Are there Some Innovative Ideas in Time Management?
Like you reading this article I am also constantly evolving.
And with me evolves also the need for new solutions to old and new problems…
I use to stumble again and again into something while running my activities.So, the following is a set of new ideas I found useful enough to share.
I encourage you to incorporate them in your arsenal of tactics…
They could work wonders to optimize the use of your time and reduce stress while pursuing your goals. Enjoy!
1. Make the “Why?” clear
We already discussed extensively about the Power of Why but anyway it still holds real value.
If we have not assessed loud and clear what the purpose of the task at hand is,
AND why that purpose (or the whole project altogether) deserves our attention at this precise moment…
| ..then we won’t execute any task by giving our 100%. It is that simple… |
Clearly enough : If the purpose of a goal does not make sense for you – it is not motivating enough or it is simply something that will give an advantage to someone else rather than to yourself – you will be naturally less motivated not only in completing tasks but also in figuring out solutions to make the whole process lean and more effective.
This will most probably result in a poor performance overall and a huge waste of energy as well…
2. Assess your position
Assess your position in both the project itself and also in your comprehension of time management mechanics.
It could be a whole new project that needs some research from your side:
- A complex study you conduct with your class ending in a presentation at the end of the week.
- Or maybe the planning process for the next vacation with your family: camping in the forest for a week with the first village 5km away…
- And, say, it could also be that you never implemented time management strategies, or your knowledge of the subject is not complete.
I’m not meaning here that you should have extensive academic knowledge about time management and years of experience under your belt…😁
It just suffices that the strategies your employ are clear enough to you to be usable.
Simply make sure to employ the best tools at your disposal:
We just want to optimize our performance and reduce stress as much as possible.
3. Brainstorm
Yes I hear you: Brainstorming is no new technique at al!,
And still is one of those basics that are always given for granted…and for the same reason left at the side…
You know what? It is a great idea to have a team that would regularly meets and discusses different aspects of a project.
…a process, a business operation, or its structure and mission altogether.
It is also HUGE to be in the position to participate in a study group.
Here is where you can share your insights and with the help of other members clarify particular aspects that you find hard to unlock on your own.
Why brainstorming? like the old adage says :
“two heads are better than one”
yeah, it is then easy to understand that more heads are better than two!!
And it is even advantageous to have members in the session with different points of view.
Many times the best solution of all is just a combination of the different insights coming from the different minds of the brainstorming team.
Those are the powerful ideas, those are refined resolutions that take into consideration different aspects of the operation.
And being different points of view coming from different personalities, they prove themselves to be the optimal solutions.
The right strategies capable of optimizing the resources at disposal as well.
4. Set SMART Goals
The concept of smart goals is something relatively new and innovative you will say,..
It points out the logical characteristics of a goal worth reaching.
What is a smart goal? Smart is the acronym for :
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
If we are serious about what we are trying to achieve, then makes sense for our goal to be specific.
In other words, it has to be clear enough to prevent us from drifting away into distractions.
And also pertinent to the specific scope we are trying to accomplish.
Those caracteristics result in directing our efforts toward the best course of action, specifically tailored to reach the final outcome we are aiming for.
Next challenge : The goal has to be measurable
we have to be able to assess the level of its accomplishment as well as estimate the time left to complete it.
This practice comes with additional benefits :
For instance, we could find that we had totally underestimated the time necessary to complete an activity and thus we need to use “Chunking” to manage the task into smaller pieces.
The goal has to be realistic and attainable as well, meaning that we are aiming at something that, though challenging, has to be surely reachable with some effort.
(but as a side note, unrealistic, off-the-charts goals are also an incredible weapon to jump ahead fast, assuming you have the right attitude and / or you are part of the right team!).
Lastly, the goal has to be timely : it makes little sense to embark on an endeavor that will maybe produce some result, but so far away in time to nullify any benefit.
(this can be optimized to an extent with healthy time management practices).
5. Systematize
I love this one!
Systematizing is a modern concept and a true ninja technique that we should adopt in time managementas well as in every aspect of our everyday life.
(It can be really effective especially for the tedious, repetitive activity we often incur while running through our normal day).
It is indeed more of a mental adjustment that brings us to arrange different activities using similar templates.
Let’s try a “painfully simple” example :
You start your day having to drive to children at school then drive to your workplace, then after work go shopping and then back home to prepare dinner.
For every item your mental template “ forces” yourself to assess first if if all the resources for accomplish the task are quickly available.
Then estimate the time needed to accomplish the task, chunking it down if necessary.
And then finally elaborate the easiest | quickest strategy to complete the task while easing up on time and energy investment.
