Time Management – Part 1
As an
engineer, I started with projects. I had one thing to do and I worked until it
was done. As time went on, I got more projects, so I would prepare a To Do
list. Check off the list each day and I was done. Further along, I had
appointments as well as projects so I started using a day book with my schedule
and a list of things to do which I checked off each day.
I bought
the original Palm Pilot, then carried on through a series of electronic
organizers which synchronized with my computer. All of these were efforts to
manage my time. As I continued into management roles, I found that I was no
longer able to get all my work done each day. This is when I started to get
interested in time management.
I enjoy
reading so my first move was to start reading books on Time Management –
Getting Things Done, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Effective
Executive, etc. In a lot of ways, these books all say the same thing, just in
different ways. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Start by
not trying to remember everything – come up with a system to get all your tasks
out of your head and on paper or in your computer. If you try to remember
everything, your mind will be in a constant state of chaos. You’ll remember
that you want to buy batteries when you go to turn on a flashlight when the
power goes out and it does not come on! You want to remember to buy batteries
when you’re in a store!
David
Allen’s metaphor in Getting Things Done is “mind like water” which is a martial
arts term. Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water
respond? The answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass of the
input; then it returns to calm. It doesn’t overreact or under react.
It is the
idea of a mind that is highly focused in the here and now, yet flexible enough
to deal with the bigger strategic picture, reflect on the higher issues that we
consider truly meaningful, and therefore keep our actions consistent with core
values and crucial goals.
In
practical terms, you empty your mind of everything, then process each item. If
you have long term goals and objectives, you prioritize your tasks to help you
reach these goals and objectives. If not, you try to prioritize by impact –
which task will have the greatest impact, which is busywork – the 80/20 rule.
Your
ability to be effective is directly proportional to your ability to
concentrate.
Everyone
applies GTD differently – Younger people are looking for tips and tricks. As
you get older, you want less stress while doing more
Once you
have a system, your mind will let it go and save your mind for what it does
best.
