4 Time Management Tips

Posted By: Bob Buskirk on March 15th, 2010
8 Comments... What do you have to say?

When you are working, especially when you are working for yourself and at home time management is very important! Bad time management can really make productivity go down. Many times when my time management isn’t that good it seems like I never get anything done. This can be very frustrating going day after day feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing! This usually isn’t the case because I have implemented a few simple things that really help me with time management. So what are they?

To Do Lists
This probably has to be the #1 thing you should do when you are trying to manage your time effectively. Setting up daily to do lists really helps you get things done. It is hard to stay motivated when you don’t know what all you need to get done and when you have a list setup you feel like you are getting things done when you start making things off the list. I usually setup my daily to do list either the night before or when I wake up.

Timed Lunches
I work from home and for the most part I usually make my own lunch rather than going out. Sometimes when I have lunch I tend to sit around and watch TV after eating. This is not a good thing because I can’t be sitting around watching TV all day. I try to make my lunches right around 30 minutes. That gives me time to eat and a little time to relax. I try and pick shows to watch in the afternoon that are 30 minutes long so I know when the show is over I can go back to work, Entourage is a great show for that.

Somewhat of a Schedule
While everyday can be different for me I do have some structure to my days. Having a simple schedule really helps me get things done and in good time too. I know each day I will have to post news on ThinkComputers, most likely write a review, etc.

Turn things off
Everyone knows that there are some things that can just eat your day up. For most people it is Facebook or YouTube. They can just sit there all day on those sites. When I’m working I usually never have Facebook up and for the most part I have an away message on my instant messenger. I don’t need to be sitting there all day talking to people or creeping around on Facebook. It’s just a easier to get work done without distractions.

Posted in: Personal, Ramblings
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8 Responses to “4 Time Management Tips”

Jack said on March 15th, 2010 at 1:30 pm

To do lists and turning things off are definitely the top two things for me. Distractions kill my productivity more than anything else. Usually my distractions involve friends asking a simple question, then when that’s about over, something else comes up, etc, etc. It can really snowball if you aren’t careful. Before you know it, it’s 6PM and you’ve done 1/10th of what you wanted to do that day.

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Dan said on March 16th, 2010 at 7:24 am

If you’d like a tool for managing your time and projects, you can use this application inspired by David Allen’s GTD:

http://www.Gtdagenda.com

You can use it to manage and prioritize your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
Comes with a mobile version too, and with an Android app.

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Coast guard gifts said on March 19th, 2010 at 5:57 am

What is the best way to release stress for you? TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS?
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Scott@ Forex Robot said on March 30th, 2010 at 10:25 pm

The timed lunches thing is something I have been trying to work on a lot recently. I sit down to watch tv just like you and then I end up watching too much tv, so I’ve been trying to limit my tv usage to only 20 min. or so after my lunch is prepared.
Scott@ Forex Robot´s last blog ..Compare Forex Trading Software

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Mike said on April 10th, 2010 at 2:47 am

Great tips, especially the one about picking a 30 minutes show because as soon as the show is done you know it is time to go back to work! One can also learn about time management from Sir Matthew Pinsent. At the IMD OWP 2010 , Pinsent will share his experience from four Olympic campaigns, which resulted in four gold medals. He will highlight the importance of goal setting, communication, trust and ultimately the courage it takes t o win in the toughest of conditions.

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Bruce said on May 19th, 2010 at 10:10 am

Great tips, especially the one about picking a 30 minutes show because as soon as the show is done you know it is time to go back to work! One can also learn about time management from Sir Matthew Pinsent. At the IMD OWP 2010 , Pinsent will share his experience from four Olympic campaigns, which resulted in four gold medals. He will highlight the importance of goal setting, communication, trust and ultimately the courage it takes t o win in the toughest of conditions.

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costumes said on June 9th, 2010 at 10:03 am

great idea bob. Time management start with your self. how to deal your hectic schedule. It is better to have list of sequence activities. time started and time to finish. So that you can evaluate your self that your done with plan activities in your plan time to finish.

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