Time Management

[King Justice]

I found that outlining your day really helps with time management and keeps you focused on tasks that need to be done.

I outline what I have to do each and everyday. Does anyone else? :)

I am thinking about getting a PDA just to stay organized and managed - I used to always think PDAs were wastes of money until I found myself struggling to stay organized and well-focused on tasks throughout the day.

[Fergal]

I work through a list every day. I write out my list every evening before I leave work. In this way, I start working on the tasks I need to work on, that day. Doing your to do list in the evening means that you can start working as soon as you are in, in the morning. You don't need to spend time getting ready to work.

[Thanoz]

Time planning can definitely save you time and get you better organized although i don't like the idea of being "hooked" at a list.
I mean, i have tried making a list of daily tasks myself though when i don't manage everything on times set i got angry and eventually "cut" it. :D

[pendelton]

That is the key Thanoz. I have known people, one woman in particular, that could not function without their list. Everyday she lost her list, which only occurred a couple times per year, she would go straight home and go back to bed, no matter what was important to do that day. One year she left her daughter stranded at uni just before a holiday, and later that year she missed some kind of deadline for an IRA rollover, costing her a good amount of her retirement.
She was a worst case though, most do not get it all done and get angry that they 'wasted' their day. I learned a trick.

Time management isn't really about a list and getting it done, it is more about time tracking and seeing where you are spending your time. Things that you do not plan for, running in to a new client or vendor and spending time with them is probably not on your list, but it is productive.

Each day you should have a look at your list and see if you spent your time productively, and, if not, what to do to avoid those times of no, or low, productivity.

Remember to document your day and learn from it. Do not be a slave to the list.

[Fergal]

A list is only useful if you have the right things on it. There's no point in working through a list, if the items on it are not helping you achieve your business goals. As has already been mentioned your list should not constrain you too much, you still need to be flexible.

[DEADMAN]

Time Management is one of the best measure to do most of your thing in a day. Writing your task of the day in a Diary or Small sheets of papers, cheats will help you do your major task of the day.

In Today's world, it's very necessary to keep your time managed. For a busy man's life, Time managements is most. Where for other ordinary person's too, Time Management is worthly. Time Management will help you be a successful person and you get remember easily your daily task once you've routine made (i.e in diary, cheats) for your everyday's task.

As well as I try to keep my Time Managed, as I'm a student, I want to devote all my time for study but beside it, there are many things you do, like Entertainments, Travelling, and So on.

[steppysteph]

Time Management is not something to be taken lightly as it is one of the most important factor in getting things done. If you don't know how to manage your time properly, you will not be able to accomplish all your responsibilities or you might end up doing sloppy work.

Make sure that you allot a few minutes of your time each day to plan what you will do for the day and also for the week to know how fast you need to go to be able to accomplish everything.

[JayonNet]

Time Management is one of the key factor to succeed in whatever you do. It is most important thing, specially for working people.

I totally agree with "pendelton" that just "being slave to a list" is not a successful time management. It is setting priority to the tasks on list by carefully analyzing the time spent on the productive one and leaving aside the not so important or time consuming in relation to productivity sort of tasks.

[Fergal]

Lists also have motivational benefits for me personally. I find it motivational to strike things off the list as I get them done. Success breeds success and the more I get done the more it motivates me to get more done.

[pendelton]

You have a very good point there Fergal. I wish I had thought of it.

[greybell]

I ve tried all these many times but none of them seems to work for me.

[Nazreen]

I ve tried all these many times but none of them seems to work for me.

Welcome to the Business Advice Forum greybell.

Why do you say that these Time Management techniques don't work for you greybell? Can you elaborate more and give us some examples?

Maybe you just need to be more determined in implementing these time management techniques in order for them to work. Just give them a chance.

[prettysue]

Time management is a form of self-discipline. It comes from your inner desire. Alarm clocks will help you to wake up early but if don't have the discipline, you will just turn off the alarm clock and sleep again. PDA is also a good tool for your to organize the activities you need to get done. I have one of this but then again, if you are not consistent to manage your time really, really well, then it is just a waste of money.

Discipline is the key. Avoid procrastination.

