Time Is on Our Side
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

I’m always running out of time. Along with Jim Croce, I’d like to save time in a bottle. There are so many things that I have to do each day, along with the many things that I’d like to do each day. But it seems that there is never enough time.

Although I haven’t yet been able to save time in a bottle for emergencies, I have learned how to make the best use of my time. Managing my time is really managing myself personally and personally, I’ve learned not only how to eliminate the things that waste my time, but also how to move more efficiently and productively through my day.

How many of the following waste your valuable time each day?

* Interruptions by phone and people – others will always demand your time,
especially just at the time when you get in the groove.
* Your computer crashes and you didn’t back-up that large file.
* Working on things that are not really that urgent or important.
* Personally disorganized – How long do you spend looking for things each day?
* Too much paper on your desk.
* Poorly planned and conducted meetings (I’ll bet that would have been first on
your list).

If, by a remote chance, none of the above applied to you, here are several other circumstances that may be more applicable to your situation. Keep in mind that wasted time does not only apply to work life, but your personal life as well.

* You’ve lost sight of your goals and priorities.
* You have too much work. (I’ll bet most of you are nodding your head on this
one).
* Others keep piling more work on you.
* Others in the company are not helping you out as much as you think they
should.
* You have personal problems (me too – so does everyone else).
* You don’t have enough work to do (did anyone raise his or her hand on this
one?).

Sound familiar? All of these things will wind up frustrating you and make you even more disorganized. It can be a vicious circle. So how can you overcome these seemingly impossible hurdles and make the most of the time you have? Here are several suggestions to help you organize, set in motion and assess whether you are using your time wisely.

Organize

* Make a list – organize and prioritize jobs. As new jobs (large or small) come to
you, add them. When you complete a job, cross it out (that’s my favorite part).
* Set deadlines for yourself and meet them.
* Work on similar tasks at the same time.
* Use e-mail. E-mail can be so much quicker than a phone call if you want to just
provide someone with a quick thought or new information.
* Delegate – if you can. If you are not up on the "corporate ladder" this may be a little difficult.

Set in Motion

* Do the most challenging work at the part of the day that you work best.
* Break up larger tasks into pieces.
* Use the right equipment.
* Don’t procrastinate. Do first things first and finish what you start.
* Take a break, come back, look things over, make changes and keep going.
* Build strong working relationships with others in the company and outside.
* Work smarter, not harder. Productivity and efficiency decline rapidly after eight
hours.
* Reward yourself. Don’t expect that others will necessarily appreciate or even
know how hard you have been working or what a good job you’re doing.

Assess Your Time

* Keep track of your progress. Use a checklist or time log.
* Take a look at how many things have been crossed of your list. If not many
have been completed, ask yourself why and look at the things in your life that
are wasting your time.
* Be realistic. Yes, you want to cross completed tasks off your list, but not every
one will be done by the end of the day.
* Relax. Take some time to renew, recharge and refocus.

Jim Croce may not have been able to save time in a bottle, but according to the Rolling Stones, "Time is on my Side." But that will hold true only if we treat time right and with respect. Time is here one minute and gone the next. The minutes we waste will never reappear and as hard as we might try, we can never get them back. Time may wait for no one but at least by following some of these suggestions, time will also be on your side.