Lesson 8: Time Marches On

Organize your other dimension, time, as you did physical spaces, from the inside out.

Time Is Your Ally

In Slowing Down to the Speed of Life, by Richard Carlson (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff) and Joseph Bailey, the authors talk about slowing down and learning to live in the moment. Slowing down doesn’t involve major lifestyle changes, they say, and your productivity will actually increase when you learn to slow down your life from the inside out.

Do I Have To?

Yes. Although we are discussing time management last, you have already seen and felt the need to schedule time for organizing tasks. Time is the missing link, the final piece of the puzzle.

Yet, to talk about time as being organized or managed is a misnomer. Time is already organized. It is counted in precisely the same orderly increments the world over. You can, however, manage your own use of time. Learn to use the clock as a tool. Negotiate the demands of an ever-changing schedule. Understand how to modify language, attitude, and behavior to keep time from slipping away from you forevermore.

A New Look at Time

The same formulas that Julie Morgenstern uses in Organizing from the Inside Out can be applied to time. In the book she compares a disorganized closet to a disorganized schedule. Both the closet and the schedule are limited — one by space and the other by time. Your schedule and the closet both have tangible, measurable boundaries. Both have more crammed into them than will comfortably fit.

Morgenstern lists four common causes of a disorganized work schedule.

• You have more activities (the stuff) than time (the storage space)
• You stay busy because of a need to retreat from personal problems
• You unconsciously leave activities until the last minute so that you can feel the thrill of saving the day
• You are not sure of your goals and priorities

Analyze what is and isn’t working in your schedule. Ask yourself these three essential questions:

• What are the most essential elements of my life?
• What do I hope to gain by organizing my time?
• What obstacles am I tripping over?

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

As long ago as the 19th century, psychologist William James reported in The Principles of Psychology (1890) that activities we perceive to be varied and interesting are seen as taking little time. James also noted the reverse: “A tract of time empty of experiences seems long in passing.”

Got a Second?

What is it that you need time for? Work? Generating fame and fortune for yourself? Diet, exercise, and other health concerns? Personal relationships? Your children? Aging parents? Volunteer work? Recreation? Your activities make up the equivalent of things stored in your closet. Activities, however, are contained within the hours of your day.

You need roughly eight hours for sleep, leaving approximately 16 hours per day to be used as your containers. At the top of a sheet of paper write down what time you get up every morning. At the bottom, write down what time you go to bed. If you know you are not getting enough sleep, adjust one or both of these times to allow for better sleep. Plug in the times that you typically take meals. What are left are the specific storage units that can be used to schedule your activities.

Time Yourself

The trouble is, a lot of us don’t know how long it takes us to accomplish our tasks. Industrial psychologists note that few of us mentally refer to past experience when we estimate the duration of a task, and sleep experts say that we commonly overestimate the amount of sleep we need (partly because many of us are not getting enough).

Morgenstern suggests keeping a log for at least a week to familiarize yourself with how long you actually spend on your daily tasks. Canadian time management consultant Harold Taylor also discusses time logs in his book, Making Time Work for You. First, get the ball rolling, he says. Tackle your backlog and get yourself organized. Set goals, make use of time-saving methods, delegate tasks, and train assistants to handle them effectively. Try your hand at scheduling, adjust where necessary, and keep at it.

Staephanie Winston, author of The Organized Executive, agrees. Get basic time-saving systems in place before analyzing your time log. If you are still working in relative chaos, your log will serve only to confirm your disorganization. Why not take the middle ground? Leave the thorough examination and analysis for later, and make some quick notes in your planner now.

Own Worst Enemy?

You could be your own worst interruption enemy. Keep your planner nearby to record ideas as they pop into your head. Breathe. Keep a glass of water nearby. Attend to hunger when you are legitimately taking a break, or keep snacks handy. Learn what your typical period of concentration is. Plan your breaks according to your work rhythm, and use them as incentives to complete portions of your work. Learn some quick, simple relaxation stretches.