[deepak_sharma]

Why time management is important? as we know Time is limited in the sense that it cannot be stored for later use. Every person gets exactly the same amount of time every single day. Therefore it is important to spend it wisely, as time lost cannot be gotten back.

It is a fact that time management improves a person's productivity. More work is accomplished using less effort. Wasted time is reduced. These two reasons allow a person to take out time for more activities which increases its efficiency.

[Nazreen]

I think a lot of people procrastinate and put off their important tasks over and over again. If you find yourself doing this, you are not alone. Most, if not all people, procrastinate to some degree, whether it's at work or in their personal life. I, myself, am also guilty of procrastinating.

In order to prevent ourselves from putting off our important tasks, it is very important that we get down to the very root of the problem. In my honest opinion, people procrastinate in the workplace not because they're really lazy. People who procrastinate also work the same number of hours as people who don't. They're not just focusing their time with the important stuff but instead, they're investing their precious time with the wrong tasks. So in order not to procrastinate, it's good that we know what is important and what is not and discipline ourselves on focusing and prioritizing on the important tasks first.

[Fergal]

Nazreen is right, procrastination is a serious issue that can significantly reduce the quality of your life. As Nazreen says we are all guilty of it to some extent. It is important to recognise the problem and take some action to do something about it.

It is easier to deal with the issue if you are not too ambitious and try to change overnight. It is better to change bit by bit and improve slowly, for longer lasting results. Take one area where you have been procrastinating and write a list of everything that needs to be done. Then try to do a little every day to work through that list.

[Nazreen]

I've learned a wonderful lesson today about time management and focus. I think it was Tiger Woods who said that his dad was a great believer in taking time to smell the roses. If you're always focused on the game of golf all the time, you'd eventually burn out. While you're walking on the grass, be sure to have a nice talk with your caddie, see the beautiful scenery and enjoy the game of golf or in other words, be sure to "smell the roses". When you're taking the shot, that is the time that you need to focus. So the lesson here is "to focus only when it matters".

[youbetcha1018]

Well, I think I'm one of those busy people out there. But I make sure that all of my schedules are well taken care of. I have wrote down all of my tasks in one day. I think I have been doing time management ever since.

[scifi]

Time Management is an activity that can not be implemented unless until you incorporate it into your habits with a firm determination. If you keep on thinking about managing your time you will keep on thinking for the rest of your time too !!! So it is advised, for effective time management make it in your habit to give a little time for planning your whole day immediately you wake up in the morning because that's the best time to do so according to me...

[Fergal]

... give a little time for planning your whole day immediately you wake up in the morning because that's the best time to do so according to me...

Personally I prefer to plan my day the evening before. But different things work for different people.

[scifi]

Personally I prefer to plan my day the evening before. But different things work for different people.

Exactly Right Said Fergal!!!
Your efficiency for various works varies according to different time..For eg. Some people prefer studying late night & doing all physical exercises during morning while some people prefer doing studies in the morning & goes for GYM or evening walk etc. in the evening....

[lisaniel]

Make a 'things to do' list and try to implement the tasks what you have listed out...
If you are not well confident about the task which you can do, don't list it in the list.

[youngkia1]

Everyday I have a list of all the task that i need to be done for the day, I tracked all my records so that i can do all my task for a given time. Time management is very important on my everyday life, if i won't be able to do a time record, my work is a mess.

[ProfitClinic]

I find that most people create problems for themselves through inaccurate perspectives, which then shape our thinking and reasoning, our attitudes and actions.

(Eye-opening examples here (http://profitclinic.com/dontgo/curves.html) and here (http://bit.ly/tmbinterview) for small and home business owners.)

"Time Management" is a severely inaccurate perspective that encourages us to do all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons (the Law of Failure (http://thelawofsuccess.info/s-laws.html)).

After you've mastered time management, try mastering weather management, tide management, twister management, hurricane management, earthquake management, tsunami management, volcano management, sunspot management, etc. Your chances are pretty much equal, right across the board.

Albert Einstein defined time as "events in sequence". That's a pretty good clue to a better perspective: if we learn to manage events, whether in sequence or in simultaneity, we stand a better chance of getting more done in a given time frame.

