I'm sure we've all had the experience of having a certain block of time available, and our to-do list tasks or goals that we want to accomplish in that time frame, only to turn around at the end of that period of time to have the frustrating experience of not getting nearly enough done that we thought we could. What happened? Where did all the time go? This can be in our personal / family lives, our jobs or our businesses.
Many of the frustrations of this are due to our expectations of what we can accomplish in that amount of time too high, and unrealistic. When we can look at it more objectively, it can reduce stress in our lives, and give more of a sense of accomplishment when we do reach our goals.
Say you have 6 hours available to do a certain project. Prioritize the tasks you want to tackle, with number one being the top priority. Now figure in your typical day, what percentage of that time is typically going to "putting out fires" If approximately 1/3 of your time is this type of work / situation, deduct that amount of time and your original 6 hours minus 2 hours of putting out fires, will give you 4 working hours.
Now, consider the average interruption will take about 8 minutes to deal with before mentally you're back where you were before the interruption. How many interruptions are typical in your day? Let's say you get 10 interruptions, 80 minutes. Now subtract those 80 minutes from your 4 hours, now you've got a little over 2 hours left to try to accomplish what you thought you actually had 6 hours to do. Is it any wonder why we didn't get as much done as we had hoped? I believe this will reduce frustration just knowing this, and will allow us to plan our day with much more realistic goals. If something is added to our to-do list, then something else must give to make room.
There are some things that can be done to help however. Just looking at this may help you pin point sources of time wasters. Is there anything that can be done to minimize the need to "put out the fires"? Are there any types of preventative actions that can be taken to at least reduce it?
What about interruptions? Can a phone voice mail be used instead of answering the phone? Then when you do need to return calls, do them as a group, one right after another. What about email? Do you have to respond to emails during this time frame? Again, try to lump like tasks together, when you do need to email, handle it all at once instead of the second they hit your inbox.
Then realize, what you thought was your 6 hours, in reality were perhaps a little over 2. Attack your to-do list with your highest priority, then give yourself a pat on the back for working your best with those 2 hours you had, and that in reality, you did fill 6 hours, and perhaps have a better understanding of where it went. Knowing this will help reduce the stress and frustration of trying to accomplish what may not be possible, and give your planning a more realistic approach.
By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker / owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write on a variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style. http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More
At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More
As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you... Read More
Choose to be HappyHappiness is a choice. You can choose... Read More
There are so many books on Time Management published every... Read More
If you can motivate yourself at will to get any... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
Fitting an education into a busy lifestyleMany people have aspirations... Read More
Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More
1. Do tasks less frequentlyClean house every 10 days rather... Read More
What would be your reaction if someone said to you... Read More
"I find it interesting that the very cape I tried... Read More
We all get overwhelmed from time to time, and sometimes... Read More
Everyday life can present us with opportunities to make us... Read More
Would you describe yourself as extremely busy? Do you often... Read More
If you're like most people, you want to get better... Read More
Where does your time go? We all know we are... Read More
It's been said, "That no one has enough time yet,... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
Are you working a "day job" while building your home-based... Read More
When I sit down with a client to work on... Read More
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More
It is not enough if you are busy. The question... Read More
Are you obsessed with getting everything just right? Do you... Read More
When trying to achieve a quality education, everybody knows that... Read More
All too often we can feel overwhelmed by the amount... Read More
One of the most common complaints that small business owners... Read More
Get a grip. Is it possible to manage time? Can... Read More
Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More
A working manager needs more than time management.That old saying,... Read More
"If you control your time, you control your life" -... Read More
How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More
If you feel like your life moves faster than a... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
Years ago when I started in this business, it seemed... Read More
As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you... Read More
Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet:... Read More
Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More
Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More
We live in a world where more is expected of... Read More
Why waste your precious time working on tasks, which are... Read More
Procrastination, the habit of putting tasks off to the last... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
People always seem to be in such a hurry, everywhere... Read More
"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
Almost everyone in business knows the balancing act between the... Read More
When I was small, I have never considered the importance... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
What keeping time really means is...being on time!You know, there... Read More
If you work from home, you know the kind of... Read More
Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies... Read More
To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More
"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More
Work life balance is the new Holy Grail; that search... Read More
"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it." -Malcolm... Read More
"I find it interesting that the very cape I tried... Read More
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
Microsoft wanted to know how individuals around the world were... Read More
There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More
We all get overwhelmed from time to time, and sometimes... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
What would you say to me if I told you... Read More
Time Management |