Chapter 3: Improve time management & organization
Estimate time to manage time successfully.
Often times, it’s easy to underestimate how long things take. How long it takes to get out the door, to prep for a meeting, to write a summary, etc. To get better at estimating time, get a sense of how long things actually take.
Use this week to track your times, so that next week, you can estimate time more accurately.
Download the Excel file to get started.
Exercises:
Estimate your time for one week, using the Excel file to estimate, track, and average your time. Then, add a buffer of 25% or more and identify what amount of time you’d like to use for a go-forward time estimate. For example, writing a status report may take 15 minutes to 45 minutes each week, so I’m more comfortable estimating 45 minutes each time I have to write a status report, to feel confident I can complete it on time.
Once you have the time estimates, block your calendar for the common tasks, to capture that that time has been allotted.
Each afternoon or evening, review your next day and walk through the flow of the day, estimating the time needed for each task. Block your time. Make adjustments if there are conflicts. Re-prioritize as needed. Make things fit. This takes practice and continuous refinement.