To get better control of all aspects of our lives, we need to properly plan and manage our events, our roles, our resources and our relationships (which provide most of our resources).

I use what I call the Four "R" Process (http://www.profitclinic.com/tools/4r/) to do this.

I have a tutorial that I need to edit before it's ready to release (multi-media) that shows a really powerful, practical way to implement this approach. I'll try to remember to post it here once I've completed the editing.

Hope this helps.

John

[rebecca16]

I have been reading this book "Maverick" by Recardo Semler, here semler suggested some very good tips to plan your work for the day. he says first arrange your daily tasks in decreasing order by keeping the most important and difficult tasks at the top.
So i have been following it and i found that in the morning i am fresh and it is easier to tackle the difficult tasks then.

[WebWizard]

those are some good references, I like the second.

[ProfitClinic]

I find the early morning the best time to plan the day. Last thing at night I take a few minutes to review the day just closing and make notes for myself for next morning.

But, as Fregal says, "diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks". Some people work best at night. Others work best in the morning. (And some never work at all.)

That can also change as we grow older. When I was younger, I was a definite "night" person. These days, I'm nodding off to the evening news, waking just after midnight, then starting my day super-early. I can get a full-day's work done before the phone rings.

John

[Fergal]

...That can also change as we grow older. When I was younger, I was a definite "night" person. These days, I'm nodding off to the evening news, waking just after midnight, then starting my day super-early. I can get a full-day's work done before the phone rings.

John

Funny you should say that, I also find that I'm more of a morning person and less of a night owl, the older I get. What time do you actually start work at John, if you don't mind me asking?

[ProfitClinic]

It varies according to circumstances, Fergal, but as a rule I start somewhere between 1:30am and 4:30am. I can start as early as 11:30pm or as late as 6:30pm, depending mostly on social activity offline and the state of my health at the time.

I take "power naps" 2-3 times a day for 20-45 minutes. I find these particularly reviving and re-focusing. (I started doing this in 1980 when I read some research showing that, across a wide spectrum of test groups and control groups, in several countries, age groups, professions and trades, etc, the test groups who took a 30-45 minute nap after lunch every day were up to FIVE TIMES MORE PRODUCTIVE than the control groups who didn't. This outcome was consistent across all test groups.)

Churchill, Einstein and a multitude of other highly productive people (especially thinkers and decision-makers) apparently power-napped, too.

[Fergal]

I get up at 6AM John and I thought that was an early start. :)

Sounds like polyphasic sleep (http://www.businessadviceforum.com/showthread.php?t=12558). I've started a new thread on it there and would love to read your thoughts on it.

[rebecca16]

It varies according to circumstances, Fergal, but as a rule I start somewhere between 1:30am and 4:30am. I can start as early as 11:30pm or as late as 6:30pm, depending mostly on social activity offline and the state of my health at the time.

I take "power naps" 2-3 times a day for 20-45 minutes. I find these particularly reviving and re-focusing. (I started doing this in 1980 when I read some research showing that, across a wide spectrum of test groups and control groups, in several countries, age groups, professions and trades, etc, the test groups who took a 30-45 minute nap after lunch every day were up to FIVE TIMES MORE PRODUCTIVE than the control groups who didn't. This outcome was consistent across all test groups.)

Churchill, Einstein and a multitude of other highly productive people (especially thinkers and decision-makers) apparently power-napped, too.
I read this very interesting thing about churchill, he used to say .whenever i could lie down i never sit and whenever i can sit i never stand. And i rest myself before i get tired.
So he conserved his energy and worked for 18 hours in a day during war -II

[BizDoc]

Hi all,

I just wrote an article on how a senior manager can easily train everyone in their organization on an unusual but effective form of time management.

Would it would work for your organization? Let me know what you think: http://bizmd.blogspot.com/2010/08/developing-turn-key-organization-pt-ii.html.

I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers!

[shailagomez]

Hi! I'm Shaila. Yeah it's true that time management really helps. Most important to busy people, because they have to manage their time in everything that they have to accomplish at specific time. And very fulfilling if you done it well and on time.

[vegetablevn]

Hi! I'm Shaila. Yeah it's true that time management really helps. Most important to busy people, because they have to manage their time in everything that they have to accomplish at specific time. And very fulfilling if you done it well and on time.

