Time management methods for every taste: from Swiss cheese to tomato.

In this article we will analyze the TOP 5 effective methodologies time management.

Time management techniques. No. 1. Pareto rule.

In the 19th century, the famous Italian economist Filfredo Pareto discovered the simple 80/20 principle, according to which only 20% of the tasks we perform bring 80% of the result.

Your task, before performing any task, is to learn to ask yourself a simple question: “What will the completion of this task bring me?”. If the answer satisfies you, then the task is worth doing. If not, then perhaps this task should be postponed.

Time management techniques. No. 2. Eisenhower Matrix.

Urgent tasks in most cases are not important. And important tasks, in most cases, are not urgent.

It was to this conclusion that the 34th President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower, came. He invented a special matrix with which you can easily determine whether it is worth doing a particular task.

Time management techniques. No. 3. eating frogs

The technique is quite simple. In the life of every person is full of small unpleasant things that you don’t want to do. These small unpleasant things drink our blood with their presence. In time management, these cases are called frogs. It is important to learn how to get rid of them.

To do this, take it as a right thing to “eat one frog” every morning.

For example, you need to fill out a report, but do not want to. They came to work in the morning and first of all sat down to fill out the report.

Time management techniques. No. 4. Cutting an elephant into steaks.

When a person is faced with a large and complex task, our motivation to do it is small (or absent at all).

When a person is standing in front of a small and simple task we do it quickly and easily. It is for this reason that large and challenging tasks need to cut (divide) into small and understandable.

Time management techniques. No. 5. Pomodoro.

Man is not a robot. We cannot work 24 hours a day. Our productivity is subject to simple laws.

First, we are involved in the process and gain momentum. Then we reach the peak of our activity. And then comes the decline.

93% of people have a dream
which can be completed by the end of the week,
and they make her the dream of a lifetime.

(Folk aphorism).

Often there is not enough internal motivation for unpleasant, but necessary things. What kind of things can these be? For example, cold calls to clients, work on complex project, jogging in the morning, etc. In time management, there are several techniques to help start such things. We will consider the following: the technique of "eating frogs", the technique of "dividing an elephant into steaks."

1) Frog eating technique.

Small, but not very tasty things, similar to a green, wet and sticky frog, are called frogs. This technique is to eat one of these frogs in the morning. So, imagine, you came to work in the morning and immediately called an unpleasant client, after which you walk all day with a feeling of happiness, because the most unpleasant task is already behind you. If eating a frog is transferred from morning to lunch, from lunch to dinner, from dinner the next day, then the negative from thoughts will pursue endlessly, taking away energy for pleasant tasks. Eat one frog for breakfast, and in a couple of weeks life will sparkle with new colors. It is very important to reward yourself after every frog you eat. For example, shopping or chocolate.

2) Divide the elephant into steaks.

We know that global, big things, such as writing a book, renovating a house, studying foreign language, improving their physical form, are usually postponed until later, as they seem to be very large. Like an elephant ... But the path to achieving your life goals, which means happy life lies through such an elephant. It, like frogs, must be eaten. We will not be able to do this at one time, so the elephant must be divided into parts, fried elephant steaks, and eat one such steak every day. For example, apartment renovation is an elephant. At the thought that it needs to be eaten, all appetite disappears. But if you divide it into parts: calculate the cost of repairs, measure the area of rooms, decide on the design, take out old furniture etc., then it will be much easier to eat such an elephant.

It's the same at work. Take, for example, such an elephant as learning how to work on sales technology. Indeed, it is necessary to take into account all the subtleties and wisdom of work at each stage when interacting with a client. So what kind of steaks can we fry? To begin with, we will divide it into stages and begin to gradually eat the first one. Moreover, in it we will select more elements and make smaller steaks out of them. For example, greeting phrases that you need to learn once and for all, or the non-verbal aspect of communicating with a client in this stage. Then we proceed to one small steak and eat it in a day. Let it be, for example, such a training: Instead of asking: “Can I help you?” We ask the question: “What jewelry do you like?”. And we eat such mini-steaks every day at each stage. In a month, there will be no trace of our elephant, and sales will only increase.

OBJECTIVE: Start a table in your diary called "My steaks and frogs."

· If you have planned a particular task and solved it, then put a tick.

· If you have planned a particular task, but did not solve it, then put a dash.

· If the task was not scheduled, then do not put anything.

· A large number of dashes gives you a signal that you need to pay attention to this task Special attention.

· The table must be hung in a conspicuous place (for example, above the desktop).

· IMPORTANT! if you understand that you have at least 80% of checkmarks, then at the end of the week you make yourself a gift, a reward! Thus, you develop conditioned reflex to perform unpleasant tasks (frogs) and achieve large goals (elephants).

Literature on time management.

Arkhangelsky G. Organization of time: from personal efficiency to the development of the firm.
Arkhangelsky G. Time Drive: How to manage to live and work.
Gorbachev A. Time management in no time.
Lakein A. The Art of Keeping Up.
Kovi S. The main focus is on the main things.
Templar R. Rules of self-organization: How to do everything without straining.
Manser M. Time management. Effective time management.