Excuse Me for Interrupting

“This won’t take long.” It’s an interruption knocking, calling, or demanding that you attend to someone else’s needs — now! Interruptions make it difficult to estimate how much time it takes to complete any one task. They can make it all but impossible to finish, period!

You want to help, need to discuss, or want to see the person who comes calling with their news, question, or crisis. Sometimes that person is you. You may feel guilty for setting aside your own work, for not wanting to be interrupted, and for letting yourself be interrupted. Yet, you need the time to attend to your own important tasks. What do you do?

Schedule your time containers to hold open office hours, accept telephone calls, or make yourself available for consultation in a conference room. Establish a set time and make it known by announcement, through your assistant, or by posting office hours.

Close the door, put your back to the “entrance” of your office, or go to another space. Put up a sign or a red flag if you must. All of these are means of setting and communicating physical boundaries. If you mean business, you may need to teach and remind other people what these signals mean. It’s up to you to train your assistant or those around you that only life-and-death situations are suitable interruptions when the door is closed.

Set aside specific times of the day for communicating. Generating and returning phone calls and e-mail can be accomplished and grouped together in time chunks (store like with like). Immediately toss and delete any messages or pieces of paper mail that are of no value to you.

If someone catches you off guard, be prepared for pleasantly evasive tactics. Pleasantries aside, ask specifically what the caller or visitor wants. Clearly state up front that your time is limited to two minutes before your next appointment. Defer to a time you have scheduled for general meeting time or the particular task involved. Give the person two choices in meeting times by saying, “I have 2 p.m. on Monday or 11 a.m. on Thursday. Is there any reason that one of these times won’t work for you?”

In person, you can even verbally and physically note the time for your interrupter. “Oh, I see it’s nearly noon. I have only a moment before my next appointment. If you will summarize your three key points, we can keep this brief and proceed by talking again next week.”

If you don’t regularly wear a watch, ask your visitor to check the time. This action on their part causes them to take greater ownership of time. If you are at your desk and someone approaches, stand. Again, note your limited time. Ask them to summarize. Check your schedule and offer an alternative time that works for you. Then, walk to the door with the person, noting that it is time for your next appointment.

Doctor’s Appointment

Your annual physical is an opportunity to practice appointment skills. Schedule your appointment well in advance. Tell the receptionist what time of day works for you. Ask how long the appointment and waiting time might be. Write down everything that you want to ask your doctor. Review, make additions, and make a copy for the doctor before the appointment. You will cover everything and help your doctor stay on schedule. You’ll be the perfect patient and get more attention.

I’d Love to, But I Have an Appointment

Saying that you have an appointment might seem like telling a white lie to get out of something that is inconvenient. It isn’t if you are using your schedule to contain the necessary elements of your life and work. Keeping appointments is a way to remove yourself from what is unimportant, and a method for moving you into what is important.

Morgenstern tells us in Time Management from the Inside Out that we have three options (forms of purging) when we have more tasks than time (more stuff than space):

1. Delete some tasks
2. Create shortcuts and routines to increase your speed
3. Delegate

Deleting is just a form of tossing. Some activities, like some objects, are just not important enough to warrant keeping in our schedule. Faced with a choice of tasks or activities, slow down and ask yourself a few questions. What are your big-picture goals? What is important? Is there anything truly urgent about any of these tasks? Do any of these tasks or activities present opportunities to accomplish multiple goals and objectives?

Just Say No

Saying no firmly and gracefully is an art you can learn. It will lighten your load. Realize first that you cannot say yes to everything or meet everyone’s requests for your time without sacrificing your own objectives. It is acceptable to say no. It is many times necessary to say no.

You may currently feel guilty when you do manage to say no because you are not pleasing the person who approached you with a request. You may like them, or want to be involved in their project. Remind yourself that working on their project or cause may not serve your objectives. You are respecting the boundaries of your schedule. You are honoring your own self and goals by saying no.

