It is a darn good thing that we have deadlines attached to most of the work we do otherwise most of it would not get done on time.
My clients are smart, successful and stressed because of how they run their time rather than when they learn, through our coaching, how to manage their activities.
Time management does not exist. You cannot manage time, but you sure can manage your activities to meet the agreed upon deadlines:
- Your weekly expense report
- The agenda for the Thursday staff meeting
- Assessment dates for new clients
- Quotes and pricing to a prospect
- Did you say Taxes?
- Stockholders notes for the annual meeting
- BOD books for members to review before the meeting
- Monthly massage with best ever relaxing
- New shoes before that speaking engagement
- Update software for the international call
You have dozens of commitments in your head and in your device (calendar) that you need to have stuff done by…time management?
Nope. If you want to not be frazzled with every commitment, you manage your activities rather than your time. And you analyze how long it takes to get things done.
If you are completing a performance review for an employee, you need to set up time to review their performance; look at the last year’s report; get peer input; find out what the % of the merit raises are and evaluate how much effort you want to put into each performance review.
I have a client that averages 4 hours of research and writing per review she does. She had 27 people reporting to her and there is a deadline for each review. She has to be amazingly accountable for her activities or she will be spending her weekends writing reviews. And yes, until she mastered managing her activities, she spent many weekends writing reviews…her family was grumpy and so was she.
It behooves you to find out your capacity of the work you need to accomplish. Are you:
- Fast as a bunny with your writing or do you need to do research, think about the info and then write?
- Research centric which takes more time than someone who just sits down and does “it”
- Last minute Eddie that completes the night before it is due or slow and sure Susie that starts on an assignment the day she finds out about it
Each type of completion and accountability has different ways of managing activities for work completion.
Use your device to help you. It is not more than a foot away from you at any time (unless it is recharging) so use the alarms, calendar and apps that will help you complete what you need to complete when it is due. The alarms are something I use all the time to help me through a very busy day.
Plan. Think. Support your completion behavioral style and then maybe you can do two massages a month!!
By the way, once a month there is a FREE monthly live call with ME. The call starts at 12:00 CST. If you would like to join me for the call, just sign up here and you will be registered – I will send you the number for the live call. I also record the call, so I need you to register so I can send you the interesting and timely results of the call.
This month the topics of the call are:
- Managing activities to create stress free accountability
- Top 5 speaking best practices for any time you present: staff meetings; large audiences; informal groups; to your boss; helps brand you as confident and competent ALWAYS
Good luck with managing activities and your behavior around them.
To your success,
P.S. Monthly call. You need to register so we can send you the call number and/or send you the recording in case you miss it.
P.P.S. Want immediate help with your confident communication…every time! My CONFIDENT series is just for you starting with “Confident Business Communication Etiquette“. It contains all the tips, techniques and strategies you need right now to communicate easily and effectively, faster than you ever thought possible. Click here.