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Time Management Tools - Prioritize, Organize, and Synchronize Your Day (part 3 of 3)
Manage your Day
Now you are tracking your time and you have your lists of priorities the final step is to take control of your day instead of letting it control you.
Take a break from responding to messages: One of the biggest pitfalls is constantly checking voice mail and email. We don’t realize it, but next time you “quickly” check your email, time yourself using one of the time tracking services noted above. You may be surprised how a few clicks can turn into ten minutes. This might not sound like a lot of time, but if you check your email ten times during the day, that’s nearly two hours! Instead, try setting aside a small block of time in the morning and one in the afternoon to check and return messages and utilize your email autoresponder to send automatic replies and manage expectations of those who communicate with you via email.
Change your meeting habits: Although well-managed meetings can be very productive, many meetings can be time wasters. It takes time to gather relevant items, get to the meeting space, wait for the late-comers, and exchange pleasantries, not to mention the time it takes in advance to schedule and plan the meeting and exchange emails to find a time that works for everyone involved. Try a productivity tool like MeetingWizard to arrange and schedule your meetings, making the planning process easier and more efficient.
Write it Down: As business people we are constantly busy and our minds are usually in overdrive. Some of our most clever ideas come at the most inopportune times – when travelling on the subway, rushing to a meeting, or while driving. Utilize Evernote to capture your thoughts, organize, and retrieve them later. Using your computer or phone, Evernote is always there so you can put your thoughts, things you see, things you want, and things you need into one place. This tool can save you time and save your sanity – no more scrambling to remember that inspiration you had but didn’t have a chance to write down. You can even record voice memos!
Simplify your password management: Keeping track of your passwords should be a simple task. However with all the tasks we can now perform online requiring user names and passwords, and with security risks at an all-time high, the number of passwords we need is often times more than our brains can handle. Lastpass, a secure online password manager, automatically fills in saved log-ins and forms with the click of a button. You will never again have to click on the “forgot password” button and wait for the confirmation email!
Tomorrow morning when you’re sitting at your desk with that first cup of coffee in hand, think about the 80:20 rule… 80% of your efforts will generate 20% of your results and 20% of your activities will produce the remaining 80% of your results! Then, start utilizing these time management tools and tips to help better manage your time and get more productive time out of your day.
Take a break from responding to messages: One of the biggest pitfalls is constantly checking voice mail and email. We don’t realize it, but next time you “quickly” check your email, time yourself using one of the time tracking services noted above. You may be surprised how a few clicks can turn into ten minutes. This might not sound like a lot of time, but if you check your email ten times during the day, that’s nearly two hours! Instead, try setting aside a small block of time in the morning and one in the afternoon to check and return messages and utilize your email autoresponder to send automatic replies and manage expectations of those who communicate with you via email.
Change your meeting habits: Although well-managed meetings can be very productive, many meetings can be time wasters. It takes time to gather relevant items, get to the meeting space, wait for the late-comers, and exchange pleasantries, not to mention the time it takes in advance to schedule and plan the meeting and exchange emails to find a time that works for everyone involved. Try a productivity tool like MeetingWizard to arrange and schedule your meetings, making the planning process easier and more efficient.
Write it Down: As business people we are constantly busy and our minds are usually in overdrive. Some of our most clever ideas come at the most inopportune times – when travelling on the subway, rushing to a meeting, or while driving. Utilize Evernote to capture your thoughts, organize, and retrieve them later. Using your computer or phone, Evernote is always there so you can put your thoughts, things you see, things you want, and things you need into one place. This tool can save you time and save your sanity – no more scrambling to remember that inspiration you had but didn’t have a chance to write down. You can even record voice memos!
Simplify your password management: Keeping track of your passwords should be a simple task. However with all the tasks we can now perform online requiring user names and passwords, and with security risks at an all-time high, the number of passwords we need is often times more than our brains can handle. Lastpass, a secure online password manager, automatically fills in saved log-ins and forms with the click of a button. You will never again have to click on the “forgot password” button and wait for the confirmation email!
Tomorrow morning when you’re sitting at your desk with that first cup of coffee in hand, think about the 80:20 rule… 80% of your efforts will generate 20% of your results and 20% of your activities will produce the remaining 80% of your results! Then, start utilizing these time management tools and tips to help better manage your time and get more productive time out of your day.
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