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| February 2009 |  |
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ractically everyone uses the word “prioritizing” in reference to
time management. It’s become synonymous with productivity. Hence, if you’re
managing your time effectively and prioritizing, it suggests that you are also
more likely to be moving forward and achieving your short- and long-term goals.
Writing down your goals helps to make them real and concrete. And keeping a to-do list is a good way to prioritize what you need to do on a daily basis and to monitor your progress over time. It’s easy to create to-do lists on a computer or in an electronic organizer these days. But the old standby—a plain piece of paper with whatever you need to do scribbled on it—still works. The important thing is to find and use a format that works for you. While some people insist they can still get by with mental to-do lists, most of us need to see things written down. The act of writing helps us clarify our priorities, and just knowing that we have a written list can be reassuring. “If I don’t have my to-do list for the next day beside my bed,” says one busy executive Mom, “I can’t fall asleep without tossing and turning all through the night.” Organizing your list Many people follow a chronological organizer that takes them through appointments and tasks from morning until night. This is a standard way planners and online templates are set up. Others like to break their days into chunks: before work, during work, after work. Within each section they may or may not use an hour-by-hour approach. Another way is to reorder your to-do list by importance. If you’re also scheduling meetings around your to-do priorities, you’ll need to know how long those activities will take and put that information on your list. For many of us, one of the joys of a to-do list is the act of checking off what we’ve accomplished. It’s a way of reinforcing our daily progress toward larger goals. Pitfalls to avoid As you prepare your to-do lists, be aware that a major pitfall is to fail to estimate how long it will take to do something. Another is not transferring those incomplete tasks from your old list to your new one. However, what’s really pivotal is how you use your to-do list. That is, your purpose is not to become a great list-maker but to use to-do lists to more effectively organize your time. Break down big jobs A workplace reality for many of us is that we’re assigned to long-term and time-consuming projects. For the purpose of a to-do list, long-term projects need to be broken down into smaller tasks. For example, if you need a week to write a report, break it into activities you can monitor such as “e-mail market research company” or “look for library articles on competing products.” How long will it take? It’s never easy to figure out how long it will take to do something for the first time. Here are a few suggestions:  ESTIMATE HOW
LONG you think it will take to complete a task or project and
increase it by 50 percent. So if you think the work will take two days to complete,
budget three days for it in your schedule.
WHEN YOU PLAN YOUR TIME,
factor in personal obligations to others who matter to you: your spouse
or partner, children, extended family and friends. If your best friend’s
wedding is in two weeks and you are involved in the preparations as
well as going away for an extended weekend, you may need a few more
days to research your report. (To increase your likelihood of factoring
in personal and professional commitments that may have an impact,
record them in a central place—an appointment book or an electronic
scheduler on your PDA or computer.)
LOOK BACK AT A SIMILAR TASK to
the one you need to complete now. How did you do it? How long did it take? Did
you learn any strategies that could help you speed up your work now without sacrificing
quality or creativity?
CREATE MINI-DEADLINES that will enable
you to pace yourself. Rather than just having one final due date, set interim
goals that you mark in your appointment book along the way. Each of those dates
should serve to keep you on track toward your final deadline.
FACTOR IN REWRITES or other unanticipated
changes. Quality work takes time and you don’t want your work to look rushed.
HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN just in case
the unexpected happens (computer crash, illness, or some other emergency).
SET A DATE
to send a project to someone else for review. By making a commitment
to a peer or a friend, you will be more likely to make your final
deadline. 
—Adapted from the author’s new book “Work Less, Do More: The 14-day Productivity Makeover” (Sterling). For more information, go to: www.drjanyager.com. |
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