Exercises 14..17
Exercises 18..20
Exercises 21..23
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5. Fifty Techniques for Externalizing The A-1
Create Possibilities
- Re-read pages R4 and then R2.
- Write down 50 or more numbered ways to externalize the A-1.
- If you're running dry, integrate two earlier ones into a fresh new way.
- Consider this assignment as a creativity exercise.
Edit Possibilities
- Use the editing instructions to crystallize more meaningful ways.
Create A Plan
- Bring your techniques together in a page or so.
Submit Your Work
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50 Ways to externalize the A-1
A-1. I will make a To Do list everyday and mark my A-1.
A-2. I will set deadlines for everything that is on my A list.
A-3. At the end of the day I cross out all the work that I have done. This gives me satisfaction and the motivation to work the next day.
1. I will keep things associated with A-1 in the work area.
2. No matter how busy I am, I will always take the time to plan.
3. I will put time and effort into refining the To Do list and the plan.
4. I will do detailed planning on everything in my A list.
5. When laying out the weekly schedule, I will block out time for A's that require a lot of time.
6. I will eliminate low priority tasks from my list.
7. I will use the scheduler on the computer to plan my schedule for the day and set out reminders.
8. I will use the scheduler to plan for the next week/month in advance so that I am aware of what I have on for the future and I don't have too much on my plate.
9. I will always reserve at least an hour a day of uncommitted time.
10. I will leave a note in my diary for the beginning of the month to do all related activities that are monthly like check my bank balance, pay bills, pay mortgage, etc
11. I will make a list of all I want to buy or I want to do before I go out for weekly shopping. Having a list will stop me from spending too much time wondering what I want to buy and also will stop me from forgetting things and doing more shopping visits during the week.
12. Put up signs on my desk with my goals.
13. I understand that goals and priorities can change on a regular basis.
14. I find that it is helpful to refine my goal statements several times.
15. I will resolve conflicts between long term and short term goals.
16. I understand that only good planning will let me reap maximum benefits from minimum time investments.
17. I will leave notes at home and work in visible spots about my goals.
18. I will have a separate area for A's, B's & C's.
19. I will organize everything so that everything goes to the right place the first time. This will avoid time wasted on searching for things.
20. I will remove all distractions from my work area.
21. I will try to cut off all my "Escape routes". This also involves concentrating on what I am doing.
22. I will set sensible deadlines for all activities and I will ask my friends and family to remind me of my deadlines.
23. Delegation: I will get someone to do simple things like checking mails and attending phone calls.
24. Multi tasking. If I want to watch a program on Television, I can still watch it if I am doing something else that does not need too much of concentration at the same time. Like run on the treadmill while watching television.
25. I will make the best possible use of transition time like do some work on the course while waiting for a batch job to finish.
26. I will make use of my traveling time and do some reading for the course.
27. I will try and do the same thing at the same time each day.
28. I will fix a quiet time and stick to it. Like every morning I can set 9:00 to 10:00 to go through the day's work and sort out everything before meeting people and start working with them.
29. I will set meetings at a certain time - Interpretation time - every Wednesday 11:30 - 12:30, Weekly team meetings Friday 15:00-16:00, meeting with the client every second Wednesday 7:30 - 8:30
30. I will try to handle each piece of paper only once.
31. I write replies to most letters right on the piece of paper.
32. Instead of stacking all incoming mail on my desk, it is easier to read them once, reply to mails that are important immediately, move unwanted brochures, etc straight to the trash can.
33. I will search emails for A activities and reply/work on them immediately.
34. When I find it difficult to do an A-1, I will make out a list of all the pluses and minuses of doing the A-1.
35. I will try and be creative and find ways of doing things differently but still achieve what I want.
36. I will say no to people who stop by for a chat.
37. I will take a shorter lunch break and use it to finish my course.
38. I will be selective about what I read - waste less time reading information that I do not need.
39. I will limit surfing the internet and when I do I will try to get more value from what I read.
40. I will limit checking e-mails to once in the morning and once in the evening.
41. Learn to say "no" at the right time - avoid going to parties just because I was invited and couldn't say no.
42. I keep my watch 3 minutes fast, to get a head start on the day.
43. I will try and find time to do nothing.
44. I will try to wake up early (@5:30) and go to bed on time (@11:00) every day.
45. I will take one step at a time. It is easier to do daunting A-1 in small manageable steps.
46. If my A-1 looks too difficult, I will try to take a part of it and finish it. Sometimes the most difficult work is easier to handle when broken into pieces.
