Are you feeling frustrated because you are just not able to fit everything into your day? If this sounds like you, then consider spending 15 minutes every morning before you start work making a plan. Before you go home, spend 10 minutes assessing how the day went.

Make a list

Start by making a list of all the things you would like to get done today. Break the list into three parts:

- Scheduled tasks such as meetings or appointments.

- 'Must do' tasks or everything that must be completed by day's end.

- Other tasks. These are important but don't have to be done in a day.

Allocate the expected time each task will take. Beside each 'scheduled task' and each 'must do', task note the time it will take to complete each task. Remember that individual tasks often take longer than expected to complete so be generous in the time you allocate. Once you have done this, you can work out how much time you have left in the day to complete some of the other tasks.

Schedule

Schedule the day's tasks in Microsoft outlook or in a diary. Allocate some time at the end of the day to assess how you went in completing all tasks.

Self-Assessment

Spend 10 minutes at the end of each day to assess your performance. Did you get everything done? If not, did you underestimate the time it took to complete certain tasks? What were the time wasters? Come up with strategies to avoid or minimise time wasters. For example, if you are getting a lot of phone calls and your job does not require you to take these calls, divert unimportant calls to your message bank and return them at a time that is suitable for you.

By following this process each day, you will continually refine and improve your time management skills.

Qualities of Good Time Managers

Good time managers are able to accurately work out how long a given task will take and then to structure their day in such a way that minimal time is wasted.

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Copyright 2006

Lisa O'Brien is the online Career Coach for Cosmopolitan Magazine Australia and is the author of e-booklets