Article prepared by Marina Molchanova

Diamond-Training Leading Business Trainer

1. Planning. Time management gurus (for example, Stephen Covey) insist that the most suitable segment for operational planning is a week. And that's why. It is a week that allows you not to lock yourself in one day and see the future. A significant part of the cases simply cannot be completed during the day, and weekly planning allows you to schedule the order of their execution. In addition, we often transfer the unfinished to an abstract (and free) tomorrow, and if the whole week is scheduled, then this disciplines.

2. To-do lists for every day. For some, they are an important help, while for others they are simply depressing. You choose. But if you do "schedule" the day, then start with those actions that are tied to a specific time, for example, a meeting at 17 o'clock. Then reserve time for important tasks - for example, on Tuesday you need to call client D. - say, at 11 o'clock; and before the meeting, prepare the numbers (after all, they will definitely ask), the estimated completion time is an hour. It is possible and necessary to plan, but not every minute - there are always external circumstances that cannot be dismissed: urgent orders from the authorities, technical problems, traffic jams, after all. In the daily plan, there must be time gaps. And if everything goes well, then you will complete the "five-year plan in three years."

3. Get down to business. Time management experts suggest constantly postponing “eat” tasks. For example, frog method suitable for solving quick but unpleasant issues - one call, conversation, counting, etc. Choose such a frog and “eat” it right at the beginning of the working day. The rest of the time, go free. If there are a lot of frogs, then plan your menu for a week or a month.
Swiss cheese method: if the case is confusing, and the execution order may be different - “eat out” holes from it. Start anywhere: write the simplest part of the report first, fill in the fields of the questionnaire that you remember by heart, etc. The main thing is to perform at least some useful action every day (hour / week / month). As a result, the case will be “corroded” and in the end it will remain to finish it off in one fell swoop.
elephant method used for large and serious cases. They need to be cut into steaks - doable parts, and gradually done. The main difference from "Swiss cheese" is that things are not done in an arbitrary order, but systematically, in strict sequence.

4. Do less and get more. The 20/80 rule or the Pareto law says that 20% of efforts give 80% of the result, and the remaining 80% of efforts give only 20% of the result. For example, 20% of customers generate 80% of revenue. The rule is bright and memorable, although in practice the percentage of effort / result is not necessarily exactly that. But you are out own experience you know that simple actions sometimes lead to a serious result, and large expenditures of time and effort can be wasted, that it takes no less time for some nonsense, grinding details than for the main, meaningful part of the work. Conclusion: select key actions and in the conditions of lack of time - limit yourself only to them.

Are you familiar with the concept of "time management"? If not, get this useful acquaintance urgently! The seven tips below will help you manage your time effectively.

To-do list

Grab a piece of paper, a pen, and quickly jot down a to-do list that needs your attention. After a ten-minute rest, take a critical look at your creation. Which of the above is preventing you from checking the boxes next to each item?

Cross out the excess

Review the list again. Are you sure you need to read all these books? Will they help you in any way? Ruthlessly cross out the unnecessary. Time is a finite resource, so it should only be spent on useful things.

two minute rule

Everyone who is more or less familiar with time management has heard about the two-minute rule: all tasks that take no more than five minutes are completed immediately and are crossed off the list with a clear conscience. Tidying up your bag, organizing your food in the fridge, dusting the shelves - each of these small tasks will take you an average of five minutes of your time. Thus, in half an hour you can have time to complete up to ten things!

Eat a frog

No, I am by no means encouraging you to become a gourmet and try the famous French delicacy. “Frrogs” in time management are the least pleasant things that we constantly put on the back burner. It is best to eat such "frogs" in the morning. Let's say you need to write a report. Imagine how you write it, down to the smallest number. And now, by a titanic effort of will, force yourself to do this task. Happened? Hooray! The rest of the day you can do something more interesting.

Divide the "elephant"

"Elephants" are called the most difficult things. If you are trying this way and that to approach the "elephant", but nothing good comes of it, try to divide it into parts. Breaking down into stages will help you deal with a massive animal much faster. Do not forget about the main rule: you need to return to these small parts of one big business every free minute. For example, you decide to learn Hindi. In the morning, learn a couple of grammar rules, in the afternoon - 15 new words, and in the evening try to make sentences using the learned words and rules. Before you have time to look back, this unbearable Indian "elephant" will fall at your feet!

Don't praise yourself...

Empty cells in front of the planned cases cause annoyance, but green checkmarks instantly cheer you up. Completed the task - cross it out and pat yourself on the head with satisfaction. You deserve your favorite cake or a trip to the cinema at least!

Take stock

Make it a rule every week or month (to taste and color, as they say) to sum up. So you will see that several “frogs” have safely galloped away, the “elephants” have noticeably lost weight, and many things have been completed completely. Is it really nice? Still would! Do not forget to praise yourself and add new things to the list.

Follow these simple rules, and you will not notice how you become a guru in the field of time management!