Allocating your valuable and finite time for getting tasks
completed can be a challenge for even the most diligent of people. Even
those who are fairly disciplined and create detailed To Do
lists often struggle to achieve what they need to in a reasonable space
of time. Why is this? Well, often it is because they don't manage or
allocate their time in advance and therefore end up doing whatever seems
important or urgent at that point in time.
How often have you decided to take a quick look at your email only to find that you have then spent several hours dealing with the requests that have come in? Were these tasks really that important and were they important to you or to the person sending the email?
You will find that this Interrupt way of working is very inefficient and does not move you towards your goals.
The Default Diary
To avoid the poor use of time you need to plan ahead and ensure you allocate time for various types of activities you need to perform on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Take a moment and think of the categories of tasks that you perform - don't make them too detailed, these should be categories not actual tasks. For example:
This is where the Default Diary comes in. You allocate chunks of time during the week to work on specific subjects. In addition to identifying the broad categories you also need to think about the best time for you to work on an activity. There are people who talk about energy levels and how these affect the way you work. You need to balance your energy and business priorities to achieve the best plan for your time. For example, if you have lots of customers and receive lots of enquiries on a Monday morning then you would not schedule an education slot for Monday morning.
In my diary, for example, I schedule time at the beginning of the day for writing my blog and going to the gym. I also allocate 45 minutes at the end of each day to clearing my email. If I find emails that will take too long to deal with I will add them to my To Do list and work on them during the appropriate slot in my diary.
Benefits of Default Diary
There are many advantages to managing your time, you don't need me to tell you that. The default diary is a simple but powerful tool to help you achieve a greater level of productivity in your business. For me the main benefits are:
There are a couple of important points to bear in mind with your Default Diary.
Do not book all the time to work. Whilst you may need to work late some days, this needs to be seen as an exception and because there are some urgent tasks that need to be completed. If you schedule default time beyond 6pm then you will lose the opportunity for a work-life balance.
You need to be flexible. The diary is a framework to guide you. There will be times when you need to do something else. This is OK as long as it is the exception and not the norm. If you find that certain activities never get done then you need to review your diary.
Periodically review your Default Diary. You and your business will change over time. As a result your diary will need to change with you. Make sure it continues reflect what is important.
It can be truly amazing the impact a simple tool could have on your life. Simply removing the stress of deciding what to do next is worth the small amount of effort it would take to set this up.
How often have you decided to take a quick look at your email only to find that you have then spent several hours dealing with the requests that have come in? Were these tasks really that important and were they important to you or to the person sending the email?
You will find that this Interrupt way of working is very inefficient and does not move you towards your goals.
The Default Diary
To avoid the poor use of time you need to plan ahead and ensure you allocate time for various types of activities you need to perform on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Take a moment and think of the categories of tasks that you perform - don't make them too detailed, these should be categories not actual tasks. For example:
- Networking
- Operations
- Marketing
- Education
- Blogging
- Working on the business
This is where the Default Diary comes in. You allocate chunks of time during the week to work on specific subjects. In addition to identifying the broad categories you also need to think about the best time for you to work on an activity. There are people who talk about energy levels and how these affect the way you work. You need to balance your energy and business priorities to achieve the best plan for your time. For example, if you have lots of customers and receive lots of enquiries on a Monday morning then you would not schedule an education slot for Monday morning.
In my diary, for example, I schedule time at the beginning of the day for writing my blog and going to the gym. I also allocate 45 minutes at the end of each day to clearing my email. If I find emails that will take too long to deal with I will add them to my To Do list and work on them during the appropriate slot in my diary.
Benefits of Default Diary
There are many advantages to managing your time, you don't need me to tell you that. The default diary is a simple but powerful tool to help you achieve a greater level of productivity in your business. For me the main benefits are:
- Productivity - You will get more done because you have allocated the time to spend on the tasks.
- Predictability - You know when you will be doing certain activities. Your mind will be prepared for the activity.
- Satisfaction - There is nothing better than getting things done to make you feel good about yourself and to give you the confidence to do more.
- Balance - Getting control of your work will allow you to have more free time to spend with the family.
There are a couple of important points to bear in mind with your Default Diary.
Do not book all the time to work. Whilst you may need to work late some days, this needs to be seen as an exception and because there are some urgent tasks that need to be completed. If you schedule default time beyond 6pm then you will lose the opportunity for a work-life balance.
You need to be flexible. The diary is a framework to guide you. There will be times when you need to do something else. This is OK as long as it is the exception and not the norm. If you find that certain activities never get done then you need to review your diary.
Periodically review your Default Diary. You and your business will change over time. As a result your diary will need to change with you. Make sure it continues reflect what is important.
It can be truly amazing the impact a simple tool could have on your life. Simply removing the stress of deciding what to do next is worth the small amount of effort it would take to set this up.
About the Author
Ian Lloyd is an coach and internet marketer looking to make a difference for his family and those he can help to be successful. Check out Ian's official internet home page at http://www.ianlloyd63.com
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Ian Lloyd is an coach and internet marketer looking to make a difference for his family and those he can help to be successful. Check out Ian's official internet home page at http://www.ianlloyd63.com
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