Hi,

I agreed with you. Any way, your points of view make me thinking about some thing for my project.

Pls try to keep posting. Tks and best regards

[Cathy Duncan]

When it comes to the management of time in business, it is quite important for a business-owner, because he has a great investment. In order to get his investment and profit out of it, he must manage time and should keep a proper check and balance system on his employees. If the employees are managing time well, the business as well as its owner both will be prosperous.

[wringle]

Who is a person that has used time management and had beome a successful person beacause of it. I need someone that is pretty famouse and have alot of info about their time management because I have to write a long paper.
thanx

[Fergal]

wringle Duncan Bannatyne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Bannatyne) comes to mind, he recently wrote a book on time management (http://www.bannatyne.co.uk/webshop/books-howtobesmartwithyourtime.asp) called "How To Be Smart With Your Time". I've read a couple of his other books and they are great, so well worth a look.

[rebecca16]

seems to be a interesting, worth a buy.

[rdcclu]

Here's the best system I have ever heard...

1. Make a list of everything you need to do.
2. Divide the list into A, B and C, A being the most important things, B the next most important and C the least important.
3. Each day, start with number one on list A, complete then go to number two and so on.
4. Throw list C in the trash.

[Fergal]

That's a good approach Bob, doing the important things first makes us much more effective and productive. I do also like the idea of throwing away list C. It's all too easy to spend time doing stuff just to keep busy and to give the illusion of productivity, one way to avoid falling into this trap is to continually ask ourselves,if what we are doing is bringing us closer to achieving our goals. Another good question is "is what I'm doing the most important thing that I could be doing right now?"

[rebecca16]

Well said!

[martha]

Tim Ferris says time management is dead :P

[ProfitClinic]

Tim Ferris says time management is dead

Sounds reasonable. It deserves to be dead.

It makes as much sense as weather management, tide management, avalanche management, tsunami management, earthquake management, volcano management, flood management, etc etc etc.

Talk about the proverbial tail wagging the dog!:rolleyes:

John

[Fergal]

Tim Ferris says time management is dead :P
I've read his "Four Hour Work Week" book. It has great tips on productivity and I'd highly recommend it. I know he says that time management is dead, however he writes a huge amount about not spending time on activities that are not productive, the 80/20 rule, getting tasks done quicker and delegation. Are those topics not what time management is all about?


Sounds reasonable. It deserves to be dead.

It makes as much sense as weather management, tide management, avalanche management, tsunami management, earthquake management, volcano management, flood management, etc etc etc....
We can't manage time and we all have the same amount of hours, minutes and seconds in every day. "Time Management" is a phrase used to describe how we manage ourselves, so that we use the time we have effectively and get the best possible results from it. Does the fact that the abbreviated name, doesn't describe exactly what it does, devalue the theory behind time management in any way?

[ProfitClinic]

Hi Fergal :D

Any name that creates flawed or distorted perceptions and focuses people on the wrong things for the wrong reasons qualifies as as being of questionable value from where I stand.

The term "time management" is a total nonsense. Nobody can manage time. As you point out, it's more about managing yourself, so it requires a common agreement on what it means... an agreed meaning that needs to be explained. Sorry -- not my idea of a really useful term.

The other distortion in the interpretive explanation is the simple fact that most people have no idea of how to management themselves. The vast majority aren't really interested in the kind of self-discipline required. So even the alternative meaning is a serious dud.

Albert Einstein defined time as "events in sequence". That's useful for scientific activities and events, but what about the much more common problem that we all seem to face too frequently: "events in simultaneity"?

That's when you have to be in several places and at several events at the same time (or you simply can't make it to sequential events in time because of distance).

I should point out that I'm a serious student of these issues, and spent seven years researching concepts and implementations before abandoning all existing "solutions" for organizing myself, my events, activities, priorities, resources, etc and creating several solutions that are acknowledged by numerous opinion leaders in this field as being at least 15 years ahead of the rest of the marketplace (which all pre-date World War II, so it's not particularly difficult to be ahead of that game).

