Mastering Your Time

Jagannathan SJune 2013

Before we start…This session is not meant to be a comprehensive alternate to the ubiquitous trainings / resources on time managementI strongly urge you to spend some time seeing this YouTube video from Tony Schwartz – “Manage your energy, not your time”Seriously commit to applying some of these practices in your daily life – Else this session and these resources will not improve your lifeMany of the techniques mentioned in this session can be easily converted to habitsThis session applies equally to professional and personal life

Energy Quadrant

© 2010 The Energy Project. All rights reserved.

This is where we desire to be

Desired Behaviors Periodically analyze how you spend your time – AWARENESS PRECEDES CHANGE!!!

Become ORGANIZED – This is the most important habit to master your time!

Quick test: Can you locate something you want within 30 mins?

Desired Behaviors Strive to become PROACTIVE – don’t Procrastinate

Learn to politely say “NO”

Desired Behaviors

DIFFERENTIATE Tasks

URGENT IMPORTANT

V/S

What works for me ?“URGENCY MATRIX©” to organize and prioritize tasks

© Stephen Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

PROACTIVE ZONE

What works for me ?

Build a single view of all your tasks – PROFESSIONAL & PERSONAL

and

Place them on the “Urgency Matrix”

What works for me ?

Consciously filter your tasks through the “Urgency Matrix” till it becomes a sub-conscious HABIT!

My observation: Doing anything repeatedly for about a month

makes it into a habit!

What works for me ?LIMIT the # of tasks in the “Proactive” Zone

There are only 24 hours in any person’s day!

If something extra comes IN, something else needs to go OUT

What works for me ?

Learn to say along with the reasons

Unscheduled

tasks

Interruptions

New

Com

mitm

ents

NO

What works for me ?

Define WEEKLY / MONTHLY GOALS

and

SCHEDULE it – What gets scheduled gets done!

What works for me ?E-Mail Clearing Techniques

Check e-mails only on a schedule

Organize e-mails – Important / Urgent

Sort e-mails by subject line and read from the top of the thread

I have a notion of a “clean” Inbox at the end of each day

What works for me ?Speed Reading

Use technology / tools as aids to keep you in the “Proactive” Zone

What works for me ?Avoid disruptions when focusing on IMPORTANT tasks

DELEGATE and create bandwidth when needed

What works for me ?Review your calendar at least once every 6 months

Create your own “personal time” for self-development and investing on hobbies/passion – Sharpen your saw

What works for me ?IDENTIFY & ELIMINATE Time Wasters

InterruptionsGossip / Frequent socializingPoor planningStress and anxietyFrequent task switchingUnscheduled visitors/phone callsUn-wanted meetingsInternet browsing with no objective…

Urgency Matrix - Actions

Image © http://www.ashpfoundation.org

Multi-TaskingNot necessarily an innate skill

Tools can help us stay on top of multiple things

Helps use “wait time” productivelyVery harmful when tasks need focusMight avoid boredom at workMight be sometimes a “necessary evil”

HoweverNot all jobs need this skillFrequent task-switching is counter-productive

Important Don’ts Over-schedule your day – you become

inflexible and stressed Attempt to do too much Frequently switch between tasks

Always attempt to be a perfectionist – be kind on yourself

THANK YOU