YOGA TAICHI 91
Harmonious alliance of Yoga, Taichichuan, Qigong and Meditation
Getting organised
The Two Essentials
- Anything that takes less than two minutes should be done immediately
- Everything else is noted on a prioritised list
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you manage your time and improve your organisation. J
1 - Make lists
Write everything down, and don't just rely on your memory.
I advise you to use 3 lists:
-On an A4 sheet of paper: everything that needs to be done in the long term.
-On a large post-it note: all the tasks for the week or month.
-On a mini post-it: the tasks of the day (in order of importance).
Every evening, you take stock of what you have accomplished and what remains to be done by crossing out the activities on the lists.
2- Focus on 1 job and finish it before moving on to something else
To do this, impose a discipline: close Outlook and only open it every 2 hours, define work slots (for example, by having self-meetings in Outlook).
3- Carry out the reflection work in two stages:
1°/ First, the search for ideas: review your goals and objectives... and write down the first ideas. Then, look at the competitors' documents on the Internet... From these two lists, take the ideas that seem most interesting to you, and let the reflection settle for a few days.
2°/ Produce the final document from the working documents.
4- Avoid distractions
Tidy up your desk so that you only have your sheet of paper or your PC in front of you, and put your phone on answerphone so that you are not disturbed every 10 minutes.
Gather all the activities of the day at the same time: phone calls, answering emails...
5- Put your files away
File documents in pockets to avoid loose papers and throw away files that are no longer needed.
Use tools like Google Desktop or MSN Search to find your documents, emails, files... on your PC in one click (at least 10 minutes saved per day!).
Archive your MSOutlook regularly to increase the speed of your email and prevent your PST file from crashing. Organise your files and emails in folders: in progress, to do, newsletters...
6- Set aside time for "unproductive" tasks
Set aside the periods of the day when you are most tired or least concentrated (11am, 2pm...) to read newsletters, check your personal email...
7- Set yourself a maximum time limit for time-consuming activities
You should set yourself a maximum time limit for the most time-consuming tasks, even if it means producing work of lower quality. You must be able to make a compromise between time spent and quality obtained.
If you have to, set yourself a "personal" dead line, a challenge to accomplish.
8- Delegate the less important tasks, and accept that they are not "perfect".
You must delegate the non-essential tasks, accepting that at the beginning they will not be "as you wanted", but you must set yourself a deadline to reach this level of quality (thanks to advice and feedback on the quality provided).
Also, don't hesitate to ask for advice: trying to do everything yourself and learn everything is a huge waste of time. You have friends, acquaintances... who are a source of help and inspiration that should not be overlooked. Don't forget the internet either: forums such as www.commentcamarche.net and www.yahoo.fr (Yahoo Question Answers section) are real gold mines, and many people can help you for free and often with good quality.
9- Give yourself a break after work
Don't hesitate to take breaks in order to resume an activity, or to give yourself an extra break if you have respected your objectives.
In addition, always take a document, file, etc. with you to read when you are in transport, in a waiting room, etc. You should take advantage of waiting times to either rest or read a report, an article, etc.
10- Automate
Use all the computer tools you can: GPS, organizer, automatic signature in Outlook with "Hello Cordially ....", standard email replies, synchronize your mobile phone with outlook to see your appointments everywhere...
11 - Use a laptop
The laptop is a tool that will save you time, even if you don't travel a lot, only because it is easier to maintain than a desktop PC.
But the big advantage is that you can work during lost moments (train, waiting between two appointments...), carry your customer and product database everywhere, be able to submit an estimate on the spot if you have a simple USB key, go home with your laptop for a few days, etc.