Improve your time-management skills with these simple suggestions.

by Tony Alessandra   On a day-to-day basis, nothing is defined and redefined in our minds as much as time. Time remains constant, but our perception of it changes. It slows down when we focus on it, but speeds up as soon as we turn our backs. This illusion makes us think of it as something tangible. We arrange time, divide it up, and give some to our friends. Sometimes we feel it is precious; other times we waste it.

Our perception of time gives us power over it. We can choose to see time as a manageable commodity and live our lives according to that assumption. This is one of the secrets of successful people–they shape those things that others think are uncontrollable.

You say efficient, I say effective

In discussing time management, some people argue that efficiency is paramount. Others claim that effectiveness is the key to productivity. To understand time management, you must first understand these two terms.

An efficient person performs a task with the least amount of wasted effort. Efficiency gets you from point A to point B via a straight line, while inefficiency takes the scenic route. An effective person produces the desired result; the method is inconsequential.

Which should you work on first? In theory and practice, the best answer is to improve your effectiveness first. It’s much better to aim your sights at the result than to worry about the process. Too often we get bogged down in the means and lose sight of the end.

First things first

When setting your priorities, there are two famous laws to remember. The first is Parkinson’s Law, which states that work tends to expand to fill the time allotted for its completion. Parkinson’s Law makes setting priorities all the more important. If you don’t know what your priorities are, your other work will expand to fill in the extra time; it will take longer for you to accomplish less.

The second law of note is Pareto’s Principle. In this situation, Pareto’s Principle states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Another way to look at it is that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients.

To-do it right, make a list

A list of things to do for each day and week is a valuable aid to managing your time. A to-do list organizes your thinking and planning onto one form in the least amount of time with the maximum amount of efficiency. Such a list is especially helpful if it coincides with the record keeping you already do for other purposes. After a short time, you’ll find yourself handling a greater volume of work without increasing your stress. You’ll simply become more efficient.

As I mentioned before, Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time allotted for it. Your to-do list should, therefore, define a specific amount of time (if possible) for each activity. This will keep work from expanding.

Your activities should be listed in order of priority. When listing the activities, it is helpful to spell out the desired result as well as the process. Stating and recording when, where, and what you’re going to do increases your chances of successfully doing it.

Work on high priorities first. As the day goes by, check off completed activities and make any notes that seem relevant. In the evening, make out a new to-do list for the next day and include any activities you couldn’t complete from the previous list. Always save your to-do lists for future reference and evaluation.

Write it down

Experts in time management all agree that the more records you keep, the more you will be aware of the opportunities for improving your use of time. Through systematic record keeping, you will learn many things. Among these are what tasks you’re having trouble with. You can actually chart your performance to get a clear, graphic illustration of your strengths and weaknesses, so you know what to focus on.

"Never do today what you can put off ‘til tomorrow"

Procrastination is like a virus. It creeps up on you slowly, drains your energy, and is difficult to get rid of if your resistance is low. Procrastination is a close relative of incompetence and a first cousin to inefficiency, which is why their marriage is taboo. These suggestions will help you conquer the procrastination virus:

• Give yourself deadlines. In moderation, pressure motivates. Extreme pressure debilitates. Set appointments, make commitments, write out your goals, and otherwise develop the determination to succeed.

• Don’t duck the difficult problems. Every day, we are faced with both difficult and easy tasks. Tackle the difficult ones first so that you can look forward to the easy ones. If you work on the easy ones first, you might expand the time that they take in order to avoid the difficult ones waiting for you.

  Many people put off difficult or large tasks because they appear too huge to tackle in a reasonable time frame. They feel that if they start and complete the large task at one sitting, it will prevent them from accomplishing any of the other tasks they have to do on that day. The answer to this problem is to break all large or difficult tasks into their smaller subparts. Then, you can do each of the subparts of the larger project over a series of days, if appropriate.

• Don’t let perfectionism paralyze you. Many salespeople encounter this problem when writing proposals. They sit with pad and pen in hand waiting for the "right" words to come out. What they are doing is avoiding the process of writing. Be prolific in your activities. You can always go back later and polish those things you’re unhappy with. Better yet, delegate the polishing to someone else.

Because humans are so susceptible to procrastination, you must work at building up your immunity to it. Effective action is the best medicine.

The one-touch rule

Try to answer any correspondence immediately. After you’ve read the letter or e-mail, write your reply. An even more efficient method for letters is to use a dictation machine or tape recorder. Record your correspondence and leave the rest to your assistant, if you have one.

The other mail you receive should be dealt with in the same way. Act immediately on whatever you can. If you receive a magazine, peruse it and clip out articles you intend to read. Try categorizing your reading material into three groups: articles you must read soon, articles you should read, and articles that would be nice to read. Clipping the articles makes them more accessible.

Naturally, there will be more than mail accumulating on your desk. Adopt a policy of picking up paperwork only once. Decide what to do with it and move it along to the next step toward completion. This means you should not look at something and put it back down where you found it. It’s much wiser and more efficient to take some form of immediate action on the item.

Calling all time-savers

The telephone is one of life’s greatest time-savers. It’s faster than writing letters or meeting with people. It can also be a great time-waster. To avoid spending more time than necessary calling people back, follow these suggestions:

• Determine the best time of day for you to return phone calls.

• When you call back, prepare in advance. Pull files and gather documents that you’ll need to answer questions.

• Be organized. List beforehand the questions or topics you wish to discuss and have them in front of you.

• When appropriate, shorten your calls.

Hit the snooze button

In our goal-oriented, hyper-motivated, money-making workday, we often deny ourselves much-needed periods of relaxation. Like a high-powered sports car, we can be very impressive at high speeds, but sacrifice distance, efficiency, and physical integrity in the process. Our bodies and minds work well if they are not overtaxed. Frequent periods of relaxation and stress reduction are important to the long-term health of our bodies and minds.

The sacred coffee break too often is abused rather than maximized. People become focused on the process rather than the desired result of the break. A coffee or lunch break should be used as a time to relax so that you are more effective when you return to work. The relaxation you seek during a break should achieve three things:

1. It should provide distraction and get your mind off the job.

2. It should alleviate tension.

3. It should be short enough as to not severely interfere with your workday, but long enough to provide some benefits.

There is no denying the importance of relaxation, despite its unproductive appearance.

Reprogram yourself

Efficiently and effectively managing your time will require some changes in your behavior and thinking. This shift will take some practice.

Giant strides are made up of many small steps. You need to take these small steps to overhaul your management of time. Start today doing things that will make you a better manager of your time. After you’ve improved in one area, choose another, and so on.

If you’re serious about exercising better control over your time, review this article and take a moment to list the ideas you’d like to implement and put these items on tomorrow’s to-do list. If these ideas aren’t affecting your actions, then it’s doubtful you believe in them.

Take control of your time by defining it as a tractable commodity. Only your perception stands between you and successful time management.

Tony Alessandra, Ph.D., is a marketing strategist and applied behavioral scientist. He is a leading authority on bottom-line marketing tactics and building business relationships for life. Copyright© 1999, Tony Alessandra. All rights reserved. For information on how to bring Tony to your group, please contact the Frog Pond Group at 800/704-FROG or e-mail susie@frogpondgroup.com.

Photo illustration by Joel Mathews, photo © PhotoDisc.

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Adopt a policy of picking up paperwork only once. Decide what to do with it and move it along to the next step toward completion.