The number one time management technique—and how to use it, part one

ed. note: We all look for ways to be more effective, to make the most of the minutes given to us. Charles Schwab paid a lot of money for the invaluable advice Gayle gives us here. Follow it for to make the most of your day serving God.

Charles Schwab was a man who got things done. Starting out as a fellow who drove stakes into the ground for the Carnegie Company, Schwab became president of Bethlehem Steel in 1903. There, this high achiever, still dissatisfied with his ability to get as much done as he’d like, called upon his friend, consultant Ivy Lee.

Schwab told Lee, “Show me a way to get more things done with my time and I’ll pay you any fee within reason.” Lee immediately handed Schwab a piece of paper and told him, “Write down the most important tasks you have to do tomorrow and number them in order of importance. When you arrive in the morning, begin on number one and stay on it until it is completed. Recheck your priorities, then start on number two. If any task takes all day, never mind, so long as it’s still number one. If you don’t finish all your tasks, don’t worry. You wouldn’t with any other method either. And with this system, the tasks you do complete are the most important ones. Make this a habit every working day. When it works for you give it to your people. Try it as long as you like. Then send me a check for what you think it’s worth.”

Schwab did as Lee directed, and some weeks later sent Lee a check for $25,000 along with a note saying that the lesson was the most profitable he had ever learned. When colleagues questioned Schwab about paying so large a fee for such a simple idea, Schwab responded by noting that most great ideas are simple ones.

Reflecting that Lee’s fee may have been the best investment Bethlehem ever made, he declared that in five years Lee’s plan was largely responsible for turning Bethlehem Steel into the largest independent steel producer in the world. What Schwab realized was that by conscientiously using Lee’s plan, not only he, but his entire team, was getting first things done first.

Over a century has passed—and still the number one time management technique is the to-do list. Unlike Schwab, you have heard about it before. You probably use such a list now. But, precisely because the technique has been around so long, it is easy to undervalue its worth and not use it to full advantage. This report is a refresher course in basics— along with the latest strategies for using your list more effectively.

The most important principle to grasp is that your list is not to ensure you get everything done, but to ensure you get the most important things done. Time is a finite resource. You already have all there is—24 hours every day. You can’t get more time; you can manage the time you already have more effectively. Here are ten techniques that work.

• In the afternoon, make your list for the next day.

Always write your list, no matter how good your memory is. Putting tasks on paper allows you to evaluate and organize them. Even though you know you will be diverted from your plan, make one anyway. It keeps you headed in the right direction.

Take ten minutes during the last hour of your day to make tomorrow’s list. By this time you are in the flow of things and have a good grasp of what will and won’t be finished. You know what needs to be tackled next. Get those tasks written on your list for tomorrow.

The first hour of the day is the most nonproductive hour in most offices. Without a clear sense of direction, people take more time deciding what to do first and getting started. When you have already made that decision you can quickly review your priorities and immediately start your most important work.

When facing a particularly challenging day, start with an important but small task. This builds confidence to tackle your more difficult work. Whenever you turn that first hour into a productive one, you start your day being in control and are more likely to remain in control.

Making your list in the afternoon has another important benefit: it allows you to put tasks on paper and leave them there. Once they are on the agenda for tomorrow, dismiss them from your mind. Don’t mentally take your work home with you. Leave your list in your top desk drawer. If an emergency keeps you from the office, the person filling in will know what is in progress.

• Include both long and short term goals.

Planning always starts long term and moves short term. From the year’s plans you develop monthly, weekly, and then daily plans.

A failing of many lists is that they ignore long term goals. One solution is for your staff to use weekly plan sheets during your annual planning meeting. As ministry objectives are formulated, each person can make notes on the same sheets he will use for daily planning throughout the year. If your staff doesn’t hold an annual planning meeting, schedule one for yourself. Your personal planning need not depend on others. A calendar, a tablet, and an hour of previewing upcoming months will save you hours of valuable time later.

See your to-do list as a guide for achievement—never as a rigid taskmaster. Allow the list to reflect your personality and style. I prefer not to list routine tasks—sorting the mail, making address changes and the like—on the list. You may choose to. Either way, expect the unexpected. Allow flexibility by scheduling only one-half to two-thirds of your working hours. Use unscheduled time carefully. Before you take on any task not on your list, ask yourself, “Would this be the best use of my time now?”

Some demands are so routine you respond to them automatically. Step back and look at those tasks objectively. Rethink their value. No habit should be allowed to outlive its usefulness to you. Add to your list any jobs especially on your mind at the end of your work day—just park them there overnight. In the morning, scan the list and cross off, or reassign priorities to, those things that don’t seem quite so important anymore.

• Include thinking and planning time.

When you feel you don’t have time to plan is when you need most to plan. The mental weariness that comes from having too much to do is often cured by making specific plans. Seeing what your jobs are allows you to choose wisely so you don’t waste time and energy doing the unimportant while what really matters gets neglected.

Planning can involve getting things from others: reports, newsletter articles, and the like. Agree on deadlines and set up a reminder system. When planning for a difficult responsibility or something you have never done before, consider your resources instead of jumping right in. Can you talk with someone who has done this kind of project? Do you have the files from last year’s campaign? Is there an online resource that could offer shortcuts? Be sure you gather the information you need, not just a collection of opinions. Once you have what you need, act.

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The rest of the tips are coming in Part Two.