There are lots of complicated processes about how to get things done. However, some of the best advice is simple. I try to start each day with four options. Given the work at hand, I decide to take one of these actions:
Do it. These are the things I need to get done right away that only I can do.
Delegate it. Assign work to others who have (or can quickly attain) the necessary skills.
Delete it. Chances are, some of the stuff on any to-do list really doesn’t HAVE to be done. Rather than making a de-facto decision by continually putting it off, decide now that it just won’t happen.
Schedule it. Everything else needs to be scheduled on my calendar, with a realistic estimate of how much time it will take. For example, on February 15 I block off 8:00 to 10:30 to draft the project status report.
These four paths for action-oriented time management will force you to make some tough decisions. That’s the only way to make sure that the highest value work really happens. We believe in a slightly more peaceful version of General George Patton’s quote, “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”
Yes, you can take control of your work and time. Find out how.
Photo from Dollar Photo Club.