Get ahead with time management part ii

Important things are milestones that have significant meaning. Important milestones may have an impact on business decisions, results or future activities. You know which items are urgent to complete and which ones are important to you, but do you allocate your time accordingly? Review your list of 'Things to do Tomorrow' and annotate the items that are urgent or important. If something has an urgent deadline then write down the date and time that it must be completed next to the item on the list. If something is important then give it a rating. Some people use a rating scale of 1, 2 or 3. Some people prefer to use an asterisk or a star to identify an important task, adding more stars as the significance increases. The list and the rating belong to you, so mark it in the manner that has meaning to you. Keep It in View One common mistake of making a priority list is putting it out of the way once it is done. Some people will take the time to make a list and then close up the notebook or fold up the piece of paper and put it out of the way. Out of sight is out of mind. Once you have started this process, you should have two lists at your fingertips every day. One is your list of things to do today, and the other is your list of things to do tomorrow. The most effective way to manage your lists is to keep them in a notebook or daily calendar and place it prominently on your desktop. The list contains the items that are urgent and important to you, so it should be in plain sight as a constant reminder and for easy reference. Celebrate Accomplishment How do you celebrate accomplishment? Check off each one of the milestone tasks as you get them done. Do you feel the sense of satisfaction? How can you reward yourself for keeping commitments that you have made on your list? Some people celebrate by taking a short walk from the desk to get some fresh air. Some people celebrate with a cup of coffee or a snack from the vending machine. Some important accomplishments deserve to be rewarded by a nice lunch or fancy dinner. Treat yourself with something special when you complete a commitment that you have made to yourself. Go on, don't be shy, you are worth it. Another Way of Looking at It Another way of looking at it is a style that combines the list of things to do today with the list of things to do tomorrow into one list for easy reference. TODAY To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ TOMORROW To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ To Do _________________ Urgent? ______ Important? ______ Give this a try for a week or two. When someone introduces the "issue de jour" because the sky is falling, and you are asked to jump though flaming hoops in three directions at once, then pause to reflect on your structured schedule of urgent and important milestones for today and tomorrow. How does the new issue of the day compare to the previously scheduled commitments? There is no need to panic. Simply prioritize your list of urgent and important activities, discuss your availability and schedule with those other individuals who may contribute or be affected by it. ____________________________ Words of Wisdom "A schedule defends from chaos and whim." - Annie Dillard "One of the simple but genuine pleasures in life is getting up in the morning and hurrying to a mousetrap you set the night before." - Kin Hubbard "'Good Faith' implies mutual trust and commitment. Without mutual commitment, 'Good Faith' is really nothing more than 'Blind Faith'. Wander around blindly long enough and eventually you will step in something." - John Mehrmann "There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full." - Henry Kissinger