Put your goals in writing. Time is life. Don't leave it to chance. Determine where you would like to be in 10 years or 5 years and put those goals in writing. Then schedule time to work in that direction. Where you will be in 10 years or 5 years is determined by what you are doing today, tomorrow and next week.
Organize your work area. An organized desk is not the sign of a sick mind; it is the sign of an organized mind. People do better on exams when neatly dressed, excel in sales when well prepared, and are more productive at work when their materials are arranged in an orderly way. Keep your in-basket off your desk to minimize interruptions and distractions. If possible, have your desk face the wall.
Plan your day. If you have no objectives for the day you will likely have a matching set of results. Plans are the handrails that guide you through the day's distractions and keep you on course. Plan what you will do at the start, evaluate progress during the day, and measure results at the finish.
Schedule your tasks. Listing jobs on a "to do" list shows your intention to work on them; but scheduling important tasks in your planner reveals a commitment to get them done. Make appointments with yourself at specific times to work on your priority tasks. And try to keep those appointments.
Handle paper only once. When possible, that is. Don't even look at your mail until you have 30 to 60 minutes available to review and dispense with it. As you pick up each piece of paper, scrap it, delegate it, do it, file it, or schedule a time to do it later. The same thing applies to e-mail.
Don't procrastinate. Procrastination is putting off until later what is best done now. If it's too large a task to complete at one sitting, break it into chunks and do a little at a time. If it's distasteful, do it now and get it over with. Putting things off wastes time, causes stress and helps make life unpleasant for yourself and others.
Write it down. Writing things down does not mean you are circumventing your memory; you are simply helping it to do its job. We all need reminders to prevent a myriad of essential tasks from dying of neglect. The pen is mightier than the sword, and it writes better. The only thing mightier is the keyboard.
Say "No' more often. Some people say, "Yes" to others simply because they're available or don't want to offend. Make sure the request is compatible with your goals before you agree. Have as much respect for your time as you have for other peoples' time. Remember, every time you say "yes" to something, you are saying "no" to something else that could be done instead.
Delegate more. This is the greatest time-saver of all, because it frees up time for more important tasks. If you have no one to delegate to, ask your suppliers to help. Or delegate to a computer. It can retrieve information for you, fax, dial the telephone, or send e-mail. Be on the lookout for time saving equipment and supplies that will help free up your time. Don't delegate or outsource anything that can be eliminated.
Practice the Pareto Principle. This 80-20 rule suggests that 80 percent of your results are achieved by 20 percent of the things you do. Focus on the priorities, and if some things don't get done, let it be those less important tasks.
