Tuesday, 17 March 2009

February was National Time Management Month in the US

To celebrate National Time Management month in the USA, NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) published a whole host of valuable time management tips.

Here is the full list:

General time management tips

  • Use a planner to track appointments and tasks. It can be a paper-based notebook, a computer software program, or an electronic handheld device.
  • Make a habit of prioritizing your weekly tasks. Rank them in order of importance.
  • Review how you are spending your time and make adjustments according to your goals and priorities.
  • Create at least one hour of uninterrupted time per day to tackle projects and action items.
  • Allocate more time for a task than you think it will take to allow for interruptions.
  • Break large projects down into small, sequential steps. Schedule these steps into your day with your planner.
  • Group errands together so that you save time (and money) on travel, and the hassle of having to run out again because you didn’t plan your trip initially.
  • Work while you wait. Have “busy work” on hand to do while you wait at the doctor’s office, are on hold with the cable company, or are stuck waiting for a late lunch date.
  • Create time management goals. For example, set a goal that you will not take personal phone calls while you’re working.
  • Track your activities to determine whether or not you’re accomplishing your time management goals.
  • Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible.
  • Be sure your systems are organized. If you waste a lot of time looking for files on your computer, take the time to organize a file management system.


Other organizing tips are available at www.napo.net.

No comments: