| |
| |
|
Go Back | About | Contact | Web Design News | |
|
|
|
Time Management -- Urgent vs. Important
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to get anything done! I've got way too many things on my "To-Do List". Oh the list started out innocently enough as a single handwritten column on one sheet of lined paper; but now it's grown to a three-column table in a spreadsheet software program! I get no satisfaction from checking off each item as I finish it. For each task I complete, at least two more are added. I began my work day at 6:30 AM with grandiose plans of completing a special project before Noon. Now it's 16 hours later (10:30 PM) and I still have not finished the project. My anxiety and frustration are mounting. Tomorrow's list has already been written and it does not include the things left undone from today's list! I don't know if I'm going to make it through the week with all of the demands upon my time and energy. I need help?quickly! A Juggling Act I wrote the above entry in my journal several days ago. What a day that was! How about you?been there lately? Life can be such a juggling act. Like professional jugglers, we try to keep 5 or 6 balls moving through the air at the same time. But unlike professional jugglers, we rarely succeed. Everyone is so busy these days. Work is performed at a frantic pace and people are in such a hurry. There is an air of impatience and intolerance-a lot of frenetic darting to and fro that is almost out of control. It's very difficult to keep your priorities in line when life is so fast paced. But the negative consequences of so much activity-stress, damaged or broken relationships, poor health---can wreak more havoc than what we think we will gain. The Urgent I tried for years to use a paper-based time management system with columns similar to this: "Must Do?Need to Do...Like to Do". I'm sure you've used something like this (maybe even now). The problem I encountered was that I never seemed to get around to doing much in the "Like to Do" column, which was very discouraging. The "Must Do and Need to Do" items consumed all of my time. So I switched to a simpler paper-based system with the following columns, "Urgent" and "Important". Now, I was sure to spend my time wisely. Unfortunately, I found out that the urgent things monopolized my time and pushed the important things to the back-burner. Here are three examples of "The Urgent":
The Important "The Urgent" often masquerades as "The Important". However, not everything we do is important. To identify what's important to you requires that you answer three questions: The Bottom Line Identifying "The Important" requires focus-a concentration of energy, effort, and thought. "The Important" is where you should spend most of your time. Now, before you send me screaming emails, I don't mean that you shouldn't address "The Urgent". Instead, consider the following: Focus on "The Important"! Priority is the key to managing "The Urgent" and focusing on "The Important". Before you leap to complete a task, take a few moments to think about its true priority. Does it need to be done right at this moment, or is there something else on your list that should come first? While others may demand that everything on your To-Do List must be done immediately, you and only you can really determine what should be done first, second, third, etc. (It's not possible to do everything at once; priority must be given to each item). Today, I've taken a dose of my own medicine and committed to focusing on "The Important". So far, I've accomplished at least one thing that will have a significant and positive impact on others-finishing this article. Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover? and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Time-Management - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Hey, Free Agent, Did You Eat Your Breakfast Today? And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was it morning or .. Looking At Time With A Capital T I keep a fossil on my desk at all times. Whenever I feel rushed or find myself creating a sense of urgency, I pick up the fossil and caress its polished surface. How Would You Like to Capture Some Time? Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach: getting thin, moving up in the corporate world, having a child, taking a vacation, meeting Mr. Right, fitting in exercise or making sure you are eating your vegetables!Well, I hope to help you start at the beginning to capture moments of time that will help you build a foundation to support that very busy, goal directed life. Creative Leadership; Inspirational Power ( Part 2 ) Time management is absolute crucial nowadays where business decisions have to be taken often at the speed of light, leaders have to find spare time to prioritize their actions.Time is the scarcest of all resources. Doing Things We Dread As I sit here in front of the computer I am breaking through on something that I have been tolerating for weeks now? actually sitting down to write this newsletter. I wasn't blocked for ideas - I had a list of them. Time Management - Honor Your Time and Energy Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts that you have. Evaluate each month where you are placing your time and energy. Busy, Busy, Busy ?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me with a wet diaper! Enough of that silliness. Most you know what I'm talking about though, right? That's us! Busy. If Only Your Brain Was the Size Of That Of an Ant You Could Easily Implement Habits A year and a half ago I was introduced to something called Swarming or Swarm intelligence.A big telecommunication company was actually mimicking ants to improve the performance of some of their products. Work, Work, Work: Making Each Moment Count Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of this precious life support. Sharpen The Saw Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the middle of the night and said, 'Dayo, you know what? I feel neglected.' I was speechless. Desktop Management Boosts Productivity Many of us spend long hours at our desk. To assist make the most of every day we need to focus on creating an environment condusive to work. Time Management: How To Get More Done If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and consistently working on those items that will move me towards my clearly defined goals?" and honestly answer "Yes" then you are probably doing ok.If not, here are a few time wasters to be aware of and some strategies for protecting your time (priorities). The Ultimate Time Management Tips: 5 Steps To Reaching Your Goals With Minimum Work Would you like to know how to get 10 times more done in a day than most people do in a week, with less work?Then listen closely. You're about to discover the ONE time management and productivity secret that really works. Time Management Is Key Having a home based business can be overwhelming. When you work at home, there is a lot to do for both your home based business, your home and you family. Managing Time to Accomplish More Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in believing, it will NOT magically expand to accommodate all we have to do. Tips to Manage Incoming E-mail Friends, colleagues, and clients are all telling me that one of their biggest challenges is trying to manage e-mail overload. They say everyone wants something from them and consequently, they're buried in e-mail. Spend Less Time at Work and Get More Done Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies show that after a certain amount of hours at work each week, the average worker hits diminishing returns for their labor.Here are a couple of reasons this is true. Make Procrastination Wait Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They are quite clear: -- Daily feeling of accomplishment. Time Management Training - A Necessary Investment or A Waste Of Money? Many organisations view time management training as something they'll spend their money on, only if they have to. Usually when pruning the company or department budget, training is often the first area that gets the chop. Benefits of Speed Reading In this digital age, the importance of being able to absorb information quickly and efficiently is more pronounced than ever. For me, I get tonnes of information every single day.
|
ChicagoAnimation's Acquisitions: Market Polls - 1pennyStock.com
Sponsors: Paving | VTL's | Religious Statues
