Record Your Inefficiencies as They Occur

Application

You have studied our Time Management lesson in the skills section.

You try to think of your inefficiencies but you come up blank.

People in Time Management workshops often have difficulty making a list of their inefficiencies.

Try the method described in Ben Franklin's autobiography:

1. Design a chart similar to the sample below.
2. Select and prepare a place where your chart will attract your constant attention. Consider a daily diary, plan book, pda, wall chart, or other organizer.
3. List your inefficiencies in the left-side of your chart. These could be specific actions, tasks or routines. Consider common threads or overlying causes for a set of actions. The descending order can be from the simplest to the most difficult or the other way around.

Here's how it works:

1. Record a mark in the appropriate cell each time you are inefficient.
2. Focus on keeping the top row clear of these marks. Record inefficiencies for all rows but, maintain your focus on correcting the top item for the entire week.
3. After each week rotate the top item to the bottom of the chart so the previous second item becomes your focus. The next time the item bubbles to the top row it should have fewer marks. Don't be overly concerned with the number of "bad" marks on your first cycle. It takes time to change habits.

Sample for Week 1

Objective: Focus on spending less time on outgoing phone calls.

Sample for Week 2

Objective: Focus on spending less time on incoming phone calls.

Note the improvement on the focus(top) item and the slippage on your previous top item.

Sample for Week 3

Objective: Focus on avoiding jumps from an uncompleted task to another task.

Note the improvement on the worst item and begin to observe a pattern of occurrence.

Suggestions

• Limit rows to no more than ten at a time in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed by your behavioral modification plans.
• Recognize that some habits are more difficult to modify than others.
• Adjust your next program cycle accordingly.
• Retain your charts for admiring your improvement and for those days when you feel you aren't making any progress.

Stories

Post-it note reminders

You seem to rely on lists quite often. I usually find that lists add to my workload.

When I want to concentrate on correcting a weakness I have, I write them down on brightly colored post it notes. I stick the post it notes one at a time in a prominent place and, when possible, in the area where my weakness tends to occur.

For example, I tend to spend too much time on the phone whenever I am interrupted with a call. (Its probably my bad habit of procrastination that causes this). To remind myself to keep my conversations short I have taped a neon pink post it to my handset. The bright pink is a not so subtle reminder to get off the phone.

Outcomes

• Over time you will become a very efficient manager.
• Your self-esteem will soar to great heights.

Related Topics

• Time Management for Entrepreneurs - What to do, When & Why
• Follow the principles of our Introduction to Time Management
• Reluctance to do a Time Log

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