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30 Smart Time Management Tips and Tricks More From Provider

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21 Secrets to Getting the Job U.S.News & World
Karen Burns, On Wednesday September 29, 2010, 11:11 am EDT Report

Yes, yes, yes, you are very busy. That's why you meet deadlines at the last minute. Or after. That's why you 50 Best Careers for 2010 U.S.News & World Report
cruise into meetings 15 minutes late. It's why you forget details or schedule two tasks for the same time or have 39 Ways to Annoy Your Coworkers U.S.News &
500 unanswered emails in your inbox. It's why you can never take a vacation, or even a full weekend off. World Report

Or is it? Maybe poor time management is simply a bad habit. Maybe you can learn to organize and control your AdChoices
time better. Because let's face it, time management is really self management.

[See 21 Secrets to Getting the Job.]

Consider taking a look at these classic time management tips. One, or two, or three, may work for you:

1. Obvious tip one: Make a to-do list (electronic or paper). Put the most important item first and work down from
there.

2. Obvious tip two: At the end of your day, review what you've done and make a new list for the next day. In
order of importance.

3. Be ruthless about setting priorities. Make sure that what you think is important is really important.

4. Learn to differentiate between the important and the urgent. What's important is not always urgent. What's
urgent is not always important.

5. Carry your to-do list with you at all times. Tech Ticker Recent Posts

6. All things being equal, do the hardest, least fun thing first. Just get it over with! That Giant Sucking Sound: Majority of Americans
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7. If a task takes less than five minutes, do it right away. If it takes longer, put it on the list.
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8. Deal with E-mail at set times each day, if possible. If you need to check messages as they arrive, limit your - Henry Blodget
sessions to less than five minutes.
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9. Schedule some uninterrupted time each day when you can concentrate on important tasks, even if you have
to take refuge in a conference room or at the library. View More

10. Another approach: Before you check your E-mail or voicemail or get involved in the minutiae of the day,
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devote a solid hour to your most important project.
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[See 50 Tips for Surviving Your Worst Work Days.]
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11. For a couple of days, take an inventory of how you spend your time to find out where and how you're See all RSS links
wasting it.
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12. Eliminate the time wasters (e.g., if personal phone calls are taking up too much space in your workday, turn
off your cell).

13. Cut big jobs into small chunks. Order the chunks by importance. Work on one chunk at a time.

14. For big, complex tasks, schedule wiggle room. Projects tend to take longer than you think/hope. Give
yourself a buffer.

15. If part of your day involves routine repetitive tasks, keep records of how long they take and then try to do
them faster.

16. Go one step further and set specific time limits for routine tasks. Work tends to fill whatever amount of time
you happen to have.

17. Establish smart efficient systems for all your tasks, big and small, and stick to them.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/30-Smart-Time-Management-Tips-usnews-3329784997.ht... 10/4/2010
30 Smart Time Management Tips and Tricks - Yahoo! Finance Page 2 of 4

18. Value your time. People who wander into your workspace to chat do not respect you or your schedule. Set
© Copyright 2010 U.S.News & World Report, L.P
boundaries.

19. When and where you can, say no. Trying to do everything everyone asks you to do is a recipe for failure.

20. In general, guard against overscheduling yourself.

[See 39 Ways to Annoy Your Coworkers.]

21. Bottom line to items 19 and 20: Learn to delegate, wherever and whenever you can.

22. Aim to handle pieces of paper only once. Same for E-mails. Read 'em and deal with 'em.

23. Reward yourself for completing tasks on time. No fun stuff until the work stuff is done.

24. Organize and declutter your workspace so you don't waste time looking for things.

25. Schedule demanding tasks for that part of your day when you're at your peak.

26. Group related tasks (e.g., sort papers on your desk and then file them). It's more efficient.

27. Use down time (e.g., waiting for meetings to begin) to, for example, update your to-do list or answer E-
mails.

28. This advice applies to life outside work, too. It's better to be excellent at a few things than average at many.

29. Don't be afraid to get projects done early. It takes them off your mind, and it doesn't mean you'll just be
given more to do.

30. Create the business environment that works for you. Adjust the lighting, turn off your E-mail pinger, get that
cup of tea. Set the stage and get to work.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-
Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at
www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

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67 Comments Show: Newest First

Post a Comment Comments 1 - 10 of 67 First Prev Next Last

Agelessbbw. Com 1 minute ago Report Abuse 0 0

love this , So does My boyfriend .he is almost 11year older than me .i met him on a hot
place. Check my yahoo ID. It gives you a chance to make your life better and open
opportunities for you to meet the attractive young girls and treat you like a king. Maybe you
wanna check it out or tell your friends

but I do like the to-do list tip about doing important stuff first. and doing the harder less likable
thing first and getting it over with. and getting 5 minute stuff done right away. (as long as that
doesn't all contradict each other. lol)

Reply

Simplyfree4u.com 2 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

Here's how to get iPhones, iPads, Laptops for FREE. Visit the site set as my name or click
on it to find out more. .d12

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/30-Smart-Time-Management-Tips-usnews-3329784997.ht... 10/4/2010
30 Smart Time Management Tips and Tricks - Yahoo! Finance Page 3 of 4

Reply

Inthecards 3 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

note to self,stop making more work and less time by making a list!

Reply

Rebekah 3 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 0

Why isn't "Don't waist time arguing with fools" on the list?

Reply

Agelessbbw. Com 5 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 1

love this , So does My boyfriend .he is almost 11year older than me .i met him on a hot
place. Check my yahoo ID. It gives you a chance to make your life better and open
opportunities for you to meet the attractive young girls and treat you like a king. Maybe you
wanna check it out or tell your friends

I already do most of these. I read the list just to see if there are any I've forgotten or could
work on - there are a couple. This stuff all works, but it has to become habit. My experience
is that time management is rewarding enough that it becomes habitual pretty easily.

Reply

Simplyfree4u.com 10 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 2

Here's how to get iPhones, iPads, Laptops for FREE. Visit the site set as my name or click
on it to find out more. .d11

Reply

Nick 12 minutes ago Report Abuse 8 0

way to save time: stop reading stupid online articles :-o

Reply

Michelle 13 minutes ago Report Abuse 1 0

wow, sounds like it would take a lot of time to do all these things. very stressful...and no
allowance for breaks?

here's a tip: TAKE A BREAK EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. make it small breaks, though, like
10 minutes not hours. allow your self to recharge a little.

you need to take some time to enjoy life, it makes all the crappy stuff more bearable.

but I do like the to-do list tip about doing important stuff first. and doing the harder less likable
thing first and getting it over with. and getting 5 minute stuff done right away. (as long as that
doesn't all contradict each other. lol)

Reply

Simplyfree4u.com 15 minutes ago Report Abuse 0 7

Here's how to get iPhones, iPads, Laptops for FREE. Visit the site set as my name or click
on it to find out more. .d10

Reply

Kimberly 16 minutes ago Report Abuse 2 1

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/30-Smart-Time-Management-Tips-usnews-3329784997.ht... 10/4/2010
30 Smart Time Management Tips and Tricks - Yahoo! Finance Page 4 of 4

I practice some of these tips but not all. It's good to have a reminder about how to time manage ... and
lists, short and as to the point as possible, really do work.

Reply

Comments 1 - 10 of 67 First Prev Next Last

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