Time Detractors—Dealing With Time Management's Spidery Issues
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
If you’re showering and spot a spider, do you ignore it, quickly flush it down the drain, or stop and get out of the shower to carry it to safety?
As I let the one I’d discovered find its way to spider heaven down the drain, I was reminded how similar interruptions occur while you work that force your attention. A phone call, a technical problem, an unexpected meeting, a friend or family member in need, an errand or project you’d forgotten you had to do. Ignoring them is rarely a viable option. You often have to make a quick judgment as to whether you’ll stop to take immediate and brief action on it, schedule time to attend to it later, or get more fully engaged to complete it and possibly not get back to what you were first doing.
All spiders have venom, but it’s not always harmful to humans. Similarly, distractions can hurt your progress, but not if you have a plan for your day that includes flex time to handle changes. Try to schedule a few less things each day so that you can accomplish them and not be upset when you’re pulled away to do something unexpected.
What is your working style and how do you manage your time? Email info@creatingatwill.com and ask for our free .pdf assessment to find out how you work best. (For fun: read info on common household spiders)
Whether you’re a manager in an organization or need to more effectively manage your own business as an entrepreneur, these styles of management can get in the way if you’re not aware you’re doing them. Here’s what I’ve discovered with my clients that doesn’t work and how to fix them.
Most successful entrepreneurs and women in management can’t afford to waste time during their work hours. But they often don’t know what causes them to lose time in their day. As both an Entrepreneur and one who manages my business, plus the service consultants and vendors who work for me, I know what you’re up against. Here are some tips I’ve learned:
Time can slip away from you due to unsuspected projects that arise – even for those of us who are good planners – yes, even a Career Strategist. We’ve all experienced how you set a day and time to do something, and something more pressing unexpectedly pops up and takes you away from your original work. Today I had a useful reminder because typically the day before I leave for a trip (I’m heading off to a week-long coach conference tomorrow), I try to finish too much. Sound familiar?
The comment, Haste Makes Waste (an excerpt from Robinson Jeffers 1929 poem, “Shine, Perishing Republic”), points up an inescapable truism. How often have you rushed to get something done only to have to backstep and redo it? Even with this knowledge, I still find myself addicted to the concept that “more is better” and I’m pleased with myself on those days when I have kept up a hasty pace and got more things done, likewise admonishing myself when it seems as if I let the day slip though my fingers. When caught in this illusion, I not only miss the greater benefit of enjoying the day as it was, but am upset when my efforts to get things under more control, fail.