The first solution I designed (for my own use, initially) was so powerful -- and created such startling emotional dependence in users (including those opinion leaders who all chose it as their system of choice) that I pulled it off the market! It was intended to make people INdependent, but people are so prone to dependence that my conscience wouldn't allow me to continue marketing it.

If I was unprepared for the emotional dependence I witnessed, I was even less prepared for the desperation and protracted harrassment I experienced from these household names.

So I returned to the drawing board and eventually distilled the concept and implementation down to a handful of forms that require several weeks of intensive self-contemplation and confrontation for most users to be capable of dealing with it properly. But the outcomes, in terms of clawing back control of virtually every facet of your life, are nothing short of astonishing.

In the meantime, the kind of sloppy thinking and "defining" (really just describing) that goes on in the name of "time management" gets me arced up in response to the unconscionable waste and damage perpetrated on people looking to get some semblance of personal control over their circumstances.

John

[Fergal]

Thanks for your detailed reply John, great to hear from someone so interested and involved in the subject. Could you please share a link to where we can read more about the approach you yourself developed?

[Mike.Zana]

Time is the most important thing in business. I believe that you should set exact amounts of time you need for certain tasks, and stick to those time limits.

[Fergal]

...I believe that you should set exact amounts of time you need for certain tasks, and stick to those time limits.
That's a great point, setting a completion or cut-off point for tasks is a great way to help stay focused and it improves our discipline. It's all too easy to spend far too long doing something, when we don't set a deadline for its completion.

[Fergal]

...I believe that you should set exact amounts of time you need for certain tasks, and stick to those time limits.
That's a great point, setting a completion or cut-off point for tasks is a great way to help stay focused and it improves our discipline. It's all too easy to spend far too long doing something, when we don't set a deadline for its completion.

[nbecca]

Time planning can definitely save you time......

[Bocacristian]

A realy great way is to work from a list everyday. Is the best time manageing tool that you can work with.
Make a list,write you daily goal setting everyday and your life will never be the same,I can promise you that,because my life changed for ever.
Another great thing to know is that statistics shows that a new skill is learned in 21 days,if you practice every day that skill.
So to manage your time more effective,just write down on a piece of paper your daily goal settings,everyday, and in 21 days you will become a master at this skill!
If you want a great book about this skill and how to become more efective,I highly recomand you to read abou Brian Tracy he has a lot of great self development and personal development books that can be more then usefull.

[sigma]

A realy great way is to work from a list everyday. Is the best time manageing tool that you can work with.
Make a list,write you daily goal setting everyday and your life will never be the same,I can promise you that,because my life changed for ever.
Another great thing to know is that statistics shows that a new skill is learned in 21 days,if you practice every day that skill.
So to manage your time more effective,just write down on a piece of paper your daily goal settings,everyday, and in 21 days you will become a master at this skill!
If you want a great book about this skill and how to become more efective,I highly recomand you to read abou Brian Tracy he has a lot of great self development and personal development books that can be more then usefull.

I agree. You will automatic noticed that where your time gone and what kind of planning will helps on saving time after practice on writing down the plan, goal and the actual time spend

[Vaishak]

The way i do my work

Note down the work done on the dairy .
Tomorrows work will be kept as an reminder on my phone and also will be noted on the dairy at the day page .
Ones the work is done will be marked and every past week work schedule will be check on sundays .

make the work table as simple as possible

My friends has told that , to know the value of time of ones year time is to ask some one who lost a year in school or college after failing in his/her subjects , to know the value of one month is to ask a pregnant women , one hour ask some one who could not complete his/her exams , fine min ask someone who missed his last bus and one min ask a person who got in a accident .

[Vaishak]

DO not strain yourself and i have noticed some people keeps on looking into there watches and ...they take lot of strain keeping them self with lot or heavy tasks and put them in bad health .

[Fergal]

...My friends has told that , to know the value of time of ones year time is to ask some one who lost a year in school or college after failing in his/her subjects , to know the value of one month is to ask a pregnant women , one hour ask some one who could not complete his/her exams , fine min ask someone who missed his last bus and one min ask a person who got in a accident .

To know the value of a fraction of a second, ask an Olympic silver medallist.

