Plan for Success

Your project management plan is your bible for success. Without it, there will not be a project because without a workable plan, you have no way to reach your goal. Your plan must start at with the goal that you want to achieve. Then, break down that go into workable segments. Set a timeline for each segment. Your team should know these timelines and adhere to them. This does not mean that you make a mad dash between segments. You want to allow enough time for these various stages to be achieved while still being able to meet the overall deadline. Remember, you can rework your plan to find better ways to get you where you need to be.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Key performance indicators are those little segments that let you know you’re moving forward and moving towards achieving your goal. You want to set KPI’s that can be measured and realistically attained. Set your team up for success and not failure by constantly monitoring the key indicators. This can also be a benchmark tool to use on future projects to determine success. If you have been on a project that has failed then you know some of the KPI’s that should have been in place to have effectively evaluated the progress of the project. The easiest way to build KPI’s into your project is to put them into the schedule as critical tasks. That way you can track your performance indicators as part of your timeline. Its like a built in reminder system to check on the health of your project.

5 Key Factors for Project Success.
So how do you keep a project moving toward success?

1. Know exactly what your project is trying to achieve.
2. Plan effectively to reach your overall goal.
3. Keep open communications amongst team members.
4. Have a Q & A session at various stages to see if the plan needs to be revised to achieve the goal.
5. Motivate team members. After all, they are working hard to help you achieve the project’s goal.

Being a project manager is a lot of work. However, when you’ve see a project through to success, then it is all worth it. Success can “always” be attained if you have the proper plan in place, good communications between team members and flexibility to change the plan as needed –without compromising the timeline.

Stay tuned for the next blog in this series. Subscribe to this blog so you won’t miss more tips on time management and project management success. 

The tickler file is a classic time management tool. But it has its limits.  Understanding how a tickler file works, and its drawbacks, is a great way to appreciate the benefits of an online project management system.
 
The classic tickler file is a filing system used to keep things in order by due date.  A conventional tickler file consists of 43 files: 12 folders for each month of the year plus 31 files for each day of the month.  The files are organized by month and then by dates of the month.  Your tickler file can be created using anything from a box to a crate, or you can buy a plastic file box from your local office supply store. This classic format generally allows you to plan for tasks up to one month ahead.  The difference between a tickler file and a planner is that the tickler file allows you to place documents in the file.

When you have a task or assignment due on a particular day, place a description of the task and the relevant related documents in the file folder of that particular date of the month. Then, every day get in the habit of checking the tickler file for that day.  Everything you need for that day’s tasks is right in front of you. You’ll need to rotate the folders each day and month. So when you are done with January move it to the back of the file and February will be in front. This applies also to the days of the month. This rotation keeps the most current month and date always in front of you. This type of filing system is used to help keep you on top of time sensitive documents and projects that need to be completed on a particular date.

Of course, if you are dealing with more than one project or multiple tasks a standard paper tickler filing system can get a little burdensome.  The classic answer is to create a tickler file for each separate project or area of responsibility. For example, you can create a tickler file for your bills, for each specific project, for each client and for general reminders.  You can also create tickler files for each member of your team and color coordinate file folders by projects to keep everyone on the same page. When you have a meeting and want to discuss a particular project you could tell everyone to bring their blue file folder, for example,

A paper-based tickler file, however, can get overly cumbersome very quickly. Here are seven drawbacks of a paper-based approach.

1.  It requires everyone to be as organized as you or, at least,
2.  Requires one person to run around and update everyone else’s tickler files.
3.  It only allows planning a month ahead of time.
4.  It takes up a lot of physical space.
5.  It is limited in the number of documents it can hold.
6.  Updating the related documents across a team requires making numerous physical copies of the same document.
7.  Task updates require calling everyone or having meetings every time you want to tell people something changed and; getting information on how everyone is doing on a project requires another meeting and a lot of time going around asking each person about each task.

An online project management system, like Vertabase (the people behind this blog), does exactly what a paper-based filing system can’t.  Here are nine benefits to an online project management system that speak directly to the drawbacks above.