47. When I am tired of doing something, I try to find a new way to do it or take a short break and get back to it again.
48. Some activities might be interesting but not of much value, I will try to keep myself away from such activities. I will ask people around me to question me if I do such activities.
49. I will avoid giving in to the urge of taking an afternoon nap on weekends.
50. I understand that I do have to what others want me to do sometimes but I can reach a compromise and get what I want to get done too.
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My comments on the exercise
Till now I have listed techniques to save time. Now I have actually combined them and made plans. This makes time management look more achievable.
Also when I had to come up with 50 techniques I had to think of ways in which I was already managing my time or I would like to manage my time. I had to work a bit hard on this. I did come up with a few new ideas and a few of the ones that are already working with me and put it together with the ones that I gathered from the book.
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6. Your To Do List
Your To Do List System
- Re-read pages 63-76 in my book.
- Describe in a page or so:
- The nature of your current To Do list.
- Your procedures for using it.
- Its contribution to your Time Management.
- Its strengths and weaknesses.
- Improvements you'd like to make.
Submit Your Work
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The nature of my current To Do list
My Current to do list is split into two.
One list has my personal A’s, B’s & C’s for the day and the other list has my work related A’s, B’s & C’s.
My personal ‘A’ list has my life time goals and also activities to be done for the day. It might look something like:
A-1 Pay phone bill – today is last day.
A-2 Work on Time Management Course – 12:00-1:00pm
A-3 Work on 1111 Website management course – 5:00-6:00pm
Practice music 7:00-8:00pm
Get Materials for Rangoli presentation – has to be done before Thursday
Confirm with travel agent about ticket payment – Before 10:30 in the morning – less waiting time.
Reply to mails regarding travel plans – send a group reply with all general information
Organize a class meet
Clear Mailbox
Clean desk
“Out of which Clear Mailbox” would be a ‘C’ which can be left till I get a message from Sys admin asking me to clear out space or if it is gmail account then I don’t have to worry about that at all. “Reply to mails regarding travel plans” would be a ‘B’ which can be postponed maybe by a day or two till it becomes an ‘A’
The list changes depending on which day of the week/month it is. In the first week the A-list will be dominated by paying bills, mortgage, insurance, etc.
I generally tend to create a list before I leave work each day for the next working day. But I do come in and check my mails for any important work that might take a higher priority and change the list if required each morning.
A typical work related To Do list would be something like this.
A-1. WR956 – Finish ballpark estimate
A-2. WR365 – Do final checks for implementation on Thursday (Implementation 22-Jul-2004)
A-3. WR0031 – QA for trigger TD Maturity
Complete survey for Oracle TAN – Last day 25th Jul 2004
Again as of today “Complete survey for Oracle TAN – Last day 25th Jul 2004” would be a ‘B’ or even a ‘C’ but on 26th morning 10:00am when I have to submit the survey it becomes an ‘A’. The end of the week will have review meetings in the list.
My Procedures for using my current to do list
As I have mentioned earlier, I make two different to do lists and try to work on my “A-1” at any point of time. Sometimes I do tend to get overwhelmed when I see an A-1 which is difficult to do and instead start working on my A-2, which is not the right thing to do. I am trying to follow the advice in the book in chapter 14 and start doing small bits related to my A-1 instead of trying to work on something big and scare myself away.
I create a list each morning and at the end of the day mark off all the activities that I have finished and create a new list. The list is changed again in the morning based on mails & calls that I get in the morning before I start working.
I make a note of deadlines on my list so I know the timeline till which I can push it away in case of a B/C.
Its contribution to my Time Management.
The To Do list has completely changed the way I work!
I now have a list of everything that has to be done and with date & time deadlines noted against them – the result, nothing gets forgotten.
I have my to do list in a little notebook with dates marked so at any point of time if I have to know what I did on a particular day I can go back and check on my notes.
I have now set priorities and work gets done based on the priority. Instead of ten things with lower priority, even if one activity with a higher priority gets finished, I am happy.
Its strengths and weaknesses.
Strength – The “to do list” is perfect for time management. If the right priorities are set and the list is followed then it should be a perfect way to manage personal and work time.
