Getting Things Done

People I work with often have realized that they can't do everything themselves. They have figured that delegating tasks to me is a more time efficient and many times more cost efficient way to manage their time. I often am doing many projects for a variety of clients - all with different actions and deadlines at the same time. I thought I would share how I manage to keep things going.

*Try keeping a log of your time for a week, then analyze what you did. Are you doing the same things over and over, when you could simply do it once a day or once a week? Or do you have more time than you thought?

*Take 15 minutes at the start of your day and plan your day. Write down what you need to get done for the day. Establish priorities and goals. Your goals should be specific and quantitative. Also when planning your day, schedule the things you find the most difficult to get done at the time you are at your best. Planning can help you stay focused during your day.

*Delegate those tasks that don't require your personal touch or those tasks which you don't like to do.

*Use the phone, fax, e-mail, or Internet to get stuff done instead of driving somewhere to check something out or standing in line to order something. This is the age of technology - use it - it really can save you time.

*Take a break! This is probably the most important thing to do during the day. Think about it, don't you feel more energized when you step away from what you are working on to pet the dog or go outside and enjoy the rain. :-)

*Lastly remember that you need to take time for work and time for play.