Time Saving Concepts

by Joy Kimmel, Kimmel Consulting, "Your Success is my Business"

Managing your time well is a function of goals, focus and discipline.  All the time-saving tips in the world will not help you if you don't know where you're going and you don't hold yourself accountable for getting there.  Good time management starts with a clear picture of what you want to accomplish by the end of the day, week, year or business cycle, and the commitment to set up a structured approach to scheduling and stick to it.  This doesn't mean you have to be rigid and give up all flexibility in your life - on the contrary, it is important to allow for unscheduled events and crises, and even plan time for them.  But underlying your time management approach needs to be a consistent and useful method for managing (and thereby saving) your time.  This is what works for me.

On a daily basis, I set aside a little time at the beginning of each day to review the day's work, and decide what's realistic in terms of accomplishments and what's not.  I take about 10 minutes each morning to review my "to do" list (written on today's calendar date in my day planner) and organize my day.  I also review this list at the end of the day, and transfer any items that didn't get done (and still need to be done) to an appropriate future date in my day planner.  That way, I don't lose track of any critical items.

On a weekly basis, I take the same approach:  On Monday morning, I review what I have planned for the week (on the monthly calendar in my day planner, so I can see the "big picture").  I also take a "sneak preview" of the following week or two, to see if there's any preparation work for future work that needs to be done this week.  If so, I pick an appropriate day and write it in the "to do" list for that day.  On Friday afternoon, I review my week's accomplishments and successes, and preview the coming week before I close the day planner for the weekend (it is important to take time off from all this planning...).

Many of my friends and associates have switched from paper day planners to Palm Pilot-type devices.  Although I'm intrigued by the technology, I feel my day planner book gives me a better look at the "big picture" by month and even by year.  It also allows me to color-code (with a highlighter) specific types of appointments or commitments (in my case, billable hours).  Still, if the electronic gizmos work for you, use them.  The important principle here is to find a system that works and stick with it.

And discipline is the key.  It takes about two weeks of daily effort to adopt or change a habit, so for two weeks you need to consciously focus on whatever time management or scheduling system you adopt.  After that time, if the system is still not comfortable, change it and try it for another two weeks.  It is daily commitment that makes whatever system you choose work.   And when it does work, you will feel more in control of your time and your life and less stressed - isn't that worth the effort?

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Joy Kimmel is a management consultant located in Prescott, Arizona.  She provides coaching, facilitation, consulting and training services in business startup, strategic planning, teamwork, conflict management and meeting management, among other things.  She can be reached at (928) 776-1460, or by email at joy@kimmelconsulting.com.

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