Weakness – Well, I have this problem, when I take certain C’s off the list just to take it off my sight I tend to forget them till it becomes an A all of a sudden. I think it is more of my problem than a weakness of the list itself.
Improvements I’d like to make
I would prefer having my C’s on the list even if it distracts me and learn to avoid it than take it off the list and forget it till it becomes an A.
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7. Thinking Guides
Read About Thinking Guides
- Pages T1-T3.
Prepare Your Answer
- Review "Decision Time" at the end pf page T3.
- Decide whether you want to use Thinking Guides.
- Follow the instructions.
- Put your answer in an email.
Submit Your Work
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A-1 (1) Use of Thinking Guides for the course
After going through pages T1-T3, I have decided to try using “Thinking Guides” for my course.
I think it will be useful for the entire MBA course as I am doing mostly practical courses, which means I have to think about using whatever I read and apply them in my day to day life. I would like to be able to think on the practicality of whatever I read maybe after each chapter or logical section as to where I can use them in real life.
I am not very sure as to where else I will be able to use it in regular day to day life though. As for work, yes, I could use it a few places but the best use I think is in my course.
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8. Lifetime Goals This Week
Goals
- Post ten or more A-goals from your Lifetime Goals exercise. (H)
- Re-sequence your goals, putting first those with the most meaning for you this week.
Actions
- Re-read book pages 103-105 for instant tasks.
- Consider actions/instant tasks you could take this week for each goal.
- Cross off your list those goals with nothing you want to do this week.
- Enter five possible actions for each of the remaining goals. (H)
Priority Actions
- Copy your action possibilities from above.
- Cross off those you do not want to give even five minutes to this week.
- Re-sequence the remaining possibilities by their value to you.
- Mark the A123. (H)
To Do List Entries
- Enter in your To Do list the top three actions, and as many more as you want.
- Also enter them in your email.
Submit Your Work
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Goals
Learn the art of Time Management
Be fit enough to compete in the Marathon
Finish MBA
Travel the world
Spend more time volunteering
Master Carnatic Music
Reach a Senior Management Position at work
Take up drawing classes
Climb Mount Everest
Do PhD
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Actions
Learn the art of Time Management
Reread the book “How to get control of your time and your life” – just a few pages or even just bits whenever I get even five minutes time.
Copy the next assignment question from the website
Get a copy of the pages to read for the assignment
Add or modify the To Do list to include things that I remembered during the day and are not on the list
Do a rough plan on the A-1 to simplify it
Be fit enough to compete in the Marathon
Instead of waiting for the bus for ten minutes in the morning/evening start walking towards the next bus stop. Find out when the next walk/run in Dublin is from the Irish Runner website
Fill in the registration form and post it for the next run
Write to Fermanagh college and find out about the assessment for the fitness and exercise course and check if anything else can be done to add value to the course.
Call up a friend to find out if she/he will go for a walk with in the evenings to avoid boredom
Finish MBA
Spend minimum time gathering info for the next course
Decide on the next three papers
Send a mail to the dean and register for the next two courses
When the dean sends a mail with the course guide details for the next two courses, spend two minutes sending an introductory mail to the course guides.
Call the library to find out if books are available for the next course
Travel the world
Try the no-frill carrier website to see if there are any cheap deals for the near future.
Check the frequent flyer website to see if the points available can take me to my destination this year without much expenditure.
Find out the best time of the year to go to the chosen destination.
Approximately check out accommodation prices for the season that I want to go
Get a rough estimate of the likely expenses
Check if I can take holidays from next year in December this year
Check with boss if I can earn extra time off by working extra hours during the week.
Spend more time volunteering
Check in Special Olympic site to see if they have anything coming up in the next couple of months.
Send a mail to the Special Olympic DAL mailing list to see if anyone is working on any project at the moment that needs volunteers
Call the local community centre to find out if they need any volunteer for the local summer project
Call St. John of God hospitals to find out if they need any volunteer in the evenings for minding special children
Check with Concern if they need volunteers for any project
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Priority Actions
A-1 Reread the book “How to get control of your time and your life” – just a few pages or even just bits whenever I get even five minutes time.
A-2 Add or modify the To Do list to include things that I remembered during the day and are not on the list
A-3 Fill in the registration form and post it for the next run
Check in Special Olympic site to see if they have anything coming up in the next couple of months.
