Top tips for time management

Category: Coaching Notes

Coaching notes Just do something
When you are faced with a big task, break it down into small pieces that you can do very quickly. What’s the smallest chunk of the job, something that you could just start without needing to allocate time to it?

You’ll find that if you “just get the file out” then you will break through any psychological blockage and realise that you have already started.

Short bursts a bit at a time
You are most effective when you start and when you finish a working session; so you can increase your effectiveness by doing lots of short jobs.

When you have lots of admin type things to do, make a list for each type of activity and then work through them in five minute bursts. Say, make one phone call, then a couple of emails etc until you have done something from each list. Then start again at the top of the lists and work for ten minutes on each list, then moving onto the next list. If there are still things to do when you have worked through the lists, start again and work on each list for 15 minutes – and so on.

Respond to resistance
It takes energy to resist things. Every small thing in your life that bugs you, all those little jobs that need doing, all those things you put off from moment to moment each consume a piece of your energy. When you do them, that energy is released for use on something else.

'If you can't, you must' - what is the resistance telling you? Should you be doing it? Should you be delegating it? Is this resistance stopping you from doing other things?

What are you resisting now? Deal with it at the beginning of the day and you will be in a positive state for getting more done for the rest of the day.

Set targets and rewards
Break projects down into defined sections and set a target for completing each one. Then you have something to look forward to and can reward yourself when you succeed; maybe a cup of coffee or a short break.

Hold (short) stand up meetings
A meeting can only Inform, Decide or Review. Make sure you are clear about a meeting's purpose. Many meetings drag on and include people who do not need to be there for all items.

Hold more, shorter better focused meetings – and hold them in rooms without seats. A ten minute stand up meeting can be surprisingly effective.

USEFUL LINKS