Like any other skill we seek to master, Morgenstern reminds us that we will need to get good at saying no. Practice makes perfect. Solitary car travel, showers, and shaving, makeup application, and dressing in front of a mirror are perfect opportunities to hone the art of saying no. Practice the phrases, “I’m sorry, I just can’t” and “No” out loud. “Say them with firmness and conviction until they feel natural,” says Morgenstern.

Practice specific “no” responses for people and situations you know you will encounter. You need not be rude or give lengthy explanations. Be pleasant, but honest. A simple thank-you and nod of admiration often pave the way for declining the person’s request: “Thank you for asking me. I consider it a compliment that you would include me, but my schedule won’t allow me to take on another project at this time.” Then stick to your guns. If pressed, smile and repeat, “No. I’m sorry, I just cannot.”

Keep It Clean

The Clean Team’s No. 1 rule is: “Make every move count. Work around the room once, working from left to right, top to bottom, back to front,” says owner and author of Speed Cleaning, Jeff Campbell. Check out the rules for cleaning, clutter, and maintenance as well as The Clean Team’s cleaning products and tools at http://www.thecleanteam.com or 1-800-717-2532. Rule No. 4 allows you to skip a step — If it isn’t dirty, don’t clean it.

Routine: Freedom Not Boredom

There are those tasks that must be done — many of them over and over. If you can’t get rid of a task, streamline it. You will find that it takes less time, becomes less of a problem, and that you will be able to put more emphasis (larger containers!) on your important tasks.

In Time Management from the Inside Out, Morgenstern suggests skipping steps when possible, creating or using lists and forms, and making decisions ahead of time as methods of streamlining. She cites these methods as effective ways to reduce the time and mental energy you might otherwise spend sweating the small stuff.

Think about all of your repetitive tasks. Get creative with the alternatives to time-consuming or dreaded tasks like housework, basic office duties, errands, shopping, laundry, paying bills, travel preparation, and even scheduling your time.

Move Ahead Three Spaces

Skipping steps lets you go faster and cuts the workload. People who are good, practiced extemporaneous speakers often skip writing and making notes for short or informal speeches. Teen-agers (and kids of all ages) sometimes make sandwiches on top of a paper towel, eat right there, and use the towel to clean up afterward — no dishes to clean up, no transit time to the table. A friend has a recipe for spaghetti that cooks the noodles right in the sauce. She buys pre-made salad and sauce. She skips the preparation, gets the meal to the table faster, and has fewer dishes to wash. Consider the practice for larger ventures, too. You may not need to do everything that is traditional or that everyone else does when planning an event or business project.

Make and use checklists for any operation that involves a number of steps, gives you trouble, or takes you extra time going back for the steps or items you forgot. In the same way that a pilot uses a pre-flight checklist, Morgenstern suggests a “Remember to Take” checklist for items you need when leaving the house. Checklists are useful for helping children and ADD/ADHD individuals stay on track with operations requiring multiple steps.

Fill Out This Form

Create a grocery-shopping checklist for anyone in the family to mark as they use up their favorite foods and personal items. Include preferred brands, sizes, and a notation if this is the only brand they will use. Design form letters and repetitive documents using standard, modified, or unique templates using your computer. Use standard phrases or paragraphs along with the merge feature to create form letters that have the look and feel of personal correspondence.

Use a checklist of things to do before traveling and items to pack for the trip. Keep an adequate supply of toiletries packed and ready for travel. Replenish when you return home rather than during what could be a hectic time before a journey.

Your bank and creditors can help you streamline by setting up automatic payments for accounts that are paid repetitively. You can set up a portable bill payment center in a file box for the rest. Include a file for general receipts that can be filed at the same time. Or you may want to delegate the entire messy subject to an online bill-paying service or a bookkeeper.

