Today's Great Time Management Mistake

Time Management is Important - But Don't Schedule Tasks to Time Anymore

Time Management usually involves scheduling activities to time. This however has been the straw on the camel's back for many people.

This is one of the worst things that people attempt in time management that have only the very best of intentions wanting to get more organized and productive.

Trying to schedule activities for our time management does not last does it? There are too many distractions and changes in mood, preference, suitability, and importance of tasks and projects and responsibilities.

Then we beat ourselves up about it, feeling guilty, and become even less motivated and thus less successful and more overwhelmed than before! Yes?

Consider not scheduling your activities to time.

Top tip: It actually usually works much better to just wing it by jotting a few things down on paper you want to get done, than to try scheduling many activities/tasks to time. You will also enjoy your time more whilst being much more effective too.

So what can you do instead of scheduling activities to time and beyond just jotting down a few tasks per time?

My Localization Breakthrough

In my coaching I show clients to ‘localize' their activities, before ‘scheduling' them.

Doing similar activities in one place in one go, and combining activities for time management leverage.

Alternatively said: 'keep your socks in one place!, and set up personalized cock-pits'. Similar activities (like putting on your left sock and your right sock) should be done at one time. It's amazing how people understand this for socks, but miss it for things like phone calls, or going through mail, or shopping.

Do similar activities together in one time management 'mini-day', arrange to do all the weeks shopping (including clothes, food, electrical items, presents, etc) on the same visit to the shops.

Ok, the cock-pit analogy. Well the visual is that of an airplane cock-pit, with hundreds of lights, buttons, dials, and knobs, to give the pilot efficient control and access to all he might need, even when things get a little rough.

We perhaps do not need all areas of our life arranged so intricately for effective time management, but in general, work out ways to save time, or make best use of time, by having things where you need them.

Do you have an envelope opener next to where you open your mail? Do you have a clutter free desk draw for those things you often want access to whilst at your desk? Like headset for computer conversation, telephone, current frequently referred to books, stationery case.

Some of my clients initially feel this is pedantic. Consider that being tightly efficient with the locations and proximity of items and tools you use regularly can actually get you working on tasks nearly twice as fast. This means a massive increase in time management efficiency.

Every room should be so arranged: the bathroom should be ready for efficient use, and you could take it that much further by having speakers in there so you can listen to talking CDs to learn something whilst you shave and wash in the morning. Now that's my kind of time management vision.

The kitchen too could have speakers. I've got worksheets for vocal exercises and physical exercises that I often do whilst I cook!

Personalise your environment, be aware of optimizing your time management by arranging things just how you like and want them.

What's the worse area (cock-pit) you've got set up right now?

How much time would it take to get a couple of key areas better organized?

What's the best areas right now?

How can you localize activities and tasks for your time management?

Spending genuine hard-nose thinking time on this, and being open to the possibilities can and will significantly enhance your time management.