Time management

Tool

Building block Task Hints Your plan
Goal awareness
Write a list List your work and personal goals. You need to know what needs to be done, how and when. You could call this your ‘To Do’ list.
Prioritise Give each item a score from 1 to 5, where 1 is ‘extremely important’; and 5 is ‘not important’.
Schedule When you know what your goals are, you need to plan how to achieve them. If tasks are big, break them down into smaller ‘journey goals’. Time your tasks, plan your day, and put in breaks.
Minimise interruptions Clear time and space for big tasks, switch off email, and turn on voicemail.
Personal awareness
Don't procrastinate Find out why you put things off and find a way of rewarding yourself for getting things done.
Let go and
say no!
Do you need to delegate more? Are you taking on too much? You might find it helpful to write a ‘Don't Do’ list as well, e.g. ‘Don't always say yes’, ‘Don't forget to delegate’, ‘Don't check email every hour’.
Take breaks Schedule breaks into your day and you will work more effectively. Do you need to add ‘Don't skip lunch’ to your ‘Don't Do’ list?