Time Management, Blah, Blah, Blah

It seems like everyone has something to say about time management these days. 

“If you manage your time right, you can get everything done on time.”

“Time management starts with determining your priorities; determine what is most important and go from there.”

Yeah, well, blah, blah, blah to you, too. As the Geico commercial points out, “everybody knows that.”

After being inundated with information on time management this week, I did just what they all wanted me to do: I started looking at my own time management practices.

Granted, life is always busy for one or more reasons, so taking a look at your time management process and practices every once in a while is not a bad idea. I equate it to reviewing your strategic plan periodically to ensure you are on the right track. If you need to make adjustments, you can, and then keep on moving along.

No man goes before his time – unless the boss leaves early.

–Groucho Marx

One of the more interesting articles I saw this week included one from Sue W Chapman and Michael Rupured at the University of Georgia, who listed 10 strategies for better time management:

     1. Know how you spend your time

     2. Set priorities

     3. Use planning tools

     4. Get organized

     5. Schedule

     6. Delegate

     7. Stop procrastinating

     8. Manage external time wasters

     9. Avoid multi-tasking

   10. Stay healthy

After taking a look at their list and comments on each one, I can now see where my time management issues are. I just need to move #6 up to #1 and get going.

What about you? 

What works for you and what would you suggest to someone who came to you for advice on managing their time better?

I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions, so please comment!