Copy the next assignment question from the website
Get a copy of the pages to read for the assignment
Do a rough plan on the A-1 to simplify it
Decide on the next three papers
Check the frequent flyer website to see if the points available can take me to my destination this year without much expenditure.
Find out when the next walk/run in Dublin is from the Irish Runner website
Write to Fermanagh college and find out about the assessment for the fitness and exercise course and check if anything else can be done to add value to the course.
Call up a friend to find out if she/he will go for a walk with in the evenings to avoid boredom
Send a mail to the Special Olympic DAL mailing list to see if anyone is working on any project at the moment that needs volunteers
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To Do List entries
A-1 Reread the book “How to get control of your time and your life” – just a few pages or even just bits whenever I get even five minutes time.
A-2 Add or modify the To Do list to include things that I remembered during the day and are not on the list
A-3 Fill in the registration form and post it for the next run
Check in Special Olympic site to see if they have anything coming up in the next couple of months.
Copy the next assignment question from the website
Get a copy of the pages to read for the assignment
Send status update to boss
WR362 – Finish analysis and send report COB today
WR031 – Check if all is ok for final implementation COB tomorrow
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9. Why People Forget To Prioritize
Analysis
- Consider this assignment as a research exercise.
- Bring in your own experience and that of at least five other people.
- People do prioritize, but when they forget, why do they forget?
- Come up with the best reasons you can.
- Write your analysis in half a page to a page.
Submit Your Work
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Why people forget to prioritize?
1. Let me start with my own experience. I for one used to make “Things to do” list as I called them occasionally in the past. When I made such lists it was because I had too many things on my mind and I did not want to forget certain important activities, like say switching off the heating before leaving the house while going for a holiday. In fact I used to use a “sticky note” with the message stuck on the inside of the main door to the house so that I remember to do it before leaving.
2. Even then it never occurred to me to set priorities. As long as everything on the list gets done before I leave the house/work I was happy. It is not that I forgot to set priorities, but I did not realize the importance of them. It makes more sense now to prioritize after reading so much and doing it for nearly a month now.
3. As for my friend T, she seems to drop prioritizing because she has too many things on her plate. She might start cleaning the kitchen as that would have been top priority when she started the work but five minutes later, half way through her work when she hears the baby crying she drops that and gets ready to feed the baby – that becomes her A-1. She finds it difficult to manage prioritize and stick to one it as she has to handle home, work, baby and a whole load of people who are walking in and out of her house! It always seems to be firefighting for her!
4. My partner PD unlike me regularly has been doing his “To Do” list. But I have never seen him set priorities. When questioned his answer was simple! He said only ones with top priorities go to the list. He puts in his list activities that are important and should not be forgotten. But even among them he does not set priorities. According to him “They are all important and it does not matter in what order I do them as long as I finish them”.
5. My work colleague CA says she does work in the order that they arrive in and does not care about priorities unless and until she gets a call from her boss asking her to do something out of turn because it is more important. She feels that she doesn’t even have a list so the question of priorities does not arise at all.
6. Another friend MS says that he does prioritize but does not stick to his priorities. According to him sometimes something easier but of less value gets done because that can be removed off the list.
7. A friend and colleague PS says, I do forget to set priorities on purpose on days that are not very busy. On such days I can pick and chose what I want to do and prefer taking it easy rather than doing something big and important.
On the whole I find that people do not set priorities or forget to set priorities because they find it easier to do an easy C instead of doing an overwhelming A!
This my description of priority strategies being used:
1. Don't prioritize.
2. Respond to the most important crisis.
3. Priorities don't matter when all items get done.
4. First in, first out, allowing for higher authoriy resequencing.
5. Prioritize, and sometimes take a break to do the easy ones.
6. Take a break from priorities on slow days.
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10. Combined Timesaving Techniques
Merge Techniques
- Merge your two lists from my book.
- Arrange your list in either priority or category order. (H)
Timesaving Techniques List
- Select the best twenty from the merged techniques list above.
- Re-sequence and edit them if necessary.
- Mark A123. (H)
- Save your list in a handy place on your computer (bottom of your To Do list?)
- Print an easy reference copy.
Submit Your Work
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Techniques By Categories
Planning
Control the time by planning. Planning is bringing the future into the present so that I can do something about it now.
Put time and effort into refining the plan
I always plan first thing in the morning and set priorities for the day
I keep a list of specific items to be done each day, arrange them in priority order, and then do my best to get the important ones done as soon as possible.
