Time Management
You’re a model of efficiency … except when it comes to that one task you dread. Whether it’s filing, completing an assignment for your “difficult” manager or approaching the boss about a raise, you fall prey to the procrastination monster. You know the answer is “Just do it,” so push yourself along with these tactics:
Research shows that, by May, most New Year’s resolutions are gathering dust. If this has happened to you, resolve now to use the energy spring fever gives you to get back on track. Here’s a step-by-step plan for turning those worthwhile resolutions you made back in January into your new habits of today.
Use these six strategies to say “No” to a request for your time … and make it stick:
As people grapple with the urge to put things off, economists and psychologists have turned the study of procrastination into a significant field. And what have they discovered? Simply trying harder to “stop procrastinating” doesn’t work. Here’s what will:
Pay attention to first impressions—the ones you’re making on others … Steel your resolve by clenching a muscle … Increase productivity by keeping one to-do list … Optimists find jobs more easily than their peers and are more likely to be promoted …
Next time you feel overwhelmed and frozen, tighten your focus on a few, easy things. Knock out easy tasks for 15 minutes. Then turn your attention to one of the hardest tasks on your plate, and work uninterrupted on that task for 35 minutes. Take a 10-minute break, then start the cycle again.
When resolving to reach a goal, it might help to commit to a hard deadline, and then tell colleagues, friends or a spouse about it. A public commitment might strengthen your resolve.
Everyone has a preferred method of organizing to-dos and notes. Your computer monitor may be littered with Post-its, or you may use your e-mail software to track action items. Increasingly, though, people are turning to web-based tools. The benefit? To access these “cloud-based” tools, you don’t need to be on a particular computer, network or browser. A few suggestions:
You want to make every hour count, so you plan your day in 15-minute chunks and prioritize your tasks. That’s smart time management, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll work productively. You’ll operate most efficiently if you banish aimless anxieties and the urge to procrastinate. Here’s a road map to boost your productivity:
Tap the knowledge of people in your network with Aardvark … Block yourself from frittering away hours online by trying out these two applications … Boost your energy by tackling an item on your to-do list … Cut out that trip to the post office … Never shy away from negotiating …
Stever Robbins, who dispenses advice on maximizing your creativity and whipping your e-mail into submission, now is integrating time management and innovation into a coherent system for getting things done. Here are tips from his new guide to working less and accomplishing more:
Anyone who has worked for two or more bosses can tell you: The division of labor often leaves you feeling stretched both ways. But with some schedule-wrangling and communication skills, you can manage the work more smoothly.
Strip formatting from a Word document … Work toward a big health goal one text at a time … Make clutter disappear by turning each piece of paper into an action item in your planner … Avoid information overload—and save time—by asking a specific, “micro” question … Connect with people who want your cast-offs …
