Time Management

Is there really such a thing as true, successful Time Management?





I always thought I was pretty efficient at getting important tasks done. Between being a mom, running kids all over the place, managing a household, ensuring bills are paid, food is stocked , meals are prepared, chores are completed and working outside the home, keeping things on a schedule is important. Establishing a list of priority items is crucial. However, even with a priority list, inevitably, important items on "the list" sometimes got pushed aside and not completed.

I work in a pretty intense job where my daily responsibilities can change at the drop of a pin. The need to be able to complete scheduled tasks as well as assignments that are given at the last minute and needed ten minutes ago is very important. It requires the ability to manage everyday responsiblities with the addition of what I call "emergency minutes" - time set aside for the "this needs to be done yesterday" situation. I always thought I handled this well, then I went back to school. Managing time has now become a task that I am having difficulty completing.

This week I had a complete and total meltdown. Between the pressure of getting caught up with my Accounting class and managing homework from my other two classes and taking over the managing responsibilities of another Division, I found I just couldn't complete one more request or assignment. I literally blew up at a sergeant and told my Lieutenant he could do his own research. Not exactly a good career move, but I did feel better. And after my meltdown, I was able to refocus and reaarange my schedule to get the task accomplished. I even managed to get some homework done.

So here is my advice: Accept that you are not going to be able to do everything for everyone all the time. Make a list everyday of priority items that must be completed. Include any school work you have, or your kids have, as well. Both of these are tasks you have to complete and are just as important, or maybe more important, than doing the wash or scrubbing the floors. Start at the top of your list and complete as much as you can, but understand you will run into problems that push your timeframe back. Just accept it. You can't change it or prevent it, so just accept it.

I would dearly love to attend a Stephen Covey seminar on time management, however, I need the "time" to do it. Here is a site I found that gives some advice and tips on managing time.

Happy Schooling

http://www.amanet.org/resources/time-management.htm

Go to the bottom of the page and click on Articles & Research
Under Article Title, click on the title
"Managing Your Time When You Don't Have the Time"

Barry J. Izak gives some pretty sound advice in the synopsis.