I schedule my time months in advance in such a way that each month offers variety and balance as well as "open time" reserved for "hot" projects.
I will plan well in advance so as to find opportunities for furthering some of my most important goals.
I will do detailed planning on everything in my A list.
No matter how busy I am, I should always take the time to plan.
Spend time to plan every morning and evening - Set a time like 6:00 in the morning and 10:30 in the night.
In all planning, long-range, middle-range or short-range, make a list and set priorities. All the items on a list are not of equal value. Whenever a list is made, finish the list by setting priorities.
On a Friday afternoon review the week's work done and plan roughly for the next week.
To increase the likelihood of accomplishing important lifetime goals, I've got to plan my time each and every day.
Being Organized
I will make a To Do List every day, keep it visible, and use it as a guide to action as I go through the day.
I keep my desk top cleared for action, and put the most important thing in the center of my desk.
I have a place for everything (so I waste as little time as possible looking for things).
Organize everything so that everything goes to the right place the first time. This will avoid time wasted on searching for things.
I carry blank 3X5 index cards in my pocket to jot down notes and ideas.
Remove all distractions from my work area. - Like games from my pc desktop.
If I have finished all my official work, I will start working on personal things like clearing my mailbox, reading a book, finishing up an assignment, etc.
Handling fears
If I seem to procrastinate I ask myself: "What am I avoiding?" - and then I try to confront that thing head-on.
I have trained myself to go down my To Do List without skipping over the difficult items.
I relax and "do nothing" rather frequently
When I am bored or restless, instead of suppressing my boredom I will do something different, maybe check my A-1 list and do something on the list that will provide a change.
I will deal with unpleasantness directly.
I will recognize the greater unpleasantness that results from delay.
I will create enthusiasm that counterbalances the unpleasantness.
Give myself a pep talk to get me started on my A-1.
I will try to overcome fears - real or imagined.
Working on goals
I keep my long-term goals in mind even while doing the smallest task.
I review my lifetime goals list every day and identify activities to do each day to further my goals.
I put signs in my office reminding me of my goals
I look for action steps to be taken now to further my goals.
I will do my life time goals list and revisit it and work on it on a regular basis - say once in two months.
To determine the right activities for achieving my A-goals I must list the possible activities for each A-goal and set priorities to allow me to select the most effective activity to do now.
Resolve conflicts between long term and short term goals.
I understand that goals and priorities can change on a regular basis.
It is helpful to refine my goal statements several times.
Long-term planning and goal-setting must be complemented by short-term planning.
Priorities
I ask myself, "Would anything terrible happen if I didn't do this priority item?" If the answer is no, I don't do it.
I try to do only A's, never B's and C's.
I focus my efforts on items that will have the best long-term benefits.
Use the ABC Priority System: Write a capital letter "A" to the left of those items on the list that have a high value; a "B" for those with medium value; and a "C" for those with low value.
Eliminate low priority tasks: For each activity on the list I ask myself: Am I committed to spending a minimum of five minutes (or less if it can be completely finished in less time) on this activity in the next seven days? If the answer is "no", I eliminate the activity from the list.
Positive thinking
I try to enjoy whatever I am doing.
I'm a perennial optimist.
I remind myself: "There is always enough time for the important things." If it's important I'll make the time to do it.
I don't waste my time feeling guilty about what I don't do.
I build on successes.
I don't waste time regretting my failures.
I've given up forever all "waiting time." If I have to wait I consider it a "gift of time" to relax, plan or do something I would not otherwise have done.
I have confidence in my judgment of priorities and stick to them in spite of difficulties.
I keep pushing and am persistent when I sense I have a winner.
I will list all the benefits of doing my A-1 - pluses that would start when the A-1 will be done and minuses that would stop when the A-1 will be done.
I will try to maintain a positive attitude.
Concentration
I give myself enough time to concentrate on high priority items.
I have developed the ability to concentrate well for long stretches of time (sometimes with the aid of coffee)
I concentrate on one thing at a time.
Efficiency
I work smarter rather than harder.
I do first things first.
I always use the 80/20 rule.
I start with the most profitable parts of large projects and often find it is not necessary to do the rest.
I cut off nonproductive work as quickly as possible
I will follow the 80/20 rule.
Always remember, perfectionism is worth approaching when 80 percent of the value comes from the last 20 percent of the effort.
