Tag Archives: Time Management

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Where did my time go?

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How often do you find yourself asking this question?  It can be difficult to determine where your time goes, but if you can figure out the answers to that question, you will make big strides in your time management.  For example,

  • If you know that you are spending 3 hours on Facebook, you can save some time by shortening the time!
  • When you see that you are super productive between 10am and noon, you can schedule your most challenging times during that time.

Below are a few ideas that you can use to figure out where your time goes.

Weekly Snapshot

Use a Weekly Planning Snapshot to keep track of your time in one-hour increments over the next week.  At the beginning of each hour, write (or type) how you spent your last hour.  Make it short; write for 30 seconds or less.  At the end of each day, look at how you spent your time.  Where did you spend your time?  What were your productive times?

Estimate Your Time

When you are planning your day, estimate the amount of time each task will take you to complete.  Add up the time you estimate.  Does the total equal more than the amount of time you have to work today?  If it does, you need to take some things off the list.

At the end of the day, compare your estimates to the amount of time your tasks actually took you to complete.  How close were you?  How can you adjust your estimates to be more accurate?

Notice

Yes, this sounds too simple to be helpful, but it can work.  Spend the next week consciously noticing where you are spending your time.  Tell your inner critic to be quiet and let you just pay attention to time.  At the end of each day write down or record what you noticed during the day.  Noticing where your time goes will give you new insight into time wasters and time savers that work for you.

Which one of these strategies will you try this week?

 

 

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Getting Things Done – On Time!

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There is a well-known axiom in business that “failure to plan is planning to fail.” Well-known, and, all too often, honored in the breach. It is planning, in its many guises, that ultimately has the greatest impact on whether you finish a task or project on time.  When you have ADHD, planning can be especially challenging.

But for many of the tasks thrown our way at work, especially when you have ADHD, planning seems to be an unthinkable luxury. Assaulted by emails, barraged by phone calls, sliced and diced by meetings and interruptions, the idea of planning a day, let alone a longer-term project, is almost laughable. And if someone else isn’t imposing unrealistic deadlines on us, impulsivity can cause you to commit to them yourself, agreeing to be somewhere or accomplish something in impossible time frames.

You can take positive steps to help increase the odds of getting your projects done on time.

Protect your calendar

Your calendar isn’t your to-do list. Loading up your planner with the 19 things you want to accomplish each day just creates frustration, not productivity. Instead, separate the functions of your calendar and your to-do list, and use the calendar only for events that are time-specific.

“But the Nibblers ate my day”

Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check E-Mail in the Morning, calls them the “nibblers”—interruptions, procrastination, perfectionism and meetings—because they will definitely consume your workday. Meetings and interruptions can be managed with a variety of tactics, starting with controlling your email habit, as the title of her book suggests. Procrastination and perfectionism are best fought, she says, with the ultimate weapon for expanding your day, planning.

Always identify the next action

Trying to finish tasks on time can often fall victim to the “urgency vs. importance” dichotomy that stresses working on the important over the merely urgent. But in addition, to finish a project, every step is critical, even the “unimportant” ones. If you are building a boat, caulking the hull so it doesn’t leak may seem more important than buying the anchor. But both tasks have to be done if you are going to put to sea.

According to productivity guru David Allen, what’s really critical is to determine the next action, the next physical thing you have to do to move your project forward. “Finish Phase II” isn’t an action. “Email Bill in accounting to release the funds for Phase II” is an action. By always keeping track of the next task for each of your open projects, you can always be productive without wasting time figuring out what to do next, which will help keep your project on track.

What are your favorite strategies for getting things done on time?

 

 

 

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

 

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Practical ADHD Strategies – Time Management @ Home

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Do you struggle with time management at home?  Are you rushing to get out of the house at the last minute?  Listen in to my Blog Talk Radio show as I share practical tips to help adults with ADHD manage their time at home.  The show is 15 minutes – a small investment of time to manage the rest of it better!

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Listen to internet radio with Laura Rolands on Blog Talk Radio

ADHD causes challenges with time management and Laura has some great strategies that you can start implementing as soon as the show ends.