[RLO]

I read an article titled Make the Most of Your Time: Keep Your Workday Sanity by Joelle Jay, Ph.D. He describes the 5 D's as a way to get more done. Do it now, delete what is unimportant, delegate what others can handle, decide and move on, and date items that need more undivided attention. I think this is a good start for someone who wants to get more done. :)

[Fergal]

Welcome to our Business Forum RLO, I do like that concept. I feel that the area where I need to improve most is in the fifth D - date. When I set items aside for more focused work at a future time I don't normally allocate a time or date to work on that item. I'll try improving on that immediately. Thanks again for the tip.

[JamesA]

Hi,

I think we can use Online time and attendance software OR Employee time and management software for this!!!

Regards,
JamesA

[Fergal]

...the area where I need to improve most is in the fifth D - date. When I set items aside for more focused work at a future time I don't normally allocate a time or date to work on that item...
I still need to improve on that a lot, I have got a bit better but still have a long way to go :)

[td2011]

I have recently started to follow these techniques and my last few months have been much more productive, I still get a bit stressed sometimes because although i'm on track with what needs to be done I seem to have created more work for myself along the way so still pretty busy and a bit stressed.

[marksmith]

– Being Prepared

Take work with you and, where possible, plan to arrive at meetings well ahead of time. Even if you’re delayed, you’ll still turn up on time, but if you do arrive early you’ve got some slack time in which to work.

– Catching Up on Reading

Always carry something to read – a book, a magazine, a report, or your reading folder containing articles and newsletters that you’ve put to one side for just such a quiet moment.

– Sorting your Emails

Whether you’re in front of your computer or out with your email-enabled PDA, just a few spare minutes can do wonders for your email management.

Thanks

[sigma]

– Being Prepared

Take work with you and, where possible, plan to arrive at meetings well ahead of time. Even if you’re delayed, you’ll still turn up on time, but if you do arrive early you’ve got some slack time in which to work.


Many people are telling this point but I don't actually on it. When you mentioned "early", mean that you gotta wait, and waiting is the one consider as "time wasting". Most of the people are wasting time on "waiting" and "transferring". Both if them are the biggest enermy on time management. As you can see this people saying that they have no enough time and you will find out that more than 70% of the wasting time is on waiting and transferring.

[Fergal]

My observations have been a little bit different than that Sigma. From what I have seen, people who are well organised and who manage their time well, generally turn up on time and give the impression that they have plenty of time and people who manage their time poorly often show up late and appear to be in a rush.

[Peter Birganza]

I found that outlining your day really helps with time management and keeps you focused on tasks that need to be done.

I outline what I have to do each and everyday. Does anyone else? :)

I am thinking about getting a PDA just to stay organized and managed - I used to always think PDAs were wastes of money until I found myself struggling to stay organized and well-focused on tasks throughout the day.

Hi,
It is a survey or research that is conducted by meeting with business men and professionals about time management. They delivered the maximum value to managing your time according to the requirement of work. Time management is not only to be on time at any workplace but it also deals with the managing your work within a specific period of time. If you have more tasks than the time you have, it means you have to value them to keep in view the preferences. It is the time management and if you are not able to manage your time than professionals say that you can not become a good businessman or manager. So, time management is very important field in any business to be a successful person in life.

[sigma]

My observations have been a little bit different than that Sigma. From what I have seen, people who are well organised and who manage their time well, generally turn up on time and give the impression that they have plenty of time and people who manage their time poorly often show up late and appear to be in a rush.

I agree on the word "on time" but not "early"
I still remember someone told me this - if there is a meeting involve 11 member, one person "on time", 5 come early 15 minutes and another 5 late 15 minutes
The result shown that
Those people come early is wasting 30 minutes on waiting (wasting own time) and those come late is wasting 30 minutes too (wasting other people time)

[miketaylor]

Hi,
I agreed with you. Any way, your points of view make me thinking about some thing for my project.very great post..
thanks and best regards

[McStormify]

When I was at school, I made lists to handle my time doing homework etc. It really helped for me.