Be effective - Select the best task to do from all the possibilities available and then do it in the best possible way.
Work smarter not harder
I should try to work more effectively within the time allotted for each project.
It is not worthwhile to make a big effort for a task of little value. On the other hand, a project with high value can be worth a great deal of effort. Only good planning will let me reap maximum benefits from minimum time investments.
Making best use of time
I set deadlines for myself and others.
I'm continually asking myself: "What is the best use of my time right now?".
I keep my watch 3 minutes fast, to get a head start on the day.
I try not to waste other people's time (unless it's something that really matters to me).
I recognize that inevitably some of my time will be spent on activities outside my control and don't fret about it.
Reducing paper work
I generate as little paperwork as possible and throw away anything that I possibly can.
I handle each piece of paper only once.
I write replies to most letters right on the piece of paper.
I will try to handle each piece of paper only once.
Delegation
I delegate everything I possibly can to others.
I make use of specialists to help me with special problems
I have someone screen my mail and phone calls and handle all routine matters.
Changing habits
I get up at 5 a.m. during the week (and go to bed early).
I have a light lunch so I don't get sleepy in the afternoon.
I keep small talk to a minimum during work hours.
I examine old habits for possible elimination or streamlining.
I don't read newspapers or magazines (except occasionally). I do glance at the headlines at the newsstands to keep up on the world.
I skim books quickly looking for ideas.
I try to listen actively in every discussion.
I save up all trivia for a three-hour session once a month.
I don't own a television set. (My family and I went to a motel to watch the moon walks and we rented a set for the political conventions.)
I have my office close enough to my home to be able to walk to work. But when I'm lazy or in a hurry I drive.
I try not to think of work on weekends.
I do much of my thinking on paper.
Being Creative
I try to find a new technique each day that I can use to help gain time.
I give myself time off and special rewards when I've done the important things.
I work alone creatively in the morning and use the afternoons for meetings, if necessary.
Multitasking
I will make the best possible use of transition time - Like practicing singing while cooking.
I will make use of my traveling time - Reading while on the train.
I will make use of my waiting time - Like reading while waiting for the train, sending out mails while waiting for batch jobs to finish, etc
Decision making
There are constraints on everyone that makes free choice impossible in all situations. But I am free to choose much of the time.
I want to be sure that I am making time choices that are right for my current rather than my past situation. - Just because I am used to doing cooking everyday when I was alone, I should not insist on cooking for everybody every single day when sharing house with friends.
I will take enough time to consider the situation carefully before deciding something.
Sometimes I've got to what others want me to do, but not always.
Avoiding unimportant tasks
I will ask myself "How terrible would it be if I didn't do this C?". If my answer is "Not too terrible" then I will not do it.
I will resist doing a very easy but unimportant task that is right in front of me.
I will be selective about what I read - waste less time reading information that I do not need.
Learn to say "no" at the right time - avoid going to parties just because I was invited and couldn't say no.
Say no to people who stop by for a chat.
I will take a shorter lunch break and use it to finish my course.
Scheduling
Fix a quiet time and stick to it. Like every morning I can set 9:00 to 10:00 to go through the day's work and sort out everything before meeting people and start working with them.
Set meetings at a certain time - Interpretation time - every Wednesday 11:30 - 12:30, Weekly team meetings Friday 15:00-16:00, meeting with the client every second Wednesday 7:30 - 8:30
Always reserve at least an hour a day of uncommitted time.
When laying out the weekly schedule, block out time for A's that require a lot of time.
Try and do the same thing at the same time each day to conserve and generate energy.
Avoiding procrastination
I will set a deadline and try to meet it as far as possible.
I will try to cut of all my "Escape routes".
I will try to recognize and admit to myself when I am wasting time.
Make a conscious effort to do things, instead of wishing things to happen, decide and then implement the decision.
To avoid procrastination I will make a list of possible instant tasks and set priorities.
When I feel like delaying something, I will ask myself if it is worth paying the price of the delay, if the answer is no then I get to doing it straight away
Handling A’s
Find out more information about A-1 from other resources like people, books, internet, etc.
Find some piece of A-1 that I am in the mood to do.
Select at least one A-activity to work on right away and do it.
Keep things associated with A-1 in the work area.
I will do all the A's before I go down to B's and C's.
The time to do anything on the A list is now.
