Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.
Peter Drucker is a genius, and for good reason. That’s his quote above. A friend of mine used to work her butt off four days a week for her clients so she could take Fridays off. (I say “used to” because she is no longer a consultant, but instead works more than full-time in a rewarding, high-stress job at a non-profit.)
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I would love to work part-time or four days a week or, while we’re at it, not at all, and still earn what I earn now. My problem is time management (I should probably read some Drucker!). Some days I am laser focused and bang out my work, but most days I struggle. I’ll constantly check email, Facebook, or remember that I wanted to look up something online. I’ll stare out the window. I’ll do busy-work that is not accomplishing anything (like writing an outline for a blog post instead of just writing it).
Instead of investigating time management best practices, strategies, tips, skills, and advice online, here is how I think I could best manage my time:
Devote chunks of the day to specific tasks. Not a big breakthrough here, but I’ve never done it before so I’d like to see if it would work for me. I’m thinking it should work for me because 1., I like to write tasks down and check them off as I complete them, and 2., It will keep me focused and maybe free up time at the end of the day to goof off. I’ll schedule time to do everything: check and respond to email; check for social media updates; work on my projects, and take breaks.
Shut down the applications I’m not using. When I’m on email, everything else will be closed. When I’m working on a project, the relevant documents will be open and email and IE will be closed.
I am very curious as to what time management strategies you’ve used to stay on task and focused. If I get enough comments, I’ll post your suggestions in an upcoming blog.
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