In our last post, we talked about doing tasks right away rather than adding them to the to-do list for later.  Here’s a corollary:  keep a scratch pad next to the phone or computer to jot things down quickly.  If you keep your to-do list on the computer, you can sometimes minimize the window or task pane, and jot it down on that list as easily; but if you don’t, it’s sometimes helpful to jot things down to remember later.

If I’m writing an article for a magazine, I may want to remember to include an anecdote.  Rather than write a formal outline of the article, I’ll simply jot down “include story about xyz” to ensure that I don’t forget to include later on.  Is this something that needs to go on my to-do list?  Probably not, since I’m in the midst of writing now (although “write article by next Tues” may be on my list, subtopics under it most likely are not).  By use of this throw-away technique, you can ensure you are making the case in point while not cluttering up a more formal memory jogger instrument like a to-do list.

Makes sense?  What are your thoughts?

A perusal through time management books, efficiency books, etc. will show you the importance of to-do lists.  To-do lists definitely have their place – it’s one of the ways that we make sure that we don’t forget to do important (and not-so-important) things.  However, look at how long you are taking to work on your to-do list for the coming week or day – could you spend 30-50% more time, and actually DO the task?

Let me give you an example:  I remember that I need to set up a doctor’s appointment for Monday.  You can either write down “Call Dr for appt” or you can pick up the phone and actually make the appt.  [Of course, this presumes that you are writing this during business hours.]   It may take you 10 seconds to jot it down, or 2 mins to complete the call; however, there’s one less thing for you to do.

Try keeping your to-do lists for things that take 5 minutes or more – and take care of the smaller things as you think of them.  We’ve implemented this methodology in our staff meetings, and so end up with a shorter list of actionable, but longer implementation time, items rather than a long laundry list of things that will take 2-3 mins to do each.  It’s improved our internal system considerably; give it a try and let us know how they work for you!

I just learned, thanks to Danielle Miller’s “The Dish” Newsletter that this is National “Take Back Your Time Week”.

What a great idea and perfect timing too. In fact, it just so happens I have been busy scheduling activities and making plans to do things that are fun. I’ve learned if you don’t actually schedule yourself to participate in activities just for fun, chances are you’ll either forget about the event or activity you wanted to do, or when the time comes you will make excuses to yourself why you shouldn’t go.

There’s a few more tips I’ve come across that can help you take back your time:

• Don’t get stuck watching TV – if you have a show you want to watch, watch it, but make an effort to turn off the TV when it’s over and do something more enjoyable
• Give yourself a scheduled break from work – whether its housework or business give your self at least an hour where you will not work and take time for your self – don’t answer the phone, check your work email, or do the dishes and laundry. Instead catch up with friends on Facebook, send email or write letters, or just spend a little time on a hobby.
• Plan your meals in advance – or better yet, prepare them in advance. How many hours have you spent staring into the refrigerator wondering what to make for dinner or making a last minute run to the grocery store?
• Make and use lists effectively – when something you need to do pops into your head, jot it down but be sure you also not when you will have time to do it. For instance if there is a deadline, plan to do it before the last minute – and mark it out once it’s completed. You’ll be surprised at how much you can get done this way, and soon you’ll be adding those planned fun activities to the list!

If you have habits that you use to make more time for yourself, please send us a note and let us know!

Here’s an interesting post by my friend Cristina Favreau – we had the opportunity to visit in person recently when I was in Montreal, and I find this topic to be a bit fascinating, as I’ve used this technique many times without really considering it time management – which just shows that we can ALL learn something, no matter how skilled we are, in our passion/field!

http://blog.cristinafavreau.com/2009/12/time-management-while-you-sleep/

If you suffer from overwhelm, procrastination, too many to-do’s and not enough time, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, on the Efficiency Dr. blog, my staff, respected contributors, and I will be providing tips and tools for managing your time and tasks. We’ll share our personal stories (anonymously if they are particularly embarrassing) of times when even our own best laid plans have gone astray, and what we could have done to stay on track.

Encarta’s definition of efficiency (as it relates to our purpose):

1. competence – The ability to do something well or achieve a desired result without wasted energy or effort

2. productive use of resources – the degree to which something is done well or without wasted energy

Being efficient is not about multi-tasking! Research has shown that trying to do multiple things at once is not as effective as focusing on one task at a time.

We can define efficiency more loosely as feeling good about your work and the time it takes you to do it. As human beings; we’re not going to achieve the efficiency level of a machine, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t improve. Essentially this is the purpose of the Efficiency Dr Blog, to provide you with information and techniques (prescriptions, if you will) that will enable you to perform your tasks, work, or projects with satisfaction, and without wasted effort.

So, if you are ready to get more done with less effort, sign up to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter, and remember to think positive. If there’s a will, there’s a way! Not every method will work for everyone, which is why we will be bringing new ideas to the discussion each week. We are confident that if you struggle with time, at least a few of the ideas we share will work for you!