We may have gained an hour when we changed our clocks in October, but the extra gift of time wasn't nearly enough for those of us who complain that there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. Work demands, family life and social commitments all share space on our calendars.
People are continuously looking for ways to save time and accomplish more, says Rosemarie Strawn, president of Positive Actions in Piscataway, N.J. I recently spoke to her about her company's motivational speaking and training to help organizations achieve their goals.
Strawn shared these practical techniques for better managing your time:
*Create your personal mission statement to include all aspects of your life - spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social.
*Create goals and a to-do list to support your mission statement for daily, weekly, monthly, yearly activities. For example, if one of your goals is physical wellness, your to-do list may include getting at least 30 minutes of exercise at least four times a week.
*Prioritize your to-do list based on due dates, relative importance and dependencies on other tasks.
*Politely say " no " to others when their requests conflict with your mission statement.
* Track activities with time durations to get a clear view of how your time is being spent. For example, if Strawn's to-do-list spans two pages, she reprioritizes those tasks to result in a more realistic amount of work to accomplish in one day.
For more information about Positive Actions, go to www.positiveactions.com
RELATED LINKS
Making time
How to manage your schedule and maximize productivity
Amy Schurr is an editor for Network World's Management Strategies and Features sections. If you have any career topics you'd like her to cover or want to comment on this newsletter, you can reach her at aschurr@nww.com.
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