How Do You Manage Time Effectively?

by Sara Branner, Colloquium Advisory Board Member

Often my family, friends and colleagues will comment on my busy lifestyle and “how do you get it all done?”  I think about my time management frequently and how it impacts my work production, effectiveness and overall quality of life.  I don’t like when I hear others say, “I didn’t have enough time.”

I’ve definitely worked hard (an am still working) to change some habits that lead to unproductive time.  These include procrastinating, becoming engaged in unproductive meetings, working on too many projects at one time, spending time on tasks not aligned with goals and doing jobs someone else should be doing.

Everyone has the same amount of time.  When we utilize our time efficiently we enhance the quality of our life (and often others around us) – most importantly by minimizing our wasted time.  I believe that your success in life will be determined substantially by how you utilize the time you receive every day.

Planning (time management) is a basic skill from which to develop more advance practices in management and leadership.  Some things to consider…

• Know where you want to go in the next 3-5 years. Write your goals down, be specific and make them measurable.
• Break your goals down into smaller stages and focus on achievable tasks that can be done in shorter time frames (i.e. daily, weekly, monthly).
• Use a “to-do” list to help plan when/where and prioritize your tasks. It is a good direction tool to help guide you.

I like Peter Drucker’s quote, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”