Mapping Your Way to Effective Time Management

Merging onto the Highway of Success

By: Laura Wynn

Whether you are living the entrepreneurial dream or representing a large corporation, much of your success relies on your ability to manage your time efficiently. By understanding the simple guidelines below and completing each “Plan of Action” (POA), you’ll create a time management map that is sure to lead you down the highway of success!

The first step in learning time management is to know when you work. If I were to ask you, “What are your hours?” would you know them? It is natural, especially for a business owner, to think about work much of the time. It is important to “clock out” so that your work does not begin to consume most (or all!) of your functional time. If this happens, your work efforts will eventually become less focused, causing both your business and personal life to suffer.

Decide which days and times you will work and write them down! These are YOUR business hours. These are the times in which your clients can call on you and you will be able to give them the individual attention that they require.
It is a common fear that this step will cause clients to perceive you as inaccessible. In actuality, having business hours will show your clients that you are a serious business person.

POA: Write your personal business hours on a piece of paper. Keep this paper in a place where you will see it!

You’ve determined how much time you will invest; now make the most of each day by developing healthy work habits. What must be accomplished during your work day? Devise a written list that encompasses all of the areas you need to focus on in order for your business to thrive and continue to move forward. These are your “Vital Business Activities” (VBA). Your VBA might include calling clients, scheduling appointments, industry research and paperwork.

POA: Create a list of your VBA. Next to each activity, note how often that particular item needs to be done.
On a separate sheet of paper, draw five boxes. Label these boxes with the following categories: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly. Place each VBA from your first list into the appropriate box.

It’s time to map out each work day. Create a written chart of your workweek so that you can view your schedule. This will give you a clear vision of your work day, allowing you to create “power half hours”. Thirty minutes is a realistic time frame to expect uninterrupted productivity.

POA: Using a blank daily appointment log, highlight working hours for the week in 30 minute intervals. Fill in the highlighted areas with the tasks from your VBA chart that you created in the last activity. Don’t forget to schedule in breaks, lunch and personal phone calls.

Learn to be in control of your designated work time. A kitchen timer is a very effective way to be sure you stay on track. Consider a second timer to keep phone calls under 5 minutes.

Avoid tempting distractions that keep you from productive work. We call these ’no result activities’ (NRA). They are often tricky to detect, as they sneak into your work day while you aren’t focusing and manage to monopolize your time! They are likely work-related but have no true business value. These activities include, but are by no means limited to, desk organization, paperwork shuffling and office cleaning. These types of duties should be done when you do not have more pertinent tasks waiting. Once you become comfortable with your new time management plan, you will find that there will be plenty of time for all of the areas that keep your business thriving.

POA: Keep a note pad in your work area titled “NRA”. When you find yourself preoccupied by NRA, record the activity on this list. When you have completed a 30 minute work block, choose an NRA from the list and allow yourself 10 minutes to tend to this item.

Congratulations! You have developed a map to effective time management!

For more information on time management or to receive any of the POA forms discussed in this article please contact laurawynn@everestkc.net.

Article Source: http://www.flourishmagazine.com

Laura Wynn Bwe

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Tags: Advice, Flourish, Laura Wynn, Plan, Success, Time Management