The Cardinal Rule of Delegation

In The Organized Executive, Winston sets forth the cardinal rule of delegation: Assign tasks to the most junior person who has the skills and rank necessary to complete the assignment successfully. If no one meets these criteria, find or train someone.

The Delicate Art of Delegation

Free yourself by learning to delegate effectively. Delegation authorizes and entrusts someone other than you to accomplish the tasks at hand. It is also a matter of economics — the economics of your time and money — says Stephanie Winston, author of The Organized Executive.

Be sure, however, says Morgenstern in Time Management from the Inside Out, that you have streamlined first. Eliminate tasks that don’t need to be done, and streamline those that must be done. Otherwise, you will be spending more in pay than necessary, and any “saved” time will be spent answering questions or supervising.

Although delegation offers solid benefits and is a powerful weapon in the time management arsenal, many people find they must overcome obstacles to implementing this tool. It is common for people who need to delegate to feel that they don’t have time to delegate. “Don’t be afraid to take time out to formulate a plan,” Morgenstern says. Investing in time to train an assistant can save you much more time in the long run.

Morgenstern notes that two types of tasks can readily be delegated: non-creative or repetitive tasks, and one-time special projects. It is almost always worth it to train someone for routine tasks, she says. With a special project, delegate if it will take less time to train someone than doing it yourself, or if the job will need to be repeated in the future. Delegate tasks that someone else can do better, that you don’t enjoy, or that sap your time and energy.

Reserve for yourself the tasks that make the very best use of your talents and time. Delegate the rest. Delegate assignments that call for some tasks you enjoy, but are taking time away from your top-most priorities.

Delegation requires that you match goals, activities, time containers, and personnel. In Time Management from the Inside Out, Morgenstern recommends creating a chart. Once you have listed goals (column 1) with their appropriate activities (column 2), and estimated the time required for the job (column 3), you must figure out who can accomplish the task.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

You can delegate tasks, says Morgenstern, to an expert or equal, or you can train a beginner. You will not need to spend a lot of time training an expert or someone who is your equal and you will realize a savings in time quickly. Conversely, you will be required to spend a potentially much larger amount of time with a beginner with a delayed savings of time. The obvious up-front benefit is the lower financial cost of a beginner. The larger benefit can be finding someone who will gain confidence, grow with you, and become a valuable long-term ally. In any case, you will want to assign tasks on the combined bases of talent, skills, desire (to learn and do the work), and availability.

You must plan time to present the job, guide your assistant, and review the work. Let people, whether at home or work, know that they play an important part on your team. Give them goals in measurable and specific terms, and provide suggestions. Tell them when it must be done. Then, let the person contribute by adding his or her own expertise, insight, and creativity.

Be available for questions, and make time for progress reports. Review their work when finished. Refrain from criticism if the job is not done according to how you would do it. Remember that you were able to work on your top priorities during this time. Let the person, from your up-and-coming executive to your youngster, know what they did well and if you see particular talents in their work. Reiterate their value to the organization or family. If and when changes are necessary to the person’s methodology or finished product, remind them of what you want and ask them how they will solve the problem themselves.

In families, Morgenstern reminds us, you don’t get to hire and fire. You just have to do more and better training after you figure out how to develop each child’s natural strengths. On the plus side, training and delegating to your children allows them to learn teamwork, frees you up for other activities, and gives them necessary skills for adulthood.

It’s About Time

According to Dr. Linda Sapadin, author of It’s About Time: The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them, procrastination is caused by an internal conflict. Procrastinators feel both a want or need to do something, and an evenly matched resistance to doing it. They’re not lazy. Rather, energy does not pass easily from thinking to doing. Take heart. Knowledge of your particular style is power.

Put It Off ‘Til Tomorrow

There is a difference between deferring activity until its scheduled time and putting things off until tomorrow and the next day and forever. The first is a planning and time management tool. It helps you diffuse interruptions and keep focused on your important tasks. The latter, procrastination, is a problem for many people.

