Time Management
Thrift Meister's time management
tips and strategies. Two things to remember here--prioritize and leverage.
* Effective time management requires good prioritizing--deciding
in which order to work on given task and taking advantage of the ability
to leverage yourself.
* Prioritizing--allocating time resources to maintain
and get ahead. Know the difference between different problem types.
An immediate problem has to be solved right then an important problem
probably doesn't have to be solved as soon as its identified, but needs
to be solved as soon as possible. If you have rising costs you have
to find away to solve that problem or you will go out of business or
be personally bankrupt so you have to cut costs or pass along the costs
or in your personal life maybe work a second job. An immediate problem
would be that you been notified that if the phone bill is not paid tomorrow
they will disconnect it. The immediate problem has to be solved right
away just to maintain your current position, the important problem has
to be solved to insure long-term survival and get ahead.
* We tend to put off tasks that are hard or unpleasant.
Whether at home or work plan on starting the day with a simple project
that is easy to accomplish. That gives you a running start into the
day and a sense of accomplishment which will make an easier transition
into a more difficult problem or task. Plan for the first easy project
the night before by having everything you need for it already laid out
so you can get straight to it in the morning.
* Learn how to manage the things that take your
time away--develop a pleasant way to say no to requests or invitations.
Learn to get off the phone and end conversations without offending someone
(explain you have to get something done and will call back anther time).
* Leverage your time by getting more than one
thing done at once. While you are watching TV pick out some nuts and
do a load of clothes--that way you are getting three things done at
once. Always look for the opportunity to do more than one thing at a
time.
* Take a book or magazine with you to read while
you are waiting somewhere.
* Use the 80% rule for delegating work. If someone
else can do it 80% as well as you then delegate it.
* Remember short breaks are important in long
tedious tasks.
* Take advantage of the internet whenever possible--you
can do more and more tasks on line and save time.
Shop online and avoid having to go to the store,
really helps when it cuts out a trip to the post office--letting you
knock out two trips with one purchase online.
Pay bills on line and take advantage of preset
bill payment options to send bills with a fixed amount out automatically.
Check to see if you can accomplish tasks like
renewing your driver's license on line--some states do that now.
You can upload files to certain places such
as Yahoo's Briefcase which will let you access those files from anywhere
so you can start a project save the files and continue working on
them from a hotel, relative's house or wherever you are and have internet
access.
* From time to time check the way events in your
day are scheduled to see if rearranging them would allow you to be more
productive.
* Make your work space more efficient. whether
it is at the office or home. Clean out the garage, attic, or closets
from time to time so you can easily access the things you need and are
not moving around things you never use.
* Organize your kitchen cabinets, freezer, refrigerator,
pantry so the things you need the most frequently are easiest to get
out.
* Some tasks can be standardized so make copies
of grocery lists for example in Word or Excel and print off copies or
get copies made and just check off the items you need to get that week
so you don't have to start from scratch making out your list each time
you go shopping.
Other Links in the Personal Page
Dating
Oral Hygiene
Study
