exciting
futures
PART 4 Expedite the urgent
Expedite the urgent and unimportant
Expedite means to do something quickly. Expediting helps you give tasks only as much time as they deserve.
Look at the time management strategy:
If the task is of low importance you can choose to leave it (DUMP) or do it (EXPEDITE).
If you chose to do it, then do it quickly to the minimum quality standard required.
By spending minimum time on low importance tasks you won't be left to rush important tasks.
19 Aim for excellence, not perfection.
It it's urgent but not important, just do it to a minimum quality standard. Why spend time perfecting something when perfection is not necessary? That's imperfect use of your talents and your resources.
Allocate your talents and energy to important things. Excellence is about doing the right things to the right standards - it's not about perfectionism.
If it's urgent and important then realize that you can only do the best that you can in the time available.
BUT REMEMBER - if you procrastinate or don't prioritize or don't plan then the reason you're rushing a quality job is you. Time management is not about making more time - that's impossible. Time management is about making the best use of the time that there is. By doing this you choose time management over stress management.
Remember, the reason you missed the train is not because you cannot run fast enough, it's because you didn't leave early enough.
20 Tackle your procrastination
You avoid doing things because they are unpleasant, difficult or because you are indecisive.
|
Reason for procrastination |
Technique |
| Unpleasant | Try the sandwich technique. Start with
a pleasant activity, next do the unpleasant then finish on a pleasant
activity. Putting the unpleasant in the middle hurts less.
Try chunking the unpleasant into smaller pieces. If you cannot suffer the whole task, you might be able to suffer a smaller dose of it. Try a leading task. Find some part of the task that can be done quickly, requires little or no planning, and requires little conscious effort. Try getting a new job. Try finding new things in your job that stimulate and motivate you. |
| Difficult | Chunking works here - break the task up into
smaller parts. The size of the chunks will be partly determined by
the job and partly determined by your time. The trick is to break an
unpalatable or complex task into smaller, tablet-size work packages.
Do difficult tasks and chunks in prime time. Prime time is when you are at your best. For example, if you're a "morning person", then do challenging or difficult tasks then. |
| Indecision | You are paid for results - indecision impedes
results. Let's face it, a certain
percentage of your decisions will not be perfect. Recognize this.
Make trivial decisions quickly. Make high risk decisions following these steps: 1 Obtain the best information you can get in the time available. 2 Weigh up the options by considering the consequences. 3 Write these considerations down. 4 Make the best decision you can given the information and time available - and move on. What else can you do? |
SO, ONE MORE TIME, EXPEDITING MEANS:
Don't waste time on low importance tasks.
Don't do a "high quality" job when a "moderate quality" job will suffice.
There are ways to overcome procrastination - use them.
| LESSON ONE | LESSON TWO | LESSON THREE | LESSON FOUR | LESSON FIVE |
| ELIMINATE TIMEWASTERS | SET YOUR PRIORITIES | PLAN and SCHEDULE | Go to the top of the page | DEVELOP SELF- DISCIPLINE |
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