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Time Management Tips: Do You Break It Down Into Actions?
Use this one simple idea to feel less stressed. And make better use of the time you have. You can do this by analyzing the whole project to break it down into individual actions. Realize that a project isn't necessarily some large undertaking that you're involved in at work. Anything that requires more than one action on your part is a project.
Use this one simple idea to feel less stressed. And make better use of the time you have. You can do this by analyzing the whole project to break it down into individual actions. Realize that a project isn’t necessarily some large undertaking that you’re involved in at work. Anything that requires more than one action on your part is a project.
If you don’t break projects down into actions each time you think about the project you have to make a decision. Every time you think about the project you have to decide what your next step should be or you decide to table it yet again and think about it later. That means every time you think about the project you’re doing unnecessary mental work that increases your level of stress.
Develop a list of next actions rather than a list of projects. Then when you’re feeling overwhelmed because you have so much to do and not enough time you aren’t looking at a list of projects that make you feel more confused and frustrated because you’re already too frazzled to make a good decision about what you should do next. In the same situation when you have a list of actions in front of you you have fewer decisions to make. Now you decide on just one action that you will take now. You can approach that choice in one of two ways.
One way you might approach that choice is to make it based on the amount of time you have available at the moment. No matter how well you try to plan your day there will be little odd time lots anywhere from 5-15 minutes throughout your day. Not enough time to delve into anything too complicated, but just enough time to do some quick tasks.
Another way to approach that choice is based on priority. Scanning your list of actions choose the most important action you can take right now that has the greatest potential for you. As you make choices based on their greatest potential for value you’re learning good time management skills that will help you to get more value from your time with less stress.
When you have a list of next actions related to every project or your overall big picture goals you have the ability to be much more focused. Before you end each day scan your list and choose just 1-3 most important actions that you’ll take the next day and plan when you’ll do them. When the next day comes hold yourself accountable to take those actions.