Where Did the Time Go?

It seems that I am constantly asking myself that question. There never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done that needs to get done. Late last week, I was expressing my frustration with a colleague who asked about my time management plan. I told her that I had tried using to-do lists and daily schedules repeatedly over the years, but the efforts always ended in frustration.

She then made a couple of suggestions and asked me to give it a solid effort for at least two weeks to see how things work. I'm at the end of week one and must admit that the results have been incredible. The plan sounds as though it requires a lot of time when you first hear it, but it doesn't take as much effort as you might imagine. Here's what I've been doing and what I'm discovering.

First,I began the week making a long-range to-do list. Limit this list to general topics and include any associated due dates. Your daily action list is generated from this list. What I have found is that I make the long-range list and then put it away. I can refer to it if needed, but the making of the list helped organize my thoughts. However, seeing the long-range items on a daily basis can lead to additional stress.

At the end of each day, I create a to-do list for the next day. The list is never longer than 15 items, broken down into 3 categories: A, B, and C. "A" are those things that really MUST get done. "B" includes things that would be nice to complete, but aren't essential at this point. "C" contains those actions that aren't pressing at all--and that I DON'T expect to accomplish. Both categories A and B are some aspect of a task on the long-range to-do list. List C is where I can toss in those items that are part of simply living life.

What I have found is that list C are often easy tasks that are rather mindless and can be pulled into my day where I would normally take a break. So, I'm resting my body and mind while accomplishing a mindless task that just needs to get done.

Now on to the scheduling of the day. This has been the biggest eye-opener for me and I hope it helps someone else. MY DAY BELONGS TO ME, SO I CAN DICTATE WHO GETS MY TIME AND HOW MUCH I WILL ALLOW THEM TO HAVE! For years, I had made every effort to accommodate other people's needs and wants into my day. This ended up creating massive frustration in my life as people showed up late to appointments and activities that should have required an hour ended up costing me three! Now, I clearly state from the start a beginning time for the appointment and the length of time that I will invest. Additionally, I intentionally schedule another activity immediately afterward so there can be no alteration. Is that a good practice? Probably not for all situations, but it is helping me to set some boundaries with those who have consistently abused my schedule.

Once I have scheduled where I need to be and when, I stop the planning. My to-do list now generates my activities. Since I'm a creative person, I can easily get bored with a task and hate the feeling of being tied down to a rigorous schedule. Now, I schedule hours at the office, but allow the to-do list to determine what I accomplish at any given moment. I'm just marking things off my list throughout the day. If I begin a task and leave it before I'm done, I just make a mark next to the item and move to something else that catches my attention. I do have to make sure that I'm not avoiding a task simply because it is unpleasant, but can return to it throughout the day.

To evaluate what I have accomplished at the end of the day, I tuck a notepad in my day planner and keep track of what I've accomplished and how long it has taken. This diary doesn't get too specific; I generally just include changes of locations and list the major tasks that I accomplish there. At the end of the day, I transfer the schedule to a journal and examine how much time was invested in the different areas of my day, how many to-do items I actually accomplished, and look for periods of time that weren't used to their full potential.

Maybe it's not the process for you, but it's done wonders for me this week. I'm anxious to see how valuable it continues to be when my life is not consumed with the hectic pace of Music Camp.