Effective Time Management
for Smart People

This week, I want to discuss the eternally clichéd term ‘effective time management’; what it is or means to us. Managing our time effectively and to the utmost, affects all of us both consciously (we need to be aware of how to make the most of it) as well as in a very unconscious manner which means we’re unaware of the ineffectiveness of our efforts leaving us feeling frustrated, angry, concerned or anxious without knowing the reason why.

We have become confused about what effective time management really takes and means and we believe that if we are busy or kept busy all day long that we have achieved much and we deserve to be remunerated and rewarded for all that effort.

Sadly our enormous input does not equal the output and it hardly ever achieves the desired results.

Effective Time Management requires planning, effort, action and follow-ups in order for us to become more productive, effective and efficient.

PART 1: PLANNING. It’s all in the planning…

Here are some pointers to be aware of when you plan your week or at the very least, plan your next day.

Begin by planning everything you need to eat, do and complete in a specific space or time frame in order for your day to proceed ahead seamlessly.

Why? If you plan ahead, you will have spare time on your hands to take a break, do something you enjoy or catch up on something incomplete or make contingencies for unplanned emergencies.

How to plan:

1. Make a list of what’s important.
2. Make a list of what’s urgent.
3. Ensure that each task on your list has a start and a complete date.
4. Plan exactly when and how much you are going to complete each of these tasks in your day.
5. Deal with the ‘important’ list first. Important things often imply that you are directly involved and that this task is important to you. Conversely, urgent tasks are often about other people, i.e. what you have to do/complete for others.
6. Make a list of what you need ahead of time in order to complete your task/s in the same way that you would acquire all the ingredients ahead of time to bake a cake or cook a specific dish.
7. Block time out in your schedule to complete your tasks, e.g. read emails between 9-11am and then again between 4-6pm ONLY since they can be a productivity killer OR study between 7-9pm and read between 4-5pm, etc. If you do this, you will eradicate the need to check emails during your studying time or to take calls whilst you are reading important emails. People will also know that you are able to take calls during a certain time of the day or that they can expect to hear back from you after a certain time. Try it, it works.
8. Plan to do your writing/thinking/strategic work early in the morning. Your brain is fresh and rested early in the morning and the early bird really does catch the worm. If you cannot manage this, then perhaps schedule your meetings at the office for later in the day, which will free you up before you get you off to a manic start.

Now that your planning is complete, what is next for you to do in order to manage your time more effectively?

An essential part of planning means having to say ‘no’ to certain requests or demands.

Say ‘no’, you ask? But how rude!

Learn How to Say ‘NO’!

How do we say “no” and learn to be productive, effectively manage our time in order to do the things we enjoy most? Isn’t that the end-goal anyway? We supposedly are on the treadmills of madness to make money, climb the all-important ladder so that we can make more and have enough to retire on the beach or frolic in the sun with our loved ones, right? An eternal treadmill of madness…

When I ask every one of my clients what they want most from their lives, it’s ALWAYS the same: to be happy and to have enough to do the things they love and to enjoy those things with their loved ones.

No one has ever told me that they require more time to be a slave to their electronic equipment so that they can be available or interrupted all day long by strangers, customers or business colleagues.

No, they all want ‘just enough’ to travel more, spend more time with their children, relax more, enjoy their hobbies and to GET AWAY FROM IT ALL! How ironic that we are caught up in the technology progress paradox, which is meant to make our lives easier and free us to have more time for the things, we enjoy. Instead we spend more time trying to figure out the technology and continue to be a slave to its never-ending demands.

Unfortunately, learning how to say ‘no’ for most people is a big ask and they struggle with the concept. But think about this: the person that is asking, does not know if you will say ‘yes, no or maybe’. If they have an expectation or an agenda, that remains theirs to deal with and not yours.

Have you ever received a phone call during dinnertime from a sales person who is only doing their job as best they can? And were you annoyed at the inopportune moment of the call? Were you angry because they simply rambled and babbled on without asking your permission first? And did that result in you being rude or short or even putting the phone down? Yes?

How to Say ‘NO’ To Others Without Feeling Awkward or Being Rude:

What if the caller was trained to do the following?

“Good evening, I’m Mr X calling from Company X.

How are you this evening?

Is it convenient to speak right now because what I have to sell/ask you will take approximately 10 minutes?

No
 I understand. Then when would be a good or convenient time to call you to discuss this matter?

Great, I have diarised that day and time and will call you then.

Have a great evening and goodbye.”

OR:

“Good morning, I’m Ms X from Company X.

How are you today?

I have the following to say/sell you which will take approximately 10 minutes.

Is this something that would be of interest for you?

Yes? Great, so do you have time to have this discussion now?

Yes? Great so let’s proceed. “

OR:

“No, you don’t have the time? So when would it suit you to have this discussion?

Great, I shall call you then.”

OR:

“No, this would not be of interest to you?

I understand and thank you for your time and goodbye.”

Learning how to say ‘no’ is a skill and does not mean that one has to be rude or short. It simply takes a logical and sequential process whereby both parties feel heard and validated at the time and know that they will not be intruded upon without permission or interrupted when making a point. The same applies to email, news, text messages or any other messenger services like Skype, MSN, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you have not subscribed to information you receive in your inbox or by any other form of communication, then ask to be unsubscribed or removed from a list, address or group. If you do not wished to be disturbed during certain times of productivity, request that people respect your privacy.

Simple, isn’t it?

Now that you have learnt how to say ‘No’, go ahead, plan your day and adhere to schedule and let me know the outcome of your productivity levels.

Next week, in part two of Effective Time Management for Smart People, we will address the tricky part of mastering your mind and becoming aware of your internal drivers in order to be even more effective at managing your precious time.

Tagged as: adhd, david allen, getting things done, gtd, productivity, time management