MBXam: Time Management
Time management: the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. - Wikipedia
Ben Cotton, Program Manager for Red Hat, dropped by MBXam to talk with us about time management and share his best guidelines for how work gets done while life is happening. Here’s a shortlist of the top takeaways we walked away with:
1. The key to managing your time is in your answers to 3 questions
What do you want or need to do, and how much time does it take?
Be detailed about all the steps to accomplishing a task and how long each step might take you.
How much time do you have, and what kind of time is it?
What time of day, and how much flexibility you have at the time are important considerations for managing what you do with the time you have.
What from step 1 fits into step 2?
For example, if the most flexible time you have is after the sun goes down, that’s probably not when you’ll get around to mowing the lawn.
2. Write it down
Getting it out of your head can free up headspace for you to be more focused. It’s also helpful to not only make a list, but to make notes about what you’re thinking of when you add something to it.
Whether it’s a calendar, bullet journal, kanban board, whiteboard, or all of the above, find a way to keep track of all those to-do’s. Ben is partial to Wunderlist.
3. Try a few different tactics
Make some notes about what works and what doesn’t work for you. Keep track of how much time you spend and where it’s going, you might be surprised and need to make adjustments.
4. Do things more efficiently
Batch similar tasks, do work at the time of day that you’re best for that kind of work, and take steps to create an environment for yourself that helps you be effective.
5. Be flexible
Being flexible allows us to be nimble and do what’s urgent and necessary when it’s required of us. Review your tasks/calendar daily and adjust what needs to be adjusted. Make time for yourself to re-energize. Know what motivates you and what doesn’t.
