Managing Your Time

2. Planning

Base your plans on your priorities, taking into account your own way of working.

2.1 You may find it useful to start by planning your week, then your day.

• Assess the tasks to be done for their importance in achieving your goals, and allocate your time accordingly.

2.2 You may want to allocate some time each day to clearing the decks.

• Get small, urgent tasks (for example, dealing with voicemail) out of the way.
• Delegate work if other people can do it more quickly, cheaply or effectively.
• Make sure that other people know what they should be aiming to achieve that day.

2.3 Divide the principal tasks for the day into achievable blocks of work.

• Tackle them one at a time.
• Ensure they are achievable on a daily basis.

2.4 Set realistic deadlines for all your activities.

• With longer-term projects, set interim deadlines, as well as a final deadline.
• Allow time for contingencies. The longer the project, the more contingency time will be needed.
• Decide whether your deadlines are fixed or flexible.
• Do not allow work (particularly less important work) to take longer than it should. If ten minutes is all a job is worth, make sure it is done in ten minutes.

2.5 Schedule your work to suit your state of mind at different times of the day or week.

• For example, if you are at your liveliest and most outgoing in the late morning, schedule your customer calls at that time.