1.  An online tool doesn’t require everyone to be super-organized.
2.  People can continue to be themselves, but still stay on-track with their tasks. 
3.  The online system can remind them of due dates directly via email so people don’t have to change their habits and check a system every day. 
4.  One person can plan and manage the tasks for a particular project and through that alone, the whole team can stay on track. 
5.  You can plan for months or years in advance –and easily change tasks when you need to.
6.  You can store and work on a nearly unlimited number of documents for each task or project since everything is kept digitally.
7.  When something changes, you don’t need to call a meeting. Once it’s changed in the system, everyone get’s automatically notified about it.
8.  People can update their task information from anywhere via the internet so it’s easy for people to keep you in the loop on how things are going.
9.  Checking project or task status is a breeze since everyone’s task information is centralized in one convenient location –available from anywhere on the internet.

The paper-based tickler filing system is a classic tool for managing tasks and time.  For many people, it is a great stepping stone towards getting more organized. It also provides a good framework for understanding the benefits of an online project management tool.  If it works for you, it is valuable. If you have run into the limitations and drawbacks of a paper-based filing system, though, you probably already know that an online project management tool could really pay off for you.

If you are new to getting things done by using better time management skills or better project management skills and are looking to learn a specific management system, you could significantly improve your productivity by learning an online project management like Vertabase.  Besides being able to get more done, these skills are in high demand in today’s marketplace and can help your chances of success in the job market. 
 

If there is one skill that needs to be mastered in order to utilize your time more productively it is delegating. It is easy to get overwhelmed with our personal and professional tasks. We often forget that there is only one of us and a million things we need to get done. We can’t possibly do it all or be everywhere we need to be.  In order to get things done, we have to learn to let go and let others assist us. It is the only way we can focus on those tasks to which we uniquely add value - versus tasks that one does well but that others are able to do.

Letting go can be hard at first. We sometimes feel like the tasks or projects in front of us our are babies or our special challenge to overcome. Initially, we may feel like we are the only ones who can do the job properly. But, other people can get the job done. It is hard at first but as time goes on it gets easier.

1. First, you need to pinpoint those who can assist you. Be sure that these are people that you can trust and count on to get whatever it is you need done.  Finding solid people, who do what they say they are going to do, is the first requirement for delegating.
2. Second, make sure you have a system in place for tracking tasks on other people’s plates.  The more you put out there, the more you have to keep track of. If you delegate out but lose track of the tasks –they will not get done.   Keep in mind that delegating should make your life easier; not make more work for you. So whatever system you use for task tracking should fit in with your workflow and not create whole other set of new tasks for you to do.
3. Third, you have to remember to follow up. Check in to make sure that the tasks are being completed and that they are being done how you want. In the end, it is still your name on the line.

Here are a few other pointers to make delegating easier and more successful:

• Understand and explain the skills needed to complete the task. This makes it easier to find the right person.
• Write a clear description of what you want done. Leave no room for interpretation. This takes time and your skills in writing descriptions/specifications will improve the more you do it.
• Listen to the person assisting you. Just because they may complete things in a different way than you doesn’t mean it won’t get done right.
• Give them the tools they need. If you don’t give people the tools they need to get the job done then what’s the point of delegating?
• Praise those to whom you are delegating tasks when they complete a task successfully -and reward them.  Knowing you believe in them and appreciate their work helps make them more productive.

Delegating is not easy. However, it will allow you to get more done and focus on those tasks to which you can uniquely add value. And once you get a system in place, you’ll feel so much better.

Interruptions are the monster of time management.

How many times have you been sitting at your desk trying to get your work done and in pops someone to talk? They’re not talking about anything major or important. It’s just idle chit chat. So, you chat, you get them on their way and then the phone rings. You stop and take time to handle the call, which is also not that important. This happens so often that your work just gets further and further behind. If it weren’t for these constant interruptions you might actually get something done.

It is true communication is important. But these kind of communications can hinder your work and can easily get you off track -unless you know how to handle them. 

