TAME YOUR TIME BANDITS

I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument, while the song I came to sing remains unsung. ~Tagore

By now you’ve probably realized that several of your everyday activities have become time-wasters. It’s not that the activities don’t have value, it’s that we often allow them to dictate when we do them, or how often we do them, instead of the other way around.

Handling incoming calls and drop-in visitors – in the office and at home, reading e-mails, and procrastinating are four of the most notable bandits. But time management experts offer several proven techniques that can put us back in charge of our time.

For each of the four time bandits, I've summarized a few tips below, and supplied a picture link to related articles.

HANDLING CALLS
If you can handle the caller's request immediately, do it. If your answer requires something more, tell the caller when you will be able to return the call. You determine when you have time to find the answer, and when to make the call back. Also, recapping the conversation confirms understanding, and signals that the call is concluded.

HANDLING VISITORS
Stand when they enter the room, so that they also remain standing.
Set time limits up front. If needed, suggest a later meeting, at your convenience, preferably in their office.

EMAILS
Don't be a slave to the computer! Turning off the audible notification will reduce your urge to read each one as is comes in. Instead, plan to check and answer emails two or three times a day, maybe when you arrive, after lunch, and a few minutes before you plan to leave the office.

PROCRASTINATION
Break large projects into manageable steps. Decide to work for only a set amount of time. Once you get started, you'll gain momentum. Reward yourself.

A quick Internet search yields an abundance of time management tips. You'll notice several techniques are repeated often. That's because they work! Spend a little time analyzing what you're currently doing, and comparing it to what you should be doing - according to your prioritized plan.

By changing just a few habits, you can reap many rewards!