Time Management
Chart
A Great Tool For Effectiveness!
What is a time management chart?
A time management chart is one of
the most
effective ways of planning your time. While many people use planners
and to-do
lists and these are all great tools, only a time management chart can
help you
allocate time to all areas of your life. The chart helps you
allocate time to specific activity types in your day like work, study,
family,
exercise, romance etc rather than specific projects in your life. Then
you
focus on any projects that need doing during that block of time in that
area.
For example if my time chart blocks off ‘administrative tasks’ for me
from 9 –
10 am every morning, I will use this time to check my email, return
phone
calls, file my paperwork etc. From 11 am – 12 am I may have blocked of
interacting with my team or co-workers and this is when I can schedule
meetings, catch up on the office buzz, take a coffee break and do a bit
of
socializing etc.
What are the benefits of using a
time management
chart?
The first benefit of using this tool
is that it
is a visual tool which makes it easy for you to follow it and implement
what is
outlined.
It can provide you information about
your
schedule for an entire week in just one glance
Rather than never ending to-do
lists, this tool
allows you to perform tasks based on the time period assigned to that
particular kind of activity type rather than assigning times to tasks.
Since most of us juggle multiple
tasks both at
work and at home a time chart allows us to balance all aspects of our
home and
work life.
Since you can schedule tasks based
on your
activity levels you know when to schedule things when you are at your
performance peak. E.g. if you are a morning person, you may want to
schedule
brainstorm/idea generation time first thing in the morning and return
calls and
check emails during your afternoon slump.
Since time charts do not focus
entirely on work
related activity, it is easier to schedule time for fun, exercise etc
using
this method.
Why a visual guide to manage your
time is better
than other methods?
It has been scientifically proven
that our brain
responds better to text and images rather than to lists and text alone.
This is
why a visual representation of your time is much easier for your brain
to
perceive than a simple linear list. Using a time chart your brain can
think
divergently and hence you are able to schedule more into your week as
opposed
to a simple to-do list. Time charts also provide you with your week at
a
glance, eliminating the need to check multiple schedulers and meeting
makers
etc. They also allow you to colour code ‘activity area’s to make it
easier for
you to look at information and also provide space for scheduling
routine tasks
like working out, or paying your bills etc.
It is also
easy to expand a time chart into a to-do list, though the opposite does
not
hold true. For example if you have time scheduled as ‘administrative
tasks’ on
your time chart, you can then make a mini to-do list for that time
period.
E.g. check
email
Return 3 phone
calls
File travel
expenses
Book tickets
for next trip
Some activity
types that you can use to help schedule your time, though you can add
your own.
Personal
activity types: Eating and cooking, Family, Running the home, Exercise,
Relaxing, Children, Friends, Financial etc.
Work activity
types: Personal Development, Training, Emails, traveling, planning,
meetings,
phone calls, reports, reading, Strategizing, managing co-workers,
follow –
up’s, etc.
Sample Time
Management Chart
Our Time Management
Resources
Time
Management Activities: Controlling
your time seems impossible at times. There's just too much to do, too
many deadlines to meet and only 24 hours in a day. Relax! Accept the
fact that you have all the time available to do what you must do!
But, are you doing what you must? Are you meeting your
priorities? Find out with these time management activities.
Time
Management Tips :To achieve all your goals and become a
successful manager, you must get your time under control. Here
are some time management tips to get you started in organizing your
life and increase productivity without draining all your resources.
Importance
of Time Management: The first step to better managing your
time is to be completely self-aware of the importance of time
management and its benefits in your life.
Effective
Delegation: Delegation is not a sign of weakness. It’s an
opportunity to empower and discover potential, new talents and skills.
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