Asking Lakien’s question
Start each day by making a list of "What I have to do today?"
Constantly ask myself "What is the best use of my time right now?"
I will constantly ask myself "What can I not do?"
Make it easy and interesting
Be flexible and spontaneous
Do not attempt to take the thinking and fun out of an activity
Do not be too compulsive, restrained and obsessive or apathetic, indifferent & lazy
Think more about how I really want to use my time, work less hard, do more of the things that I've always wanted to do and enjoy life a lot more.
I should try and find time to do nothing - just relax.
Try to save internal prime time for prime projects.
I will make an effort to be considerate of other people and their time.
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Twenty Best Techniques
A-1 I always plan first thing in the morning and set priorities for the day
A-2 Organize everything so that everything goes to the right place the first time. This will avoid time wasted on searching for things.
A-3 If I seem to procrastinate I ask myself: "What am I avoiding?" - and then I try to confront that thing head-on.
I keep a list of specific items to be done each day, arrange them in priority order, and then do my best to get the important ones done as soon as possible.
I have trained myself to go down my To Do List without skipping over the difficult items.
I relax and "do nothing" rather frequently
I put signs in my office reminding me of my goals
I understand that goals and priorities can change on a regular basis.
I ask myself, "Would anything terrible happen if I didn't do this priority item?" If the answer is no, I don't do it.
Use the ABC Priority System: Write a capital letter "A" to the left of those items on the list that have a high value; a "B" for those with medium value; and a "C" for those with low value.
I remind myself: "There is always enough time for the important things." If it's important I'll make the time to do it.
I don't waste my time feeling guilty about what I don't do.
I concentrate on one thing at a time.
I work smarter rather than harder.
I do first things first.
I'm continually asking myself: "What is the best use of my time right now?".
There are constraints on everyone that makes free choice impossible in all situations. But I am free to choose much of the time.
I give myself time off and special rewards when I've done the important things.
I will resist doing a very easy but unimportant task that is right in front of me.
I will set a deadline and try to meet it as far as possible.
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11. Support For Your Time Management
Find One Or More Support People
- Technical: For sharing Time Management techniques.
- Human: For sympathy and encouragement of your progress.
- Either in person, by phone, or email.
Results
- If you're successful, tell me who you found and how you plan to connect.
- If not, that's okay too. Just let me know.
Submit Your Work
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Finding support people
I have found out that it is always easy to do something if I can find at least one person to do it with me, be it going for a walk or painting the house.
So my A-1 today has become – Finding a support person for my time management.
From thinking about this I feel it would be nice to have the same person to share my time management techniques and also encourage me. The reason for this being if I share my time saving techniques with them, they can encourage me and also understand what I am trying to do most of the time without much explanation – thus saving time!
I have chosen my partner PD for this. As I live with him and we are together most of the time it will be easy for him to know if I am doing my C’s instead of A’s and instantly put me on the right track.
He has also promised to check on me by email & phone if required during the day to remind me about doing my A-1s.
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My comments on the exercise
This is a very good exercise. I would suggest that everyone should find at least one person to share with or for support for making a habit of time saving techniques. Sometimes the assurance I get from PD when I talk about time saving techniques gives me the inspiration to stick to it even in times when I find it difficult to do so.
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12. Goal Progress Review And Plans For The Week
Enter Goals
- Use the Report 2 format on page R3, with:
- A-1: Externalize support for the A-1
- A-2: Internalize support for the A-1
- A-3: Implementing timesaving techniques.
Complete The Report
- Progress from the start of the course.
- Plans for the next week or so.
Submit Your Work
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Goal Progress Review And Plans For The Week
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A-1
Externalize support for the A-1
Progress Since Last Week
- I make a “To Do” list everyday with deadlines marked against each A item on the list.
- I update the list at the end of each day and mark off all the ones that are finished. This gives me motivation to do more A’s.
- I have put up signs in my work area and home about my A-1
- I use the calendar in Microsoft outlook to plan my day/week/month ahead
- I have asked my partner to be my support person for implementing time saving techniques.
- I have a separate sheet with C’s below my sheet with a list of A’s & B’s
- I go to bed on time @11:00 pm every night.
Plans For The Coming Week
- Reread Alan Lakien’s book
- Revisit life time goals and see if some actions can be added/deleted
- I will avoid giving in to the urge of taking an afternoon nap on weekends.
