e/mail … sorting, tossing, answering, etc. I bet right now you let yourself get involved with email at least 10 times a day, if not more … Effective time management can rescue you from this trap.

C) Take command of your life! Yup, Stage Three is the best, because you get to create the work-flow chart that meshes with your personality, your job and your responsibilties. And that very simply means you must allocate those precious seconds, minutes, quarter hours, mornings, etc. in a very deliberate, methodical manner. Keep in mind three things you must do each day - review tasks, sort by priority, allocate defined time to attend to each task. By embracing this self-produced time allocation system you will actually be able to take control, work more effectively and keep organized!

A well-organized schedule for at least 3 days a week should be something that includes:

1. Lunch time away from your desk, even if it’s a half an hour
2. Short breaks, one mid-morning and one in the late afternoon
3. Defined times to return and make phone calls
4. Prescheduled times to check, sort and toss emails
5. Calls or emails to follow-up on new networking leads

In between this new regimen, make sure you plan at least one full hour where you can work without interruptions. The last two days can be earmarked for catch up work, intensive sales calls, uninterrupted project time, special networking events or client meetings as needed.

It will take 21 work days to get this whole new approach integrated into your daily routine, so that you are comfortable with it. Studies have proven that this is the minimum amount of time it takes to firmly establish a new regimen. It may seem nonsensical, even annoying, but you will be fighting yourself as you move through this adjustment period. Do not turn back! This new system will work better than the daily frantic pace you have most probably gotten used to.

Know that each day will throw you an assortment of curve balls. But if you actively start to manage your time, you can create a customized system that allows for more effective & more productive workdays, which is never a bad thing!