- Post the first comment
- Back to the blog
With the flood of productivity tips and productivity tools assailing you, which ones should you choose? Consultant Francis Wade notes in a ChangeThis Manifesto that there are seven essential practices that we carry out as we do our work. Each tool should be assessed by whether it helps you to manage one or more of those steps better:
Capturing
A "capture point" is the point of entry of a time demand into your life. It may come through an e-mail message or a mental note you make. "The mind is the worst capture point to use and should be employed as infrequently as possible," he warns. Instead, the mind should be kept free to process thoughts, while information is stored in devices or tools, be it a notebook, a PDA, or your calendar. Keep your capture points nearby, in case needed, and limit the number of them you use.
Emptying
Capture points are temporary storage devices and should be used for as short a time as possible. Empty them as often as possible and decide how to dispose of the demand on your time.
Tossing
One option is to eliminate this time demand, be it something discussed informally in a meeting that has lost its lustre or a voicemail message you have just listened to. Look for reasons to delete or get rid of information or time demands that are no longer active.
Storing
If you want to retain a piece of information captured by your time management system - be it a phone number or meeting minutes - you must safely store it for later retrieval. Never use personal memory. Store only the minimum information, in a place fully backed up in case of emergency. Use as little physical space as possible.
Acting Now
If carrying out a time demand can be done in two to five minutes, act immediately. If that activity, however, exceeds the time limit you have set for brief tasks, make a decision on whether to continue it or plan it for another time. Expertise in acting now is demonstrated by completing the action within your time limit and avoiding time overruns.
Scheduling
Time demands beyond that normal time guideline should be placed in a calendar of events. Schedule in slack time to account for interruptions and for time estimates that are overly aggressive.
Listing
To avoid cramming your calendar with too many items, create lists of similar items, be it for shopping for supplies or matters to discuss with your boss. Lists should contribute to piece of mind, not subtract from it. When they get too long, and start to hide their contents from you because of the length, they probably need to be scheduled in the calendar.
Start the Conversation, Leave a Comment
This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?
You must be logged-in to submit a comment — login now!
Not registered with globeandmail.com? Register now. It is quick and free.
Alert us about this comment
Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
