Today, I'm working hard on getting organized -- personally and professionally. In my effort to improve task/project management and time management, I hit up Google. I'm coming across really helpful information that I want to share with you.
LifeOrganizers.com - Helpful tips, tools and resources that you can use to organize the simple to complex things in your life. Need a list of recommendations and a checklist for packing for a trip, moving, or just cleaning up around the house or your desk, this is a great first stop!
Dumb Little Man (Tools for Life) - This man isn't dumb. Little? I'm not sure. Doesn't matter to me. I specifically hit up this site for time management advice. Thus far, I've come across handy tools, some of which I already knew about or was introduced to by a friend. Overall, there are great, simple, easy-to-use and effective things here. Be sure to check out the 'time management advice' site page in particular if you are looking for tools to help you with (mostly) browser-based:
-Password Management
-Note-taking Tools
-Application Management
-Time and Task Tracking
-Mindmapping
-Reminders to Take Time for Yourself!
[Addition since original post] You're likely familiar with the Urgent-Important quadrant (I'm mis-naming, no doubt) that John Covey brought to the forefront of many managers' minds. Well, take your basic understanding of it and check out this awesome, insightful and wise perspective. I guarantee a light bulb will go on, and you may even grin.
Regarding time management, I find that the following is wise advice, and although it may seem obvious, it never hurts to hear or read something again, certainly when trying to change habits and improve a situation:
The key to successful time management is planning and then protecting the planned time. People who say that they have no time do not plan, or fail to protect planned time. If you plan what to do and when, and then stick to it, then you will have time. This involves conditioning, or re-conditioning your environment. For people who have demands placed on them by others, particularly other departments, managers, customers, etc, time management requires diplomatically managing the expectations of others. Time management is chiefly about conditioning your environment, rather than allowing your environment to condition you. If you tolerate, and accept without question, the interruptions and demands of others then you effectively encourage these time management pressures to continue.I'm definitely a perpetual "I don't have time for that" person. I may know this doesn't help anything, is entirely within my control, and I can do better; but, I haven't figured out how yet. So, that's one of today's two important projects -- Learn about how to be a successful time manager, find tools that can help me to better manage my time and projects/tasks, and implement them. It never hurts to try, right? Things can't get worse, only better.
Okay, for now, time to grab a bite to eat, get back to cleaning my fish tank, then back to this computer to work on time/task management stuff. Best of luck in cleaning up your life! I'm all ears, if you have any specific advice on things that can help or things that have worked for you.