Complicated? Nou…only my explanation was really boring!! Check this out:
Task 1. Bringing the kids to school :
“How far away is my car?
What kind of traffic condition do I expect to find at the moment?
How much time do I expect to drive to the school?
What point of the school’s building is more convenient for me to leave my kids (so I can quickly proceed toward my workplace)?…”
Task 2. Drive to your workplace :
“How do I expect the traffic condition to be at the moment?
How much time do I expect to drive to my company?
What position in the Company’s parking floor is more convenient to leave my car (so that it is quicker for me to reach my own workplace)?…”
Do you see the pattern here?
This example is simple enough to hammer home an equally simple concept :
Systematization is a great way to structure tasks in a logical, repetitive fashion.
You will find yourself recalling them smoothly, and thus reduce stress and energy usage…
Try the mental game of thinking for a couple of minutes about how you could systematize the tasks you normally have to execute as an habit in your day…
Make sure you structure the sequence of questions in a very similar way as the examples above.
It is much easier to do than to explain it, you´ll see… Just try it and see the benefits for yourself!😊
6. Implement Technology
Implementing technologies is an innovative concept since specific Technologies that help us to manage our time are a relative novelty in the marketplace.
The explosion in popularity of the internet in the last 20 years made possible a level of communication and possibilities unknown before in history.
And the massive flood of new users who came into this Media for business purposes, made it reasonable for mamy different companies to offer specific applications for time management purposes.
Remember the “old” Microsoft Outlook? A massive restyling was necessary to stay up-to-date with the new necessities of its working audience…
And thank to the subsequent mobile revolution brought by the introduction of specific OS for cellphones (like Android), today there are dozens of apps that can help massively in managing your time, the most popular being :
Take your time to choose the best app best for you carefully: give special attention to its usability, effectiveness, and specific aspects or details particularly suitable for your needs or the branch you’re involved in.
7. Manage Your Focus together with Your Time
We already talked extensively in this article about the importance of monitoring your physical resources in order to ensure the best performance possible.
As fatigue kicks in it will most probably deteriorate your focus capabilities. So in this situation, it becomes crucial to include strategic pauses in your routine to give your brain a break and prepare it to “fight the next round”.
Do not forget that working on complex tasks and trying to resolve various aspects of the problems coming in the way is a very demanding assignment…
Therefore, in your best interest, try to manage your resources wisely, be them your focusing skills, the time at your disposal, the environment you are in and even your mood, since any of them can drastically vary the results of your effort.
For instance, what about being specific about setting deadlines for each task you´re after? Try it out…
8. Batch Tasks
The concept of batching comes straight from the IT world. We are used to give a computer a set of instructions to perform a particular task on a number of sources, and this is defined as a “batching process”.
We can apply the same principle to optimize our time spent repeating similar tasks on different sources.
For instance if we have to respond to a number of emails, it makes no sense to answer one, then switch to another task and then after a couple of hours come back to answer another email.
It makes much more sense instead to allocate a specific amount of time in which we will be only answering emails.
That will allow us to stay in the natural flow for the task at hand speeding the process until the whole activity is complete.
It will also sharpen our capabilities to evaluate the time needed to execute different assignments.
9. Bonus Tip : Waste some Time!
I left this one as a last bonus tip. This is pretty controversial and still fascinating in his logic…
Bear with me for a moment and let me explain…
The vast majority of us tend to struggle with Procrastination and sometimes we tend to remain so even for the rush of endorphins we experience when trying to complete an assignment chasing a deadline.
With this concept in mind, it could be sometimes beneficial to experiment something unusual :
“How do I perform if I reduce intentionally the time at my disposal?”.
It is instructive to examine if these provoked stress conditions are instead effective for maintaining a superior level of focus.
This is an unconventional take that goes the opposite of the normal recommendations about fighting procrastination with discipline, motivation and diligence…
So. this strategy cannot suit anybody because it could effectively lead to worse performances:
Some could reduce their engagement altogether : “the time left at disposal isn´t enough to complete the task anyway…so, why bother??”
Any of us has his own personality, so if you find this subject interesting I would encourage you to experiment it for yourself.
….but do not be naive and have a procedure :
Like an analyst, take note of the benefits this particular strategy brings to your performance.
…and even more accurate notes of the downfalls it provokes!
This will act as our “red light | no go” warning next time we will indulge with ourselves for some more time off before attacking our planned duties.
Hey, Thanks a lot! This was a long one, isn’t it?? Thank you very much for reading this far!
By the way, I am always interested to learn from you new things and insights coming from your personal experiences.
I cannot wait to read from you in the comments!