- I will try to wake up at 5:30 every morning
- Try different uses of Thinking Guides
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A-2
Internalize support for the A-1
Progress Since Last Week
- Notice priorities in my email
- Try and ask Lakien’s question “What is the best use of my time right now?" if I find that I am in a dilemma of what to do.
- Keep asking "What can I not do?"
- Try and avoid doing B’s & C’s if I have an unfinished A still in the list that can be done.
- I try and deal with unpleasantness straightaway.
- I try and concentrate on only one thing at a time.
Plans For The Coming Week
- I will try to cut of all my "Escape routes".
- I will try to recognize and admit to myself when I am wasting time.
- I will try to overcome fears - real or imagined.
- I will resist doing a very easy but unimportant task that is right in front of me.
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A-3
Implementing Timesaving Techniques.
Progress Since Last Week
- I always plan first thing in the morning and set priorities for the day
- I ask myself "What is the best use of my time right now?".
- I am trying each day to apply techniques mentioned in the book
- I finish as many actions as possible from the A-1 list
- Keep asking "What can I not do?"
- Have reduced social outings to a maximum of three per week.
- I do not switch on television if I am alone at home.
- If I know I am traveling long distance by bus/train, I take enough reading material.
Plans For The Coming Week
- I will be selective about what I read - waste less time reading information that I do not need – be it on the internet, newspaper or magazines.
- I will try to be as organized as possible. When I start any work I will try to get all the information possible that I need to do the work.
- If I seem to procrastinate I will ask myself: "What am I avoiding?" - and then I try to confront that thing head-on
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13. Life Goals
GOAL/ACTION Report
- Use the Report 3 format on page R3.
- Use the definitions of your life and your work on page R1.
- Fill in whatever goals you want outside of work.
- Fill in possible action steps for each goal.
Submit Your Work
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GOAL/ACTION Report
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Goal - Master the art of Time Management
- A-1: I make a “To Do” list everyday with deadlines marked against each A item on the list..
- A-2: Reread the book “How to get control of your time and your life”
- A-3: At the end of each day review the list – Mark items that have been finished.
- Keep asking "What can I not do?"
- Try and ask Lakein’s question “What is the best use of my time right now?" if I find that I am in a dilemma of what to do..
- Try and avoid doing B’s & C’s if I have an unfinished A still in the list that can be done.
- Try and avoid long unwanted phone calls.
- Get a support person for sharing techniques and helping with time management.
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Goal - Complete MBA
- A-1: Set a sensible & achievable deadline for papers and try to finish the papers before time.
- A-2: Take one manageable step at a time
- A-3: Find reading time while traveling.
- Take notes while reading, mark the relevant pages & use a marker to note important points.
- Get in touch with other students and find out how they worked.
- Try to get information from friends who have done MBA on different courses.
- Try to implement the ideas learnt in day to day life and work.
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Goal - Travel the world
- A-1: Travel to at least one country in a year.
- A-2: Ask Travel agent to keep me informed of seasonal discounts.
- A-3: Decide on the month and number of days holidays that can be taken.
- Decide on a place for the current year.
- Read up on the decided destination.
- Watch videos of the place, Ask friends who have traveled there for more information.
- Decide on the budget.
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Goal - Be fit enough to compete in the Marathon
- A-1: Walk 20 – 35 kilometers a week.
- A-2: Always do warm up and cool down exercises before/after the walk.
- A-3: Do at least one organized walk/run per month.
- At the beginning of each month check out for any organized runs during the month.
- Register if required for at least one run per month.
- Find another friend to walk with in the evenings and/or for organized walks.
- Read up on fitness and different methods of increasing fitness.
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Goal - Spend more time volunteering
- A-1: Get people organized for sponsorship gathering of Special Olympics Team 2005.
- A-2: Find out from fellow volunteers if they are ready to get together again for some weekend volunteering, maybe like painting an old age home.
- A-3: Find out from the local community centre if they need any help during summer.
- Always keep an eye out for volunteering opportunities.
- Try to combine running and volunteering like doing a sponsored run.
- A month before going on holidays to India, try to organize collection of clothes, toys, stationary, etc for the orphanage there.
- Enroll more people to do help out – the more the merrier!
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My comments on the exercise
Each time I do my goals list I can see the actions change and evolve and become more meaningful. It is good the way we start with the goals and then do it gain midway. I can see the change each time.
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