Healthy, Happy and Productive: Learning the art of time management

By Kathryn Tesar, Senior Vice President, Healthcare

Let me start by saying this is an incredibly ironic blog post. Not ironic in tone, but in its very nature: a post on time management that barely made the deadline because of the author’s difficulty in managing her time.

My lifelong struggles with time management are the reason I volunteered to write this post. I know I’m not the only experienced procrastinator out there and thought it might help me, as well as others, to research and share time management tips. Ultimately, practicing better time management isn’t just about increased productivity. Getting a handle on your days can decrease stress, improve health and lead to better quality of life. As much as I tell myself I do some of my best work under pressure, I know deep down that I’m happier when I don’t wait until the last minute – and honestly, my work is just as good (probably better).

Following are some universally agreed upon methods for better time management. If you’ve tried to become a better time manager in the past, much of this probably won’t be new to you – but the new year is a good time to remind ourselves that we are capable of spending our days more productively.

• Invest time in planning – 15-30 minutes a day to review your schedule and prioritize activities might be the most important time you spend that day. As you’re planning, be sure to …
  
• Allow for interruptions and distractions – Even the most organized of us can’t avoid occasional emergencies: a last-minute request from a client, an exceptional number of phone calls or emails, a sick child to be picked up at school. If possible, leave at least a couple of hours open each workday to deal with the inevitable disruptions.
  
• Learn to say no, delegate and negotiate – I’ve become a master of recognizing what I need to do myself (or what’s going to be beneficial to me in the long run) and what I can either say no to or find someone else to manage. If I can’t say no and there’s no one to do it, I haggle. Deadline, scope of assignment (e.g., three items on the list vs. all seven), deliverable (e.g., draft vs. final) – you’ll often find that these, like most things, are negotiable.
  
• Use technology –I’m almost totally dependent on my Outlook calendar and tasks functions, which I use prodigiously (compulsively?) on my work and personal computers and Blackberry. Beyond that, there are now countless apps to help people manage their schedules and to-do lists, gauge how they’re spending their time, and even block programs and applications that enable procrastination.
  
• Strive for quality, but not necessarily perfection – Doing it right the first time obviously will save time in the long run, but unnecessary attention to inconsequential details is often just another form of procrastination. (Depending on the assignment, near-perfection might be necessary, but use your judgment to determine when something must be flawless – and what flawless really means – to avoid wasting time and effort.)
  
• Set aside “work” time – Between meetings, calls, email and office drop-ins, it seems that very little of the workday is actually devoted to work. Set aside some time every day (or at least every other day) to shut down email and the Internet, close the door, ignore the phone and power through assignments.
  
• Right size assignments – Big, ongoing projects can be intimidating and, therefore, perfect for procrastination. Break a big job into smaller parts, each with its own deliverable and deadline. (In breaking down a project, I often find I can delegate some aspects of it to others.)
  
• Take breaks – Allow time for relaxation, both during each workday and for vacation. We all need time to clear our heads and focus on ourselves. Without it, productivity eventually suffers.
  
• Bargain with, and reward, yourself – Remind yourself what you’ll be able to do if you finish your assignments in a timely way: If I get that report and these calls done by 5:30, I can get a manicure/have a beer with friends/ workout for 30 extra minutes. Create bigger incentives for bigger assignments that you complete satisfactorily and on time.

Of course, it’s not always easy to follow these guidelines, but reminding ourselves of them is the first step toward incorporating them into our days and, maybe, eventually, living by them.

Now, I can go get that manicure.