[Princeoftart]

Yeah I agree that having a plan is very important.. Most people always find themselves running against time due to lack of good planning.. I'm always a victim >.<... I always wish I can do a timetable for my everyday activity but when I sit down and get ready to do my timetable, I can't think of what kind of activities should I do on that day... So I live passively, and always end up rushing for my assignment report before the deadline >.<

[onlinemarketing]

Hi,


Effective time management helps you accomplish your important goals and helping you to reliaze what is truly important for your business. As a business entrepreneur particularly when starting a new venture you need to adjust ways of working and maintain schedules that work best for you.

Thanks

[jeniferjobs]

Time is really a difficult subject when I'm doing very hard work and always trying to use a single minute of my life. In a Word Time is the key of Success :)

[khaleel]

I tend to do my daily task then after i will do what I need to do and if I have time I will do whatever I want

[RedHelper]

I use pure Getting the Things Done system, it fits me perfect. The main points are that you use separate sheets of paper for every project and always have a global to-do list that should be reviewed every time you have a free minute. This list can be made not for one day only, but it can be place - oriented (e.g. at home, at work, anywhere) just because it's useful. But the list is not time-oriented at all! Instead of this, you use you calendar for all needs related to a particular time, meetings e.t.c
I definitly recommend the GTD book!

[td2011]

My memory is awful so I keep a diary. Otherwise I just do tasks as and when I remember them.

[atrain529]

My employees are great workers but everyday they become lazy for about an hour. It is understandable but a lot of work can be done in that time. So I decided to give them an evaluation, something that was positive and direct at the same time. After giving them the evaluation they have stepped up their game.

[kailamilos]

Lists work on me only up to a certain degree. I agree that it can definitely help me organize my tasks and writing down things helps me remember them as well. However, the real problem lies in the determination to do things. It seems that I have a very bad case of being unmotivated and it reflects on the many unchecked items on my lists. Any tips on how I can get myself fired up once again? :)

[Navida]

Time management is as tough as it is easy, if you can't manage time you can't do nothing. The best solution is to make your to do list and then give priority to your works according to their importance, which work need more time give it more and arranged your all works according to their importance.

[rachelhansen]

great thread! ^_^b

[printingray]

As a result of Time planning, individuals accomplish tasks within the stipulated time frame, which makes them popular in their community as well as amongst their peers. People who understand the value of time are the ones who manage to stand apart from the crowd. Individuals who finish off work on time are looked up to by others and are always the center of attention everywhere. Simply, time Management helps an individual to adopt a planned approach in life.

[MartinLedley]

I find it difficult working to a list so I keep a mental note of what I have to do, but it's too easy to get distracted online.

Basically, be disciplined and give yourself a set amount of time to do important tasks, then stick to it and don't get distracted by unimportant things.

I'm still waiting for someone to invent a 30 hour day!

[lptprinting]

I keep track of my appointments and callbacks through my CRM software. It keeps everything in one place including customer contact history, so when I have an appointment or a callback, I have all the info at my fingertips, drastically increasing the smoothness of the appointment, as well as streamlining workflow. Since upgrading to windows 7, I've made use of their sticky-notes quite a bit for jotting down details of a conversation. Routing my business calls through my android was a huge time saver too. I bought an app called carmel crm which allows me to update or create new crm records with the details of a conversation after each call whether I'm near my computer or not. All these conveniences have proven invaluable as they allow me to maintain real-time contact with my employees and clients without being shackled to my desk, allowing me to accomplish a lot more in the time I have.

[firex34]

I agree with King Justice way of time management. An outline pushes the person to commit which could lead to more outputs. I actually follow King Justice way of time management which benefits me.

[sfletch]

One of my main challenges with time management is getting distracted - I'm working on a project, then happen to click on a random link. A few hours later, I've learned a lot on a random topic, but made no progress on my project. :P

In order to circumvent this problem, I usually have to sit in a relatively empty area - a blank space promotes a blank, focused mind for me. I also use a timer, so I give myself the feeling of being on the clock.

[riteshnarula]

Time planning can definitely save you time and get you better organized although i don't like the idea of being "hooked" at a list.

[mbitsol]

For time management lists works for me.

[smithjohn12]

Time Management is one of the best measure to do your thing in a day. Bebo Kobo

[gogreenbusiness]

I used to have problem managing my time in a day. My works always mess up and i always end my day without completing anything. My manager told me, before you start working a project, you should set first your priorities and it works! I always make my priority list since then. :)