The entire population of the world gets a gift every morning for sure. The gift we are all getting is 1440 minutes. Our success or failure depends on how we utilize this gift or resource every day. To effectively utilize these 1440 minutes, we should become time management experts.
What is effective time management? That is nothing but completing
all our tasks within the time frame effortlessly without anxiety or stress. Effective
time management will ensure both personal and professional success without
anxiety and stress.
How to achieve effective time management? Approach all your
tasks with two dimensions attached to them. The two dimensions are ‘importance’
and ‘urgency’. The tasks can be classified in four quadrants by using these two
dimensions as shown below.
Every quadrant has its own qualities. Let us consider them
one by one.
Quadrant I. This quadrant represents a crisis or a
fire fighting situation since the tasks to be completed are very important and
very urgent in nature. By virtue of their profession, some people are compelled
to work in this quadrant. Examples are doctors, police, media people, army, and
essential services staff. Working in this quadrant leads to anxiety and stress
because of deadlines. While working in this quadrant, chances of making
mistakes are high.
Quadrant II. This quadrant represents a high productivity
since the tasks are very important, but not urgent. This means that the tasks
can be well planned and executed before they become very urgent. This increases
the accuracy of the tasks getting completed. Ensures that there is no stress or
anxiety. It also provides opportunities to consider various alternatives and
choose the best. Provides a sense of achievement. Examples include paying
electricity bills, booking a ticket for travel, and organizing a meeting.
Quadrant III. This quadrant represents an un-avoidable
situation. The tasks are not important but urgent. The tasks that are not in
our direct control fall in this quadrant. An example is a call from boss in the
middle of an important meeting. We cannot avoid his call. The impact of the
call on the current task may be anything between light and severe. Another classic
example is traffic jam. That will delay your arrival in your destination and
that will have a cascading effect.
Quadrant IV. This quadrant represents waste. The tasks
in this quadrant are neither important nor urgent. Examples include watching an
unimportant TV show, aimless browsing in internet, and conversing with some one
for just time pass.
Having understood the four quadrants let us find out the
strategies for each quadrant for effectively managing time. Refer the figure
below.
Many people keep themselves very busy throughout the day
without realizing that they are working in quadrant I. To achieve effective
time management, we need to work in quadrant II most of the time if not always.
·
To start with, start observing and analyzing your
activities to find out your time wasters. In a small pocket book, you can note
down all the tasks that you perform adding quadrant numbers to them. In two- or
three-days time, you will be able to identify your time wasters.
·
Avoid those time-wasting activities so that you
will gain time to carry out useful tasks. This will enhance the quadrant II.
·
The result will be as below.
·
After eliminating sufficient wasteful
activities, start attacking the unavoidable activities.
·
Though you cannot eliminate these activities
totally, you can definitely reduce the duration. For example, you can ask the
other person to send an email instead of phone calls. This will allow you to
answer at your will and time.
·
This will further enhance the quadrant II
simultaneously reducing the first quadrant.
- Always classify the jobs with respect to
their quadrants
- Identify and use the “peak time” of your
body for accomplishing major priority jobs
- Create templates for documents you
regularly use (letters, reports, spread sheets, etc). Modify them as per
requirements
- Create a list of frequently called phone
numbers and keep it handy
- Create a list of jobs which you can
complete in five minutes or less (like drafting a letter, making a call,
clearing your table, etc). Whenever you have time to spare, take up those
jobs
- Set a specific time in a day to carry out
your routine jobs and not allow others to disturb you during this period
- Even if you possess multitasking skills,
always focus on one job only. Do not oscillate between jobs
- If you feel hardship or restless while
performing a job, take short breaks in between. These breaks will refresh
you
- Learn to identify interruptions and to put
end to them
- Let other people know that you value your
time
- At the end of everyday, prepare a ‘to do
list’ for the next day. Include the unfinished jobs of the current day to
the list
- Reply your emails promptly; otherwise,
there is a danger of forgetting
- Keep all the calls short; go straight to
the point and conclude promptly
After implementation of all the above suggestions, your result will be something like below.
