The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.
Time Management
Millie Amundson
Sou'Wester Council
as presented at the 16th Annual Leadership Seminar July 14, 1984
Good Morning! How nice to see so many bright faces out there this morning ready to learn how to manage time, or should we say, how to get all those extra jobs done.
We live in a very busy world. Our families are going ten different ways, all at the same time — with only you to coordinate that time to see that it all comes out even. Our children can be involved in sports, school activities, music lessons, swimming, and church activities, you name it. And you, Mother, are spending most of your time being the chauffeur for your children as well as keeping up with the never-ending household chores, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and ironing. And, some of us are also holding down a full eight-hour-a-day job. You fellows, being the male aspect of the family, have your job, as well as other family responsibilities, plus playing chauffeur, too, because Mom just can't get everyone everywhere plus dinner on the table without some help. Work! Work! Work! So, then we joined a square dance group to et away from the pressures — and whammo, you get right into the politics of it and there are more meetings, more deadlines, more responsibilities. With all that activity and so few hours to do it in, you want to scream, "I need a 48-hour day."
But, is lack of time the problem? Or, how we use it?
All of us, as we begin any week, have 168 hours to work, play, and rest. No more. No less. Time is one of our most precious commodities. The use of our time determines our degree of success and spells the difference between living a full, satisfying life, or stumbling haphazardly through the weeks and years ahead. But, how are we going to use that 168 hours? Will it be used productively?
Common Time Problems
There are three most common time problems. They are procrastination, over-scheduling, or just plain wasting time.
Procrastination is "I'll get it done tomorrow" syndrome. It usually involves difficult tasks that require a lot of research (like this presentation), unexciting jobs to do, or routine ones that we are sure won't matter if we do them today, or later. But the task remains to be done. Remember the old adage, "Never put off for tomorrow what can be done today"?
The second problem, over-scheduling involves trying to do too many things in too little time. We may have a house to clean, children to get to the doctor or dentist, or both, dinner to fix, a meeting to attend, a newsletter to get out, a square dance to plan, refreshments to make, and all in the same afternoon. We find we are meeting ourselves coming and going, and Murphy's Law mandate, "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong", usually goes into effect at such times as these.
The third problem, and one I'm sure is my worst enemy, is wasting time, which means using time unprofitably. Why do we waste time? Perhaps we can't think of anything better to do. We have no goals. We have no priorities. Therefore, we aim at nothing. We live on a level of feeling — doing what we feel like doing, which oftentimes is "nothing". Or, we waste time because of lack of a schedule, or do things in a haphazard manner.
So, what can we do about these?
Key Issues for Time Management
Let's look at some key issues for management of our precious time.
Evaluation
This is where we must start. Ask yourself, "What am I doing with my time? How am I using it?" To find out, take out a piece of paper and divide your day into three equal segments:
Then, think back. List the activities you did during these times. Next to the activities mark an "E" if it were essential, "F" if it were fairly important, "W" if it was probably a waste of time.
Next, do the same thing for each day of the past week. Be honest! When you are through, count the number of "E's", "F's", and "W's" and you will have a pretty good picture of how you are using your time. You'll also discover what part of the day you tend to waste.
Another way to evaluate your time is to look at the list of activities you just jotted down and ask yourself, "Which of these tasks could I delegate to someone else?" Household chores can be delegated to children, husbands can delegate to Vice Presidents, and on down the line. But we must not be demanding in our delegation. It must be a cooperative effort. Simple? Not really, but it can be done.
Set Goals
A second important issue in Time Management is goal setting. Evaluation primarily asks, "What am I doing?" Goal setting wants to know, "What should I be doing, and why?" As you were evaluating your present use of time more profitably you must establish clearly defined, concise goals. But how?
First we must make a list of the tasks to be completed. Then we must determine the priority of action to take. Remember when making your list there and short term and long term goals — things we must do daily, things we must get done before the next dance date, and next State meeting. So after we make our list of things we must do, let's determine when they need to be done, or prioritize the activities by placing an "A", "A-1", "A-2", etc., next to those that are High Value (Do Today), "B", next to those that are of Medium Value (Can be done by [date these]), "C" next to those of Low Value (Do as time permits, if it does).
The list will not always remain the same. As you go over your list, you will be revising it and the tasks listed with "B" can and will be flexible to take in those emergency type tasks that develop. In this case, you will have to drop what you had planned to do, get the emergency out of the way at once, then go back to your schedule and reset your priorities. Remember, the best laid plans of mice and men can go wrong, and usually do. In all of this, we must remain calm.
Planning
Now that we've set our goals and prioritized them, we must plan how to get the job done. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to do an assignment or complete a task at the last minute. Nerves are frazzled, tempers rise, and harmony is gone. And activities, whether it be work, school, square dance calling, lessons, or whatever, greatly suffer from poor planning.
One of the best investments you can make is a yearly calendar with plenty of writing room. This can be a good planning tool. We have one at home by the telephone, a big one, to jot down special dates and appointments. I have one in my purse, and one at work. If a date is put on one, it should be coordinated with the other two, or there could be trouble. Our council, Sou'Wester, puts out a two-year planning calendar which is really helpful.
Once you decide what you will do, plan a time sequence for your activities. Schedule your time according to importance. Use your time efficiently and effectively. Some of us work better in the mornings, so plan mental activities for that period of the day. Afternoons and evenings can be used for shopping, visitations, or exercise classes. This, however, may not be the case for you.
If you have devised a plan and a schedule, don't neglect to use them. If you don't follow your schedule, your effort is futile.
How to Save Time
One way is to use your time twice. How? Whenever you wait in a doctor's office, beauty parlor, or bus you can read, plan your day, write letters, do hand work, write reports, or make out your shopping list. I always carry my knitting with me when we travel. I have created more sweaters and afghans while traveling than anywhere else. I have also written my Footnotes report, minutes of a meeting I have just attended — all kinds of little jobs — going to and from a square dance weekend, seminar, or State meeting.
Another time saver is do your work right the first time. How often have we found ourselves taking shortcuts and/or neglecting details and find we have to do the jobs over again. If we would have just taken a few extra minutes to get the details correct and get the job done right the first time, we may have saved a multitude of time, energy and frustration.
Thirdly, salvage time. Snatch an hour from something you do out of habit, something that is not highly profitable. One instance, is watching TV all evening. Turn it off, and do that job that's needed to be done. Maybe, spend less time sleeping. It's been proven by studies that one can function just as well, or better, on 6 to 7 hours of sleep rather than 8 full hours. It may not be best for all of us, but find out what is best for you.
Another time saver, is always carry an "idea sheet" with you. This can be a small notebook, a clipboard, 3 x 5 cards, or your pocket tape recorders. When an idea hits you, jot it down. Make use of idle moments. I've written some of my best speeches, come up with some really good ideas for special dances, or projects as I relax prior to going to sleep, or daydreaming after supper, but if I don't jot them down, the ideas are completely lost. I don't know about yours, but my mind works very mysteriously — or is that just a way of saying I'm getting more forgetful each day?
Summation
How are we going to control our time — and not let it control us?
- List Goals: Short term, long term, and goals for the next 6 months.
- Set Priorities: A, A-1, etc.: Highly important, do today. B: Medium value, can be done by (next week, next month). C: Low value, do as time permits.
ROUNDALAB Journal, April, 1985