Need some additional assistance with your Time Management?  Consider joining me and ADD Classes for the Adult ADD Time Management Intensive in January 2011.

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Time Management Struggles with ADD / ADHD

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Recently, Tara McGillicudy and I spent time talking about the time management struggles that adults with ADD / ADHD face on a regular basis.  We talked about how ADD and ADHD affect time management personally and professionally.  Listen below to gain valuable insight…

Listen to internet radio with ADHD Support Talk on Blog Talk Radio

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Choosing the Right Planner

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Choosing the Right Planner

Choosing the right planner for you and your lifestyle is very important, especially if you are busy, overwhelmed by your To Do List and/or have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD).  This is true no matter what profession you hold and no matter what your age.  By third grade, even elementary school students need some type of planner or way to keep track of assignments.

ADHD creates significant for people when it comes to using a planner and therefore managing their time.

Your list might be too overwhelming, you might forget to look at your planner or perhaps there are other reasons.  I am frequently asked to recommend the best planner for someone with ADHD.  The bad news is that there is not one best planner.  The good news is that I can still help you select the best planner, especially if you have ADHD.

Prioritize

If you have determined that you need a better system of planning (or just need to start one!), I first recommend that you prioritize what planner characteristics are important to you.  The checklist at the end of this article will help you focus on your priorities and provide you with a template of what needs to exist with your next planner.

To use the checklist, place a check mark next to each characteristic you would like to have in a planner and indicate an A, B or C priority next to each characteristic you check.

  • A = planner must have this
  • B = would be nice for planner to have this
  • C = not so important to me

After you  select which characteristics are important, take the list with you to the store or have it next to you while you search on-line.  This will help narrow your search and end up with a planner that really works for you.

  • If you currently use multiple planners, try to consolidate into one.
  • After you purchase your planner, commit to using it for at least one month.
  • Keep it in a location where you will review it every day.

Select Your Planner

After you have picked your characteristics, it is time for shopping.  A couple of sites to investigate are www.FranklinCovey.com and www.DayRunner.com.  If you are interested in electronic planners, be sure to review free sites (i.e. Google Calendar, Cozi) in addition to all of the devices that are available.  If you have a smart phone, integrate with available on-line tools if that will help you remember to use it every day.  Once you have selected your planner, work with it for at least one month before evaluating it’s effectiveness.  If it doesn’t work for you after trying a new planner for at least a month, you may want to consider something different.  Commit to USING it before you discard it though.

The right planner can make a big difference in getting more done, and more importantly getting your high priority tasks done.  Share your comments to let us know how the check list works for you.  Good luck with your planner search!

Planner Characteristic Checklist

  • _____  Month-at-a-glance view
  • _____  Week-at-a-glance view
  • _____  The ability to see each day separate from all others
  • _____  Spiral bound so I don’t lose any pages and can have the entire year in one product
  • _____  Binder format so I can add and remove pages as needed
  • _____  Zippered binder so I don’t lose any pages
  • _____  Electronic with no need to print
  • _____  Electronic with the ability to print a To Do List
  • _____  Electronic with the ability to print an appointment schedule
  • _____  Paper so I can write in it when needed
  • _____  To Do List available for every day
  • _____  To Do List for the whole month
  • _____  To Do List for each week
  • _____  Room to plan for multiple roles (i.e. Employee, parent, spouse, business owner)
  • _____  Calendar and To Do List integrated into one planner
  • _____  Calendar and To Do List separate from each other
  • _____  Small size for easy portability
  • _____  Large size for ease of writing and room for more items
  • _____  Medium size as a compromise between small and large
  • _____  Time slots for meetings and appointments all day
  • _____  Specific time slots included in the Calendar section
  • _____  Pockets for other items such as cell phone or wallet
  • _____  Wall calendar format
  • _____  Portable format
  • _____  Attached strap so it can be carried like a purse or briefcase
  • _____  Price is no object
  • _____  Budget = $______
  • _____  Add your own characteristics here:  __________________________
  • _____  ______________________________________________________
  • _____  ______________________________________________________
  • _____  ______________________________________________________

 

For a PDF version of this guide, register here:  Choosing Your Planner Guide

 

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