Home
>
Time Management
>
Time Management: How To Get More Done

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).

MAIL: Don't waste your time on junk mail (unless you are specifically looking for good marketing ideas to borrow) - if possible get someone else to go through your mail and sort out the junk and take care of the routine items.

If you do want to save the junk mail have it placed in a box or file that you can go through when you are brainstorming for new ideas. (This is commonly called a "Swipe File" by most writers - a resource to generate good ideas that you can swipe and adapt to your own use.)

MEETINGS: Scheduled and unscheduled meetings can be a terrible waste of time. Don't allow people to just drop in on you without an appointment and a purpose. Avoid any scheduled meetings that you possibly can.

If you are in charge of a meeting - make sure you have a plan for keeping it short and focused. If you have to attend a meeting and you are not in charge - have a plan for escaping once you are done with your portion (such as a phone call or appointment at a pre-arranged time).

Also, stop meeting people at restaurants, etc. They will invariably keep you waiting. Instead have them meet you at your office. That way, if they are late, you can continue to be productive. If you must meet them outside of the office, take something with you to read or work on while you are waiting.

DOWN TIME: Meaning time that you spend waiting, traveling, sick, etc.

Always have something to do, or to listen to, or to read. Ask yourself "What is stackable?" In other words, what

tasks can I combine and do at the same time, such as listening to training tapes while commuting.

LACK OF PLANNING: There is an old saying that I often repeat to myself: "Having lost sight of our objective, we re-doubled our efforts". In other words, not knowing where we were going we got there twice as fast.

Take a little time each day to focus on your tasks at hand and make sure they are leading you towards your goals. If they are not, then eliminate them all together or delegate them if necessary.

Then chart out the day in such a way that maximizes your available time. Combine activities where possible and block out portions of the day to accomplish the most important tasks. Then keep your appointments with yourself as strictly as you would with your most important client.

INTERRUPTIONS: The greatest productivity usually comes from being able to focus on a project for an extended period of time without interruption. Interruptions not only waste the time of the interruption itself but also the time to refocus your concentration on the task at hand.

Do whatever you can to avoid interruptions. If possible, have someone else answer the phone and then return calls at a designated time for calls. Train your clients, etc. to call during that time.

Become inaccessible to those that regularly steal your time by dropping in or calling to shoot the breeze. Hide if you have too. When I worked for a real estate company many years ago I specifically asked for the office that was hidden away down in the basement. It had it's own outside entrance so I could come and go without the other agents knowing I was there, eliminating all those unnecessary little interruptions.

If you can't hide, be busy and be obvious about it so others are less apt to interrupt.

DISORGANIZATION: "A place for everything, and everything in its place" is good advice. Few things waste more time than having to hunt for something every time you need it. Keep a clean desk, work on one thing at a time and put it away when you're done. (Sorry if I sound like your mother)

PAPERWORK: This can be a great time waster. If you have stacks of paper and files all over your desk or office do yourself a favor and go buy a filing cabinet and some file folders. Set up drawers for specific types of files, etc.

Have a place for every type of file or paperwork. Go through everything in your office and either file it or throw it away. Buy dividers or organizers or whatever is necessary to systematize the flow of paperwork through your office.

LACK OF FOCUS: Anything that keeps you from focusing on your priorities during those times you have chosen to be productive must be eliminated. That means TV, radio, internet, email, mail, etc.

Another cause of lack of focus is shifting priorities. What I mean is, starting on one project or task, then shifting to another project without completing the first, then shifting to another, and so on.

The world is full of opportunities and sometimes they each look better than the previous one (Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence). Be disciplined enough that, no matter what, you will finish what you intended to finish before starting something else.

Now this doesn't mean that you can't have more than one project going at a time, but make sure you have sufficient time allotted to accomplish each goal in a specific amount of time and get it done before replacing it with another project.

"If you chase to rabbits at once, both shall escape" Ancient Proverb

Shawn Meldrum has spent the last two decades marketing everything from almonds to landscape lighting. He currently specializes in marketing for mortgage brokers, loan officers and real estate agents. For free real estate and much more visit: real estate

family-safe home cleaners Morton Grove ..

In The News:

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.