Handling Interrupters

So what do you do when someone interrupts you and you simply don’t have the time, but don’t want to say no? How about saying no with out saying no? Use a three part response instead.

• First, acknowledge and empathize with the person who interrupted you.
• Next, interject a situation statement.
• Last but not least, end with an action statement.

For example:

“Rick, I’m sure this is really important. However, I have to finish this project by 11 a.m. Can we get together at lunch and talk?”

By using this kind of response you are telling the person that you want to hear what they have to say but just at a later time. You’re validating how they feel and letting them know that what they have to say is important.  But you’ve moved it to a time that is better for you. You’ve said no with saying no and have regained control of your time.

The Chronic Interrupter

Then, there is the person who is not that easy to handle: The chronic interrupter. You know the one who “always” drops by or calls. They have no reason to interrupt other than to kill some time so they pick you to interrupt. With these type of people you have to take a more aggressive approach to gaining control of your time, while still being professional. For example, when this person asks if you have some time respond with something like:

“Actually I am right in the middle of something, can I call you back later?” Or you can try:

“Can this wait? I have to get this project done right away?”

In both cases you are very direct in telling them that you don’t have the time.  You need to be direct to gain control of your time. 

Some tactics for these situations:

• Talk to them outside of your office. By inviting them into your office you’re allowing them to come into your space and sit down for a gab fest. Standing outside your office says “I want to hear what you have to say but I also have to get back to work. So make it quick.”
• Be Direct. If you have that chronic interrupter, don’t feel that you have to entertain them. Be civil but also be direct in stating you have things to do. Again, set up a time to talk with them at a later time but nip the constant interruptions right away.

Constant interruptions can be a major headache and impede your productivity. Be proactive in handling interruptions. Remember it is your time and it is up to you to control it.

Nowadays, more than ever, people need to have effective time management skills. This is especially important when it comes to students. Whether you’re working on your associates degree, bachelors,  graduate degree or going through job retraining, time management plays an important role in a successful educational experience.

Often students are juggling numerous things. They of course have their academics. Then there’s family and friends, and oftentimes a job. Depending on the amount of classes you are taking this can be an enormous task.

For time management to be effective you will need to schedule your normal activities, plus your class time, time for your assignments, work, etc. School will be a large part of your time management.

Dartmouth College has created some excellent resources for students wanting to manage their time:

• A great little 17 minute video on time management 
• A quiz to allow you to see how you are currently spending your time
• Creating a master schedule. Check out Dartmouth’s sample of a master schedule 
• Calendar templates you can download and use:
  • Weekly calendar template
  • 10 Week Calendar template 
  • 4 Year Planner  

There is so much to consider when setting your time management strategy. Did you know that how you study can affect your time? It can. Study in a place that is quiet and will allow you to focus. Noisy areas will cause many distractions and will eat into your time. Also if you are looking for a job, try looking on campus first. Campus jobs typically are flexible and able to accommodate most schedules (as well as cutting down on the commute, and gas). This helps with your time management because your employer is more willing to work with your college schedule.

Seattle Pacific University in Washington also offers a great page of resources for effective time management. Another great resource is from Penn State. Many colleges have some sort of time management program or educational materials. These are typically found in the Academic Success Centers or tutoring labs. Ask your college is they have such a program in place. If they do, utilize it. You’ll want to do this especially if you’re a graduate student who is also a working adult professional. Running a business or holding a job and going to college can be challenging. But it can be done.

If you’re just starting out in your college career or professional career, start using effective time management techniques now. As you get older and progress in your career, these techniques will come in handy and even improve your chances of getting a good job.
 

The almighty scratch pad: a few simple pieces of paper.

You doodle on it. You make notes. You throw it away. 

Is there a more effective tool for staying organized than the scratch-pad? 

 The answer is yes –of course.  Organized tasks lists, project management software and to-do lists should be utilized whenever possible.  However, the scratch pad does have its place and can serve many useful purposes.

A scratch pad is a handy, temporary solution to help you in your project, task, or objective.

Always carry a scratch pad of some sort with you no matter where you go because you never know when a task or an idea is going to hit you.

