As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come to recognize that unless there is a focused effort to keep vigilance over priority busters, our best time management efforts will go unrealized. Our day-to-day lives demand more to resolving this than just practicing better time management principles.
The cost of a minute
Jim Miller of U.S. West tells us we experience eight interruptions an hour. American Demographics magazine says us we receive 23 paper and electronic messages an hour-each one its own type of interruption. Regardless of the type or number, remember that every time someone stands at the door and asks if you've 'got a minute?' they invite you to climb out of your priority and into theirs. Politely moving them to an alternative time enables you to remain focused on your priorities.
'Yes' is an acceptable word
Learning to say no and meaning it is difficult. Let's face it?no can sound like 'yes' and no and sound like 'maybe'. Saying it to supervisors or customers comes with its own cautionary reminder. But identifying and being committed to your priorities is what keeps us focused on when and if we should be saying 'yes'.
Fight against procrastination
A difficult habit to break. When delaying decisions is how we handle matters, we permeate our time management practices with ineffective and frustrating scenarios. Not only for ourselves, but for others as well. Making decisions to move things forward is the only way to fight procrastination. One mindful step at a time.
Today's business climate creates pressure to produce more work?with fewer people?sooner?for less money. It demands more of us. But there's major productivity gains to be realized by proactively handling interruptions, keeping commitments tethered to priorities and actively making decisions. That is when we will realize productivity gains and less stress as individuals and as an organization.
There are only 24 hours a day. It's how you use them that determines your level of satisfaction with work and life.
Copyright 2001 Cynthia Kyriazis. All rights reserved.
Cynthia Kyriazis is a Professional Organizer, trainer, consultant, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. She is President of Organize it, Inc., an organizational consulting firm serving Fortune 500 clients since 1995. Cynthia has worked with over 150 companies and hundreds of professionals to help improve performance in the areas of time, information, space and electronic file management.
Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of International Society for Performance Improvement ? Kansas City chapter (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.
Mercedes Benz s500 rentals Salem ..What are the most important things you should accomplish today?... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
One of the most common complaints that small business owners... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for... Read More
At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More
I give presentations on organizational skill building as it relates... Read More
Time management is absolute crucial nowadays where business decisions have... Read More
Would you describe yourself as extremely busy? Do you often... Read More
Still awaiting the birth of my baby (I am overdue),... Read More
Any habit of mind or body that interferes with taking... Read More
How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More
Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More
Fitting an education into a busy lifestyleMany people have aspirations... Read More
There are times, when I am driving in my car... Read More
"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it." -Malcolm... Read More
Do you have plenty to do, but don't have enough... Read More
This is one more article on "Organizing and Enjoying Your... Read More
A simple kitchen gadget is transforming my life. I don't... Read More
How do you manage your time? Or is the more... Read More
We don't realize many things we do until we draw... Read More
To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
As a small business owner, does the following paragraph sound... Read More
Hey - Did someone press the FFW button?Have you ever... Read More
Dowagiac cheap limo service ..Having a home based business can be overwhelming. When you... Read More
Are you too busy to put yourself first? If a... Read More
Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
There are times, when I am driving in my car... Read More
Many folks tell me that they just don't have time... Read More
When a good friend asked me to contribute a little... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
Would you like to know how to get 10 times... Read More
One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools... Read More
As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More
Are you obsessed with getting everything just right? Do you... Read More
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More
According to a Miller Heiman 2003 Sales Effectiveness Study, over... Read More
How you spend the first sixty minutes of your day... Read More
Many of the clients I work with in success coaching... Read More
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More
If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More
Once you have completed your day you can boost your... Read More
One of the biggest problems most people have when it... Read More
Nowhere is the line drawn more clearly between 'Industrial brains'... Read More
A working manager needs more than time management.That old saying,... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More
Time Management |