Friday, December 2, 2011

DAY 2...LISTS

25 December Daily PhotosJOINING susand @ THIS DAY...(JUST CLICK THE ABOVE TO JOIN WITH US)   Her challenge:Quest for 25 photos even though the calendar is full; let's NOT miss photo opportunities; make sure you're in at least a few photos; may not get every single one; but, give it a try. The list is in the right sidebar:

DO YOU FIND THIS TIME OF YEAR MORE STRESSFUL?  I KNOW THAT YOU DO! 

AVOID TIME MANAGEMENT MISTAKES (and some bulleted 'helps')

1. NOT using “To-Do” Lists...to remedy see bullets
·          Write down needs / goals
o         Have calendar in hand to help in scheduling BIGGER projects/tasks
·          Attach a due date to each item
o         Break large tasks into actionable steps/timeframes – reduces something important being overlooked 

2. Not Prioritizing (i need to get better at this)

·         Identify activities for focus on reaching goals
o                     Assign importance/critical (high-value/high priority)
o                     Assign urgency (low-value/fill-in/low priority) (from http://www.mindtools.com/ )
           


3.  Mis-Managing Distractions (VERY HELPFUL)
·          Two-Minute Rule (specifically handling email)
Peruse emails... Quick-read, and  short-answer messages:  
  •   take  care of it right now (those take < two minutes ...reading and storing the task away "to do later" takes longer than it would to just take care of the task now.)
  •    emails taking > two minutes to read or respond schedule time on your calendar to handle;  add this as an action on your To-Do List with a due date
o highlight, flag, or star messages needing a response…utilize handy email features

o         NOTE: APPLY the 2-min rule on many distractions:
§          colleagues in a “crisis”
§          phone calls
§          any distractions preventing your achievements
·          gain control / do best work
·          turn off IM chat
·          tell people if they're distracting you too often
·          start with a good breakfast
·          drink plenty of water throughout the day
·          Don't multitask
·          listen to music if it helps you concentrate.
4. Procrastinating
·          Jump on in
·          Start on a project for ten minutes.
o         break large projects into manageable steps (may need to be another item on the ‘to do” list/calendar entry
·          complete small chunks at a time brings better success