How To Plan Your Life
The new-year is around the corner and the stores are
bursting with great new ways to plan your life. And how many
day timer options can there really be? Trust me when I say
that whether you choose a PDA or a hard copy day planner, the
important thing is that you use it.
You can’t blame the day timer when January rolls around and
you are still behind the eight ball on organizing your
time.
Here are some things for you to think about when
prepping to plan.
If you prefer a day planner that you can write in, then
consider getting a week at a glance – you can see your whole
week at one turn of the page and by the years end you will
have turned the pages a few hundred times less than if you had
a day at a glance. Whether you choose a day planner or a PDA
you will save time and avoid missed commitments by putting all
of your professional and personal commitments into the same
planner: dinners, vacations, family activities, school events,
personal time, etc. Using your day planner will help you spend
your time more effectively.
Follow these valuable time management tips from “Getting
Organized” and “The Organized Executive” and “Kaos Group”
1. Set Goals: write down your goal. Goals must be
useful, measurable and attainable. Evaluate your goals daily
and visualize your goals.
2. Avoid procrastination: this is the one time
waster of which you have control. Keep it under control by:
- Slicing the task into manageable pieces
- Getting a clear picture of the task by discussing it
with others
- Designating interim completion points
- Setting a deadline for completing the project
3. Learn to handle interruptions:
- If it’s necessary, handle immediately
- If it’s unnecessary, stop it or avoid it
- If it’s untimely, reschedule it.
4. Manage your telephone time:
- Screen your calls
- Leave precise messages
- Use automatic dialling to save time
- Return calls before lunch or the end of the day
- Keep a phone log in your planner to record decisions and
discussions.
5. Conquer paperwork: Use the Kaos Group Core
Fore (TM) system: To Do, To Pay, To File, To
Read/Review . This system will allow you to organize
your paper work until you have scheduled time to complete the
necessary tasks.
6. Plan shorter, more effective meetings:
- Allocate the appropriate amount of time necessary
- Distribute a meeting agenda at least one day in advance
– don’t overload the agenda
- Start meetings on time even if participants are not
present
- Keep meetings under two hours, beyond that concentration
suffers
- Issue minutes promptly
- Only attend meetings if necessary
- Conduct phone meetings when possible to save on travel
time.
Looking for other ways to spend
your time more effectively? Click here to visit the checklist
sites recommended by Kaos Group