• During a meeting you often develop new ideas or bring forth ideas of things to be done. It could be calls you have to make or things you need to remember to do when you return to your office.
• When you’re on the phone talking to a client and a list of things to do for that client hits you – what do you do? Exactly, you grab the scratch pad.

A scratch pad isn’t just limited to work. Keeping a scratch pad in your vehicle is a great help when you’re out running errands and think of something you need to remember.

This is a simple yet effective tool for time management. After all, how many times have you sat around trying to figure out what is was you needed to do or needed to get while you were out? It’s also very easy to transcribe these notes onto your computerized task list, software or into your personal planner.

You never know when or where you run into someone and have a conversation that will lead to some task you need to complete. Often you’re not carrying around all of your project files with you or your computer and you may not have access to all of your lists. So having a scratch pad handy at all times is vital.

Getting rid of your completed scratch pads is also as vital as having them with you. If you don’t get rid of the scratch pad lists once you finish with them you could risk getting them mixed up with other lists, you could forget what has been done and what hasn’t, and you’ll end up with more work then you wanted. Make it a habit of getting rid of each sheet as you finish the tasks on them. Draw a line through each completed task so you will know what you have left to finish.

Time management can occur in many forms. Most people would not consider something as simple as a scratch pad as a useful method of time management. But it is. It’s a simple tool that will help bring about big rewards when it comes to your time. It can also help reduce your stress levels because you won’t have to spend time trying to remember the things you’ve written down.
 

Our work week can bring with it all types of challenges.  How we deal with those challenges will affect our stress levels. By being organized and managing our time effectively, we can cut back on our stressors.

Let’s take a deeper look into stress .

Stress can be defined as a person’s non-specific reaction to demands placed on the body and mind. People can experience external or internal stress.

External stress is anything that is outside the person. For instance, particular projects or people, your job, your family, your relationships, these can all be external stressors. Even the temperature outside can be an external stressor.
 
Internal stress is things which we put on ourselves like competitiveness, ambitions and goals. You can also have internal stressors when you’re sick such as an infection or inflammation.

Time management can assist in dealing with external stress. By managing your time more effectively you are lessening the external stressors in that part of your life. Research has found that people who manage the stress in their lives and use effective time management techniques share some common things:

• Have a tendency to look at life as challenging instead of a constant source of stress;
• Are more focused and driven;
• Don’t feel like the victim because they have a sense of control over their lives.

Want a quick way to look at how you deal with external and internal stressors?  Take a look at the Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety’s website at  and take their stress management quiz. It’s a neat little way of looking at your stress management style.

Stress can be a very powerful thing. If not handled correctly, stress can be very debilitating. This is why time management is so important. It helps alleviate some of that stress. Time management is meant to make life easier and smoother. Our business lives are hectic enough. By learning how to prioritize our tasks, get things done and not focus on the trivial things, we can greatly reduce our stress levels. So ask yourself “what’s stressing me out?” When you know the answer to that question you can start to develop a plan of action.

We’ve all seen how time management can be a valuable skill for us. It helps us become better at utilizing our time wisely. However, each of us is different and therefore the way we manage time is different. Determining your time style is important so you can learn how to make your time count, reduce stress when changes happen and become a more productive person. The fact that people have different time management or management  styles has been known for years by psychologists like Carl Jung.  So the idea itself is not new.

One place to help you find your management style is to look at Life Tour . They offer a quick, simple little survey that can give you a brief look at what type of leader you are. Knowing this can help you determine your time management style and how well you manage your time.

Southern Illinois University took a look at time management styles and came up with the following observations and conclusions:

• We all use Hemispheric Thinking
  Right Brain Thinkers:
  These thinkers find traditional time management rules and systems limiting. They like a more holistic approach.
  Left Brain Thinkers:
  These thinkers like traditional time management rules and methods. They may need help incorporating some playtime into their time management method.
• Pareto Principle
  This principle states that most people fail to set priorities causing them to waste their time on unimportant things. In general, we spend 80% of our time on things that will only contribute to 20% of our load.
• Management styles sometimes don’t work because:
  Rather then focusing on things and time, people tend to focus more on developing relationships and accomplishing results.
• Urgency vs. Importance
  Urgent matters are those we believe require instant action and reaction.
  Important matters are those we believe deal with results like missions, values, goals.
• Ineffective time management can lead to burnout because of trying to juggle too many tasks at one time.

