Time Management
Quite
frankly, I am a horrible time manager. Everything seems to get done, but there
is no rhyme or reason to it. I do not have a history of ADHA, but when it comes
to completing tasks, I tend to start something and then move on to something else and then
go back to the initial task. As a colleague of mine pointed out the other day,
Outlook has some great tools for organizing emails into what has to be done now
and what can be put off until tomorrow. Unfortunately, I cannot find the time
to utilize these tools.
I have used my Outlook calendar to
try to manage my time better to a certain extent. I have started to put reminders in to complete certain tasks. However, I can be right in the middle of a task
when an email comes in. For some reason, I feel like I have to know what it
says right away; so, I stop what I am doing and read it. Frequently, I begin working
on answering that email rather than finishing the one I was already working on.
I always get back to the first email and complete the task, but telling myself
that I need to spend time on this project and ignore emails and phone
calls seems to be a foreign concept to me. I see co-workers who always seem to
have time scheduled for certain projects and they stick to it even though
others are tugging at their coattails like toddlers trying to get their mother’s
attention.
At first glance, it may seem like I
think this is an external locus of control. However, I am not allowing others
to determine what I do at any given moment. Instead, because I am aware of it
and allow it to happen, I believe that this falls under the category of
internal locus of control. I need to make a conscience effort to improve in
this category. Identifying the reason that I move away from one task and on to
another would be the first step in improving. There may not be one simple
reason, but I believe the primary reason is boredom. When you are working at a
task for long enough you tend to get tired of it. Briefly switching gears
allows for the boredom to diminish and a feeling of refreshment when the
original task is resumed.
Improving my time management skills
would definitely reduce stress levels at home. Both of my children currently
play baseball in different cities. Managing my work, school, home, and children’s
schedules requires some creative finagling at times and often leaves me stressed
and feeling like I could not possibly have time to do anything else…especially
not something for myself! Using a
planner for personal appointments may help me manage my time outside of work
more wisely.
Focusing on time management would also benefit my
professional life. I am the EagleVision trainer for ERAU and I spend a lot of
time sending emails in between training sessions. Learning how to organize my
day into specific tasks at certain times (and sticking to that) would greatly
reduce work-related stress.
Finally, making time for myself
would probably be the most important element in time management to reduce stress. I rarely take time for myself to do something that I enjoy. Like many
working moms, I tend to put everything and everyone else before myself. This
leaves me feeling tired and stressed out more than anything else in my life.
My plan at work is to use my
Outlook calendar to organize the tasks that need to be accomplished on any
given day. This should theoretically allow me to work on specific tasks for a
set period of time and allow me to finish everything in an orderly fashion. The
department I work in is getting ready to have a training session on how to use
Microsoft Project, a tool that helps you manage deadlines for major projects.
After attending the session, I hope to be able to integrate this tool into my
work environment, as well. I am still not sure how I plan on making time for
myself. I will formulate that plan when I have some free time….
No comments:
Post a Comment