Time Management is Easy

Like a lot of things in management and leadership, there are people who seem to have a vested interest in making time management complicated.  I know of colleagues who have spent between US$1,000 and US$2,000 on time management courses and systems that have been so complex that they were not able to sustain them for more than a few months. 

Keep it simple!

The first principle of time management is keeping it simple!  And the second principle is making it fit your own ways of working, your own personality. 

There are only five things you need for a good time management system.

1. An action list (to-do list)
2.  A diary
3.  Less than half-an-hour per working day
4.  An understanding of the difference between important and urgent
5. A little bit of stickability

 This is what you do

Develop a list of tasks and, during the course of each day, mark off tasks as they get done, and add new tasks as they come up.  Once a day spend twenty to thirty minutes sorting out the priorities for the next 24 hour period. 

In the diary, you put all the appointments, fixed points and unchangeable deadlines.  Update it as new events come up.  And oh; you must remember to look at it every day! 

That’s it.  That is all that is required for good time management. 

Put your personal stamp on your time management

Now, from these basic elements you can personalise it and make it increasingly sophisticated – or not.

For example you might want to consider . . .

• Do I have my action list and/or diary on-line, on-screen or on paper?
• Do I prioritise tasks under titles like today, tomorrow, this week, this month, etc., or do I simply number them 1 to (say) 43?
• Do I tick (P) or cross out my completed tasks?
• Do I colour code the tasks by importance and urgency?
• Do I re-arrange the order each day according the order in which I plan to do the tasks?
•  How much time should I factor in for interruptions and other unexpected events?
• If I have multiple copies of my diary and/or action list how do I ensure up-to-date syncing?
• What fun elements and emotional rewards am I going to introduce, such as giving myself a smiley, a tick (P), or even a coffee break or snack when I complete a task?

Working out the answers to these questions that best suit you will mean that you are more likely to consistently stick with your time management system in the long term. 

 

Importance and urgency 

Urgent tasks are those that scream at us from the page, “Do this task now!”, and “The deadline is fast approaching!”  Often they are tasks that will have real or imagined consequences if they are late.  But, they are not always the most important. 

Important tasks are those that are aligned to your strategic goals, the direction of where you want to go, the tasks that will make a difference to your ministry, that will change lives.  They are the high priority tasks.  Nevertheless, these tasks often remain quiet and unobtrusive.   

So putting the rubbish out, cleaning the car and filing the papers on your desk may all be urgent, but preparing a strategic plan, leading an evangelism team and organising a social outreach are tasks that are important. 

One of the keys to successful leadership is making time for the important, and not allowing them to be squeezed out by the urgent.

 Stickability

If you adopt a method of time management because it is “good for you” or “the correct thing”, but is not really you, you’re likely not to stick at it.  

The more your system of time management reflects you and your preferences the more you are likely to have success in the longer term.  Give yourself the biggest advantage you can. 

I recognise that, for many, the very idea of life being organised and structured seems unnatural and awkward.  But the effort of getting past this is more than worth it.  I know many people who have pushed through their own internal resistance and adopted simple time management techniques as a way of life.   Without exception, they have experienced good results within weeks and have gone on to enjoy a much higher level of effectiveness in their ministry.

 

Still not convinced?  Let me finish with an observation that you won't often hear from a senior officer.  

If you’ve done any ministry training you’ve had it drummed into you that the worst possible time to prepare your Sunday morning sermon is on Saturday, right?  However, I know officers who have liberated themselves from this “should” and regularly produce their very best work under the pressure of knowing they are going to be in front of a congregation within 24 hours!  This is what works best for them.  On the other hand, I personally start to feel uncomfortable if it’s not done by Wednesday.  All of which goes to underscore the point . . . .

A successful time management system is one that bends to your preferences.