By Dr. Jason Carthen
During some of my seminars and workshops, people will often ask me how they can be more intentional and remain focused on their tasks all the way through completion. I share with them that it has a lot to do with effective time management and navigating some of their “time-stealers” during the day, i.e., e-mail, phone calls, meetings, etc.
Time-Stealers Carry Great Deal of Importance
While many of those time-stealers carry a great deal of importance, some others do not. The key is assigning the correct level of importance and operating within what I like to call, “The Big Three.” The “Big Three” consists of (a) Thoughts, (b) conversations, (c) and actions.
Taming the Big Three
Taming the Big Three consists of allocating time to each of the three areas and then tracking your ability to successfully complete the tasks as it relates to each area. For example, how much time do you spend coordinating and thinking about your day before it gets started? The more that you can think through your day and document what you want to achieve in advance, the greater likelihood for your success. In contrast, if you do not think about your day and commit in advance, you will need to think through it during the day, which takes time.
The same holds true for conversations, if you have scheduled meetings, make sure you take into consideration how long the each meeting is supposed to last and adjust your other two areas in the “Big Three.”
“Big Three” Require the Majority of Your Time
Lastly, the actions portion of the “Big Three” will require the majority of your time, so it is crucial that you allocate enough time to start and complete tasks if you are going to effectively manage your time. Granted, there are additional steps and practices that will allow you to effectively manage your time, but taming the “Big Three” allows you a condensed view of the areas that will immediately benefit from your attention.
Please leave a comment or post on my Facebook Page and share how you effectively manage your time. Thanks for being a part of this community!
