When you think about time management it is common to think about all the work you have to do and usually, ok mostly, about the work you don’t want to do. But what about the work you love to do? You know, the work you can’t wait to start and by the time you are finished you can’t believe the day is gone. Tom Walker in his article 9 Time Management Techniques to Boost Your Productivity states:
“It’s often easy when you get into your work session to lose yourself in your subject matter, especially if you are doing work that is meaningful or interesting to you. This can make your work more enjoyable, but it is also an easy way to decrease your productivity and make your work session counterproductive. You may be churning and burning, but are you making the most of your time?”
Mr. Walker recommends the following.
- Know the time of day when you are most productive.
- Prepare yourself and your work space before you begin.
- Set a time frame to complete the work.
- Make full use of the work space available to you.
- Time yourself to keep track of the time.
- Log your work.
- Establish goals and productivity standards.
- Be selective about the jobs you accept.
- Keep a list of your work so you can focus on your work – not your list
- Can others do the work more effectively?
I found this to be a unique perspective that helped me think about how I work. It’s easy to overlook the simple things, but they can make a big difference to your time management.