Time Management and Stress

Recently I was asked to speak to an executive group on the topic of time management and stress. As I prepared for the workshop, I couldn’t help but notice that the words time management and stress do go well together. So many people in organizations today suffer from the pressure of too much to do, too many emails, too fast a pace and as one person said, “too much to do and not enough day.” People often ask “how do you keep up?” Books and articles like “Living in an A.D.D. world” describe how many people multi-task to the point of chronic distraction—inducing A.D.D. symptoms!

What are truly effective ways to manage your time? How much control do you really how over your own time? It varies from job to job. But one point is clear: Planning makes a significant difference on productivity and stress levels.

Plan Your Week and Your Day
Hyrum Smith (author of The Ten Natural Laws of Time And Life Management and founder of Franklin Day Planner Systems) and Stephen Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), had similar strong messages:

1. Know what you control and understand what you do not control.
2. Planning is the key to increasing your effectiveness.

In fact, any book on time management will tell you that planning is the foundation of managing your time and building your productivity. Without planning you are doomed to react and be at the effect of others people’s agendas.

Fernando Flores, linguist, author and organizational expert said, “By ignoring planning, we will find actions planned for us – changes in the world around us will invent a future for us.”

Like it or not, developing the habit of planning will give you a sense of accomplishment that will dramatically enhance your well being. More on that next month when we explore stress levels.

How Do You Plan Your Week?
Experts advise spending 30-60 minutes at the beginning of each week. The process includes reviewing what is on your plate, prioritizing and thinking it all through. Start your week off with purpose and focus, and it will impact the power of your efforts and help you say NO to the things that are not within your priorities. By reviewing your plan for 10 minutes at the beginning of each day, you stay up to date on the changes that are occurring and thereby continue to feel a sense of control as you adjust your course. A format I have developed over the years to help my clients build this habit is available at: http://www.seachangecoach.com/assets/guide_for_weekly_planning.pdf. Keep in mind Stephen Covey’s wise counsel, on having clear roles and goals, “It is easier to say No when there is a burning Yes inside.” Consider stopping by the Franklin Covey store and find a system that works for you (see their website, www.franklincovey.com).

Is this you?
Planning: Five Common Excuses

1. I don’t have time to plan
2. I already know what I have to do.
3. Planning doesn’t work for me.
4. I feel “tied down” when I have a long list of things I have to do.
5. I don’t know how to plan properly.

Source: The Ten Natural Laws of Time And Life Management

Time Saving TIPS:

• Think of e-mail as “mail” that arrives in “deliveries.”
• Open it when you arrive in the morning; again just after lunch; then before leaving at the end of the day. Some need to check it hourly.
• Don’t let e-mail dominate your day.
• Say “NO.” A courteous but clear, “I’d like to help, but I’m simply not able to take on anything else right now” can be the biggest time saver of all.
• Write appointments with yourself in your calendar.
  “Interior designer, Nancy Costanza, once a reluctant exerciser, turned herself around by simply writing her thrice-weekly gym visits into her schedule six months ahead—and then keeping those appointments as she would keep any other.”

Tips Source: The Organized Executive

About the Author: Elaine Siciliano Morris is principal consultant and founder of Sea Change Inc, an organizational effectiveness firm based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. A frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter on leadership, corporate culture and personal growth, Elaine works with leaders and their teams to create productive and rewarding work environments. More information on her is available on her website: www.seachangecoach.com, or contact Elaine by phone at 972-407-0648.