Flexibility is so important when it comes to time management. During the course of your day you may have things that come up that will require immediate attention. This is where your time management skills will come into play. You may have to adjust your tasks in order to accommodate the new deed that needs to be done. Don’t stress. It can be done and you can still remain an effective time management person even with adjustments. Time management takes patience and time. You didn’t get unorganized overnight but you can get organized in a matter of days.  Knowing your management style will help you recognize why you may be stressing out and what you can do to change it.

What should I do first?

How do you decide what is a priority? 

These questions are essential to managing time and being effective on projects.  Its important to learn how to separate to-do’s and define what are priority tasks.

There are two methods that are worth looking at when trying to answer those questions:

P.O.S.E.C. Method
The POSEC method is an acronym that stands for Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing. This method states that if you pay attention to your everyday, personal responsibilities first, then you are in a better position to handle other things that may come your way.
This method has a hierarchical guideline that you should follow:

1. PRIORITIZE-Your time and define your tasks by goals.
2. ORGANIZING-Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (everyday administrative tasks, arriving on time to meetings, knowing where things are on your desk or computer).
3. STREAMLINING-Things you may not like to do, but must do (specific project related tasks you’re not crazy about working on).
4. ECONOMIZING-Things you should do or may even like to do, but they’re not pressingly urgent (working on projects you enjoy, longer term projects, personal development and learning new skills).
5. CONTRIBUTING-By paying attention to the remaining things that make a difference but which may not have an immediate measurable benefit (that extra mile of detail, consideration or kindness).

This method lets you break down your projects and tasks into little segments. It basically helps you  put your tasks in order because if personally the things you have to do regularly are good then it makes the rest of your tasks easier to deal with.  The P.O.S.E.C. method may not work for everyone but for some it will be the answer to their prayers.

The Eisenhower Method
In this method all tasks are evaluated using the following criteria:

• Important/Unimportant
• Urgent/Not Urgent

Much like a Four Quadrant Method – items are place in each corresponding box according to its importance and urgency.  So, things that are unimportant or not urgent can be placed behind those that are important or urgent. Pretty much common sense but you’d be amazed at what separating your tasks into these quadrants can do for your time management and productivity.  It can be a tremendous help when looking at a list of tasks and wondering “what do I do first?”

Interestingly, this method is called the Eisenhower Method because it was said that former U.S. President  and Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower was said to have used this method.

No matter how you prioritize your tasks or even your life, the important thing is to gain control over the things that are eating away at your time and standing in the way of your accomplishing everything you’d like to. The first task for many will be to “start” utilizing time management methods like this to make their task lists and projects a lot more manageable.
As with anything, the first step is always the most difficult,  but once you have a system in place using it will only get easier and it will be very beneficial. 

Have you ever wondered where your time goes each day? Why is it that you never seem to have enough time to do the things you want to do? Where is your time going? Are you wasting it or using it wisely?

These are questions that you should ask yourself if you want to manage your time more effectively. We have all said to ourselves “if I just had another hour, I could get so much accomplished”. The fact is, there are 24 hours in a day. How you use them is up to you. 

Activity logs are an effective tool for time management and can help you make the most of each day.  An activity log is place where you record what you did during the day, when you did it and for how long.  Activity logs can take on numerous forms: paper notebooks, electronic organizers, software on your computer, the internet or on your phone. No matter which tool you choose, the idea is to track every event so you can see the larger picture of where your time is going.  

Time management is not just something that is to be used while you’re at work. You can use time management in all aspects of your day, to help your life run more smoothly –and to have time to do the things you want to do.  Make sure to allocate time to eat, sleep, be with your family or be alone –as well as work.
 