In Time Management from the Inside Out, Morgenstern asks whether you procrastinate on everything you do, or only on select tasks. She counsels that if you procrastinate on everything, you may be facing a psychological obstacle. If you procrastinate on specific tasks, you are probably making technical errors — something about how you are handling it that delays your action.

Perhaps you are indecisive, unready, or overwhelmed by the task. You can make faster decisions by trusting your instincts, Morgenstern says. Keep the big picture in perspective rather than the individual decision. If you don’t have all the information to make a decision — or can’t properly handle the results of a decision — give yourself permission to back off and prepare. In the case of having too much to handle all at once, break the job down into a series of steps. Then, concentrate on taking the first step. Walk before you run.

Maybe you don’t want to undertake the task because you hate the activity. Find or hire someone who can do it for you. If you have to do it yourself (annual physical, reduce your weight, etc.), make it more enjoyable by giving yourself something in return. Combine the hated activity with one to which you look forward. Give yourself an incentive, like a massage after your annual physical. Focus on the end rather than the means. Break the job down into segments that last only so long.

Sometimes we procrastinate because we haven’t adequately accounted for our natural rhythms and energies. You may be trying to accomplish a task at a time of day when you aren’t as adept at it. So, change your schedule. You may be putting things off because you really and truly are more focused on your work when there is pressure. Pull in your deadline with a self-imposed due date, and schedule other activities immediately afterward. That way, you have an emergency time cushion.

Late for a Very Important Date

Time cushions can also work for people who are chronically late. It helps again, though, to know if you are always late by the same amount of time or by varying amounts. Time cushions will work in the latter case. People who are late by varying amounts usually have difficulty estimating how long an activity will take to complete. Building in a time cushion between appointments (remember that you are going to schedule all of your tasks as appointments) can help when you cannot or have not estimated the proper amount of time for appointments.

If you are always late by the same amount of time, review the psychological obstacles. There is likely to be something that is holding you back from being on time.

Peace of Mind

“The most liberating aspect of time management from the inside out is that it is a way of creating a life that nurtures you and makes you feel good.” — Julie Morgenstern, Time Management from the Inside Out

Staying on Top

Equalizing allows you to adjust your plans. It is no different in time management than in physical space. You will need to look around you — and specifically at your planner — and take steps to banish the clutter of the day.

Keep an eye on your planner. Check in with your goals and objectives throughout the day. Set aside time in the morning for an official review. Look at where you are going and where you have been. At the end of each day, you will want to go over your to-do list, checking off the tasks that you completed. Delete any tasks that no longer need doing. Uncompleted tasks are to be moved forward into future appointments. Write them down in your planner (or repeat in a hand-held organizer).

Set aside a short appointment each week for a session with your planner. Taking this time allows you to keep a balanced view between big-picture goals and scheduling individual tasks. It is also important for people whose schedules change rapidly and frequently to make note of the week’s upcoming events, and be able to communicate changes to the people around them.

Morgenstern suggests bimonthly tune-ups to ensure that your current goals are supported by the times you have mapped out for yourself. Additionally, she advises that renegotiating the time map will be necessary should you experience major life changes such as marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, a new job, or simply the addition of a new interest you want to have time to enjoy.

Don’t beat yourself up when you don’t do everything you planned in a day, Morgenstern advises. Analyze what went wrong. Keep using your planner to enhance your time management skills. When you succeed by achieving your big-picture goals, celebrate.

Assignment: Time Marches On

Create a Delegation Planning Sheet. Divide a sheet of paper into four columns. The first column is titled Big Picture Goal; the second column is called Specific Activities; the third column is called Time Required, and the fourth column is Best Suited. For each big picture goal you list, list the corresponding activities necessary to attain the goal. Then, estimate the time needed for this task in a typical week. It is fine to list an estimate as “three hours per week until finished” if there is no pre-set deadline. Then list the possible or likely candidates for the job. Consider that you want the person who might be good at it, enjoy it, want to learn it, and is available for the tasks to be done.