A Coach friend of mine gave me an interesting perspective on time management.
Are you carrying a HUGE backlog on your TO DO list?
Are you WAY behind in your filing?
Feeling overwhelmed?
Are you procrastinating as a result, and creating an even greater backlog?
Do you feel you never have enough time to achieve what you need to achieve?
This may well boil down to how we organise our “available” time mentally. Let me explain…
The more important the task, the more time we think we need, and the more we procrastinate because… Well, it is just overwhelming! Obviously, the solution lies in chunking big tasks into smaller ones.
The FIRST thing is to be clear about what has to be accomplished, THEN allocate time needed to accomplish it (and this is where my coach friend’s advice comes really handy!)
1. Do a list of what has to be done: task (clear up my in-tray, organise my next trip, write up an article, prepare for a presentation etc…)
2. Divide each task into steps asking yourself: what is the first thing I need to do (this becomes your first sub-task)? What is the last thing I need to do to know that the task is accomplished? and each step in between.
3. Allocate time to each step.
Now, a thought on time allocation.
Do you know how Heads of States schedule their time?
In blocks of … minutes!
Have you seen the movie Charlie Wilson’s War?
There is a scene where Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson’s is conducting a meeting with CIA agent Gust Avrakotos while at the same time, attending to a series of emergency meetings with his staff. 3 minutes here, 1 minute there. 3 minutes for a personal phone call, 6 minutes to discuss about the main lines of a speech to come,
12 minutes for a meeting with a lobbyist while at the same time, changing tie and getting made up to appear on TV etc…
Often, overwhelm is ONLY the result of inadequate chunking.
3.a Look at your steps/sub-tasks, and put a figure in front of each of them and ask:
how many MINUTES (not hours) do I GIVE MYSELF to achieve this? (It is important to do this process in writing, you’ll have something tangible to rely upon when something else gets in the way).
3.b Now look at your day; how many small chunks of time will you have available, what I call the “in-between” chunks of time? Probably MANY! Going down a lift, taking a taxi, driving to work, waiting for a friend, making up (sorry guys), even waiting for the kettle to boil!
4. Then, fit the task/minutes into your daily routine for the day.
The backlog will clear up quickly, and chances are, if you keep thinking in 1-minute-blocks, never return!