Activity logs will help you track everything that you do on a daily basis. How much time do you spend eating? How much time do you spend on emails? How much time do you spend returning phone calls?  You will also be able to see patterns in your work. For example, are you a more productive worker in the morning versus the afternoon? Many people say they slow down in the afternoons. They attribute this to the sense of tiredness they get after eating a large lunch. On the other hand some people are just not morning people and tend to perform better in the afternoon when they are more alert. The activity log will help you see where you are wasting time and where your time is being spent effectively. Don’t be surprised if you see that you are wasting large amounts of time each day. The key is to use the activity log to see where you can make small changes that will make a big difference in the way you are managing your time.

Don’t just keep a log for a day. Track your time over a week or even two weeks. This will give you a bigger picture of where your time is spent. Remember to keep track of even small things. If you make a pot of coffee, track it. If you run to make copies, track it. Track everything! After a week or two sit down and review your activity logs. Do you see spots where your time could have been better utilized? Do you possibly see tasks that could have been combined to save time? Do you see tasks that are better allocated to other people?  This is where you will see exactly how effective activity logs can be.

Sure, it can be a pain to track every little thing you do. However, if you truly want to be a more productive person both career wise and socially, then you need to determine where your time is spent and how you can use your time more effectively. An activity log will help get you there.

Content is Critical 

Content is an important part of business –both on the marketing and sales end, as well as when talking about internal communications.   On the marketing side, we’ve been encountering content for as long as we can remember. It is used in newspapers and magazines to tell a story, on billboards advertising a service. We read it on labels in grocery stores.

Good Content = Good Business

If you don’t have the proper content or if the content isn’t managed to get your message across, then what’s the point of having it?

Internally, content can be found in various forms including:

• Reports
• Spreadsheets
• Compliance handbooks
• Contracts
• Legal documents
• Emails
• Memos
• Publications
• Intranet websites
• Wikis
• And more!

Regardless of how its found or where its found, its worth keeping an eye on it to see if can be better managed. 

Why manage content?

One reason is because you don’t want to duplicate content that is already out there. You want to keep your content fresh. This will insure that you stay ahead of the game. As times change, so should your content.

You’ll also need to change your content if your mission or goals change. The message you send to the reader needs to convey your message at that time so be specific. 

Another reason is that by managing the process of creating content, you can become better and faster at it –leaving you more time to do other things, create more content or feel better about switching your content when you need to.

The Basic Process of Managing Content

From a management perspective, content is the creative process of projecting and managing an intended message.  Information technology has made the process of creating and managing content an easy competitive advantage in today’s world.

Content goes through several steps:

1. Content is created: it’s written by writers or a team of creative professionals.
2. Editing: the content is then read and edited for message content, grammar, and punctuation.
3. Approval: the content is reviewed, final revisions made and then the content is approved.
4. Published: the content is released to its intended audience.
5. Time: the content is then left for public or private viewing for a specific amount of time.
6. Archived: when the content has expired it is then archived for storage and later reference.

These are basic steps to content development and management. By walking through these steps and having a team or process in place to manage your content, you can turn content creation into the asset it can and should be.

The role of project manager or project leader is vital to any project. Not having a designated project manager can mean disaster. A project manager oversees all aspects of a project from start up to completion. That person doesn’t have to be a certified, trained project manager.  But they do have to have some important skills.

So, what makes a good project manager? 

A good project manager needs to have exceptional time management skills. They have to remain detail oriented and highly organized to maintain all aspects of a project. Meeting deadlines is vital to any project. The project manager’s main task is to complete the project on time and within budget.

The project manager needs to also have exceptional communication skills since they’ll be dealing with people on a daily basis. Excellent “people skills” will insure that your clients are satisfied and kept up-to-date every step of the way.

Additional skills that make a great project manager are:

• Written communication skills
• Proven leadership
• Design skills
• Facilitation skills
• Dedication & Determination
• Perseverance

What types of tasks does a project manager handle?  According to the Wideman Comparative Glossary of Common Project Management Terms , a project manager is “the person who heads up the project team and is assigned the authority and responsibility for conducting the project and meeting project objectives through project management”. 

