Effective Time Management

Do you ever have trouble remembering things that need to be done? Do you struggle to arrive on time to appointments? Do you have difficulty maintaining focus on a single task long enough to finish it? Do you ever feel like a juggler, with so many balls in the air that you don’t know which ones to catch and which ones to let drop and roll away? Becoming an effective event planner, or just becoming more effective period, starts with having an efficient way to keep track of multiple dates, tasks, and deadlines.

• Create a task list for every project on your plate and update the list every day.  It sounds like a simple, perhaps obvious suggestion, but this one can make huge difference in keeping you on target, on time, and stress-free. Be sure to include enough information to jog your memory about what you specifically need to do for each task and include a due date for each item.  Add each item on your list to your calendar or planner. Write things down in a notebook that you carry in your purse, or use an app on your smart phone or tablet.  Whatever you do, pick a method, stick to it, and update that list every day.

• Use your lists to record all of the smaller tasks and details for each event on your schedule.  For example, if you’ve decided to have a garage sale, start adding individual tasks to your lists two or three weeks before- ‘clean out coat closet’; ‘place ad in local newspaper’; ‘sweep out garage’; set up tables and clothing racks’; ‘go to bank to get change’.

•  As soon as you think of a task, write it down! Keep paper and pen by your bed, in your car, and in your purse.  If your brain starts spinning as soon as you lay your head on the pillow with the tasks that are facing you the next day, take a few minutes to ‘download’ those items to a written list  so your brain can rest.

Managing multiple tasks can be daunting.  The most important thing is to choose a system that you can maintain without spending a lot of time and effort. Whatever method you choose, it’s important to select a one that is comprehensive enough for your needs, but not so complicated that you can’t keep it current.

Next – Effective Time Management – Calendars and Planners

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