Let’s take a look at some of the things typically handled by a project manager:

• Planning the project - developing the project plan.
• Allocation of staff and resources for the project.
• Monitoring the project’s budget.
• Developing the schedule of progression for the project.
• Handling potential changes in the execution of the project, including:
  • Scope Management
  • Issues Management
  • Risk Management.

The project manager also gives vendors and contractors a main point of contact. Since the project manager knows all aspect of the project, they can be a well informed voice of reason and knowledge. They can be true leaders of the project, in every sense of the word.

Having someone in a project manager role does not guarantee that there won’t be bumps in the road but it does mean that you have started out on the right foot.

Procrastination: the American Heritage Dictionary defines procrastination as “to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness; to postpone or delay needlessly”.

We all have a tendency to procrastinate. It’s seems to be a part of human nature. We tend to think we have plenty of time to get everything done or we think we can do it later. And when the time comes, we just can’t seem to do it. The sad fact is, the more you put something off the harder it is to get it done.

So why do people procrastinate? Well, for several reasons:

People tend to put off what they fear.
People get overwhelmed by everything they have to do.
People don’t know what to do first or where to start.
Sometimes, procrastination is just a bad habit, people simply don’t know any better.
People don’t want change, therefore they put off doing something.
People strive for too much perfection. Yes, being too perfect can lead to procrastination!
Poor organizational skills.
They are waiting for “the right time.”

Procrastination is an arch nemesis to effective to time management. Procrastinating can take your time and turn it into utter chaos, leaving you feeling out of control. When you put things off you are constantly getting behind. If you let procrastination set the pace, you’ll never get caught up and you’ll constantly miss deadlines -not to mention elevate your stress levels.

The thing to do is put your best foot forward, on time; every time and beat procrastination through better time management.

Your success depends on how effectively you manage your time. With effective time management, the cycle of procrastination can be changed.

Here are a few suggestions on where to get started:

• First, look at why you keep putting things off. Is it because you’re afraid of failing? Is it because you don’t know how to do something? Figure out why you’re putting things off and move ahead in overcoming those reasons.
• Look for tools that can help. Would using technological advancements like computers, various time management software programs, calculators, etc. make it go easier and smoother?
• Use a task list. A simple list can at least keep everything in front of you so you don’t get overwhelmed trying to remember everything you have to do.  Being overwhelmed is a great rationalization for procrastinating. It tasks the form of a constant need to “take a break” to figure out what’s next or to “take a breather” from everything going on.
• Prioritizing you task list can clarify what needs to be done. This can also reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and help you defeat the feelings leading to procrastination.  With a good task list in front of you, you can literally replace being overwhelmed with a sense of control.  You will have taken the first step to taking back your own schedule and getting things done.

When you procrastinate you are literally killing your time. Take back your schedule; seize control.
You’ll notice that once you stop putting things off, by using effective time management skills to beat procrastination, your stress levels will go down greatly. You will become more effective at completing tasks and be able to take on more projects -or have more time to do other things. All you need is a better way of doing things.  Try these simple steps at effective time management.

Part of good time management is setting goals for yourself.  But your goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. What does that mean? Well, let’s look a little closer. S.M.A.R.T stands for:

Specific: Detail “exactly” what you want to achieve. You have to be specific when setting your goals. The clearer you are the better direction you will have in how to get there.

When you say “I want to raise money for diabetes” is that specific? Some would say yes but the answer is no. Yes, you want to raise money for diabetes but is that it? Again, the answer is no. Clarify, be specific! Being specific would be: “I want to raise $5000 dollars to support diabetes research by December 31st”. Can you see the difference? The first goal was not clear about exactly what you wanted to do whereas the second example specifically lists what you want to do. It becomes a goal you can actually work towards with clearly defined steps.

Measurable: Is the goal something you can measure results on and know you’re progressing? If you use the example above, would raising $1 alone satisfy your goal?  How would you measure your progress? However if you said you wanted to raise “x” amount of money by “x” date, that makes it measurable. You can see by tracking the amount of money your raise how close to your goal your getting and by adding a date you know exactly how long you have to reach that goal – making it “measurable”.

Attainable: Does your goal have the reality of being reachable or is it so far fetched that it will never be reached? You want to set a goal that you can achieve. If you said, “I will raise $100,000 for diabetes by next week” that is not attainable.  Know what you can realistically achieve and reach for that. And if you pass it, you’ll feel even better.

Realistic: Is your goal one that can be translated into realistic action? In the above example can you realistically raise money for diabetes? Yes. If you said “I will host a carwash every Saturday beginning Saturday, August 30, 2008 through Saturday, December 27, 2008 to raise $5000 for diabetes”  would that be realistic? The answer is yes. If you said you wanted to raise $5000 by 5 p.m. tomorrow by hosting 12 carwashes tomorrow,  that would not be realistic. Don’t set goals that cannot be realistically put into action.  All you’ll do in the end is make yourself feel like a failure when the result is not achieved.

Time-Sensitive: What is the time frame? If you say, my goal is to complete my essay is that time sensitive? No, because what time frame do you need to achieve the completion of your essay. So to make it more “specific” you can say, “My goal is to complete my essay by 9 p.m. on Friday”. Do you see the difference? By adding the dimension of time you have set a goal that is clear and time oriented. You have a specific time frame you’re working towards.  You can even map out steps to take leading up to your deadline. Without adding that specific time frame you leave the door open to procrastination.

You know better than anyone else what you want to achieve. You know the end result that should occur. The plan is to get you there. In order to achieve the big picture you need to set goals. Each goal will bring you one step closer to getting to where you need to be.

By setting S.M.A.R.T goals, you give yourself a definitive goal that you can actually achieve. In the end, isn’t that the whole point of time management, to get you to where you want to be? Goal setting takes time and it takes commitment to the process. With S.M.A.R.T. goals, though, a little effort goes a long way.

“I’ll do it later.”

“It’s not due until tomorrow.”

“It would have been done on time but other things came up.”

“I can’t find anything.”

If you have ever said any of those things or even something similar, then you could benefit from better  time management. Learning to use your time wisely will go a long way. You can have more time for work, for family and for yourself -if you plan it. Planning is essential to time management. Plan your day, your week; even your month or year. 

Here are some easy steps you can take to start planning your time.

Get yourself a Planner
A planner of some sort, whether it’s a paper planner or computer software for planning, is a big help. Planners typically contain a calendar or timeline and a task list. They allow you to map out your whole day and list all the tasks you need to complete that day. When utilizing a computerized planner, you can check-off each task as you go along.
 
When using a paper planner here is a good system to track your tasks during the day: 

• A blank check box next to your task means you still have to complete that task;
• A single diagonal line (/) across your check box means you are working on the task but it has yet to be completed;
• Mark the box with a full “X” when you have completed that task mark. 

There is great satisfaction in seeing a column full of “X’s” at the end of the day. (Always write in pencil when using a paper planner. This way if things change it’s easy to correct.) 
 
This simple yet effective little system will help you greatly in knowing where you are on various tasks and on what needs to be done next.

Here are a few other tips when scheduling your time or tasks:

• Be specific. Write out “exactly” what you need to do.
• Don’t push yourself. Schedule what you must but don’t over extend yourself on items that “can” be done later.
• Manage “all” of your time. Every second counts.
• Remember to schedule time for yourself. Yes, you deserve a 15 minute break. 
• If traveling, be sure to include the travel time when planning your tasks. This will not only get you there on time but allow you a few moments to regroup or review any notes.
• Set a clear and definite start and stop time to your day. Although there are 24 hours in a day, it’s just not feasible to work all of them. 
• Break down your tasks into smaller, manageable steps. You’ll be moving towards the bigger picture.

Did you know that Walt Disney built Disneyland in 366 days? How? He knew how to manage his time and the time of his employees.  Planning does take time to get used to. However, planning is essential to making the most of your time, . You know the old saying “practice makes perfect”, well now is the perfect time to “practice” planning your day.