If you're tired of procrastination, digital distractionitis, Twitteritis and Facebookery, read this FREE ebook to give you practical tips on how to manage your time and your priorities. To download this ebook, please visit http://www.transformationalleadershipHQ.com/time-management-free-report/

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By Migghty Rasin
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http://
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Twitter –
– http://twitter.com/l
leadershipt
thots
YouTu
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Facebo
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//facebook
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2. Table of Contents
Introduction (2)
19 Time Management Woes for Today’s Knowledge Workers (3)
Diagnose Yourself: Nine Signs You’re Infected by Digital‐Distractionitis (6)
Kill Your Inner Saboteur: How to Beat Procrastination (8)
The Pomodoro Technique for Time Management (14)
Chet Holmes’ Time Management System (16)
David Allen’s Getting Things Done (19)
Getting Things Done & Pomodoro: An Integrated Time Management System (21)
Practicing the Art of Effective Delegation (22)
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3. Introduction
Time management, or more appropriately priorities management, is one of the most important
skills that the twenty‐first century leader needs to master. Whether in your personal or in your
professional activities, you need to manage your time well. After all, everyone of us—rich and
poor, bosses or subordinates, lazy or hardworking people—are given only 24 hours every day.
It’s the great equalizer.
What you do with the 24 hours given to you will determine how successful you will get.
Squander it and you’ll end up in the skid row, wondering why the world passed you by. Work
hard and still, the world may pass you by, because you might have been too busy to notice that
your efforts are not giving you the leverage you need.
Work hard and work smart and soon enough, you’ll see that time management is as
much about maximizing time as it is about doing the right things at the right times.
I created this free Ebook as a resource for you. Most of the articles in this free report were
published at the Transformational Leadership Blog. You get all of them here, organized in one
document for ease of use. You can always print this PDF and use it as a ready resource in
reminding you of how important time management is!
Feel free to share this document with your friends, office‐mates and family.
Here’s the link to the report. It’s all free! –
http://www.transformationalleadershiphq.com/time‐management‐free‐report/
Post it on Facebook. Tweet about it. Blog about it.
For more articles on personal development, social entrepreneurship and transformational
leadership, please visit my blog, www.TransformationalLeadershipHQ.com.
Questions and suggestions?
Feel free to contact me via email at mightyrasing(at)gmail(dot)com.
Follow me via Twitter ‐ @leadershipthots
Watch Leadership Videos via YouTube ‐ /mightyonleadership
* * * * * *
Disclaimer
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this report. This free
report does not contain legal or financial advice, and the author is not liable for any potential problems it
may cause on the reader. I encourage you to read and research more about the topics, or consult a
professional/consultant in case you’re not sure about anything stated in this report.
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4. 19 Time Management Woes for Today’s Knowledge Workers
Have you ever missed a deadline? Do you have
workers that are so chronically late you have almost
strangled them to death? Are you swimming under
pressure or are you barely breathing because of too
much pressure at work?
The knowledge workers of today are swamped with
deadlines and work. If we are not careful, we will
simply cave in to the pressure. Are you suffering from
these time management woes?
Mindset. Some workers just show up at work at 9 AM
so they can have their paycheck on the 15th or 30th of
the month, pay the bills, enjoy life and just do the easiest things at work. You know the type,
they are always late—as if they’re dragging their feet one after another. And if you give them
an extra push for performance they cry out that you are unreasonably demanding.
Time management begins with the mindset of a knowledge worker. Someone with a good grasp
of time will respect for the time of other people he or she is working with.
Anxiety. People suffering from bouts of anxiety will find it difficult to focus and complete tasks.
They can become absent‐minded and just going through the motions. If any of your colleagues
are anxious, it may even spread through the floor! And if you are feeling anxious, try to
remember that your work matters and there is always time to deal with personal matters and
there is time to deal with work matters.
Lack of discipline. Mood swings may also affect the ability of a person to manage his time.
Anxiety, the right mindset and even mood swings can be dealt with effectively if a worker has
discipline! Discipline is the key that could help unlock the passion in a knowledge worker.
Lack of Time Management System. A time management system can help maximize your tasks,
prioritize them and help you complete them within the deadline! If you do not have a time
management system, then you will simply rely on what you feel like doing at any given time in
the office.
Multitasking. At least ten browsers are open in your computer. You’re talking on the phone,
texting and at the same time trying to remember something you have to tell the boss the
moment you get off the phone. Plus, a colleague is standing over your cubicle waiting for you to
give him something. Multitasking may sound good. But beware, it can drag you down. Try doing
one thing at a time, moving on to another task, only after completing the task at hand. It just
might change your habits!
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5.
Laziness. This is a curse. Any lazy worker should be fired! They are not helping the organization
and they are using up resources that could be used for productive purposes!
No deadlines. If you don’t specify a deadline for your employee or for your colleague, then they
will not give you what you asked for until you ask for it. And when you ask for it, that is the
exact time they will start working on it. So better make sure that tasks have deadlines and that
they should be delivered in a timely manner.
Waiting for the “right time.” There is no such thing as the “right time!” If you wait for that right
time to come, it may be too late! Whatever time you have right now, maximize it. Make sure
that you are making the most out of it. Wishing for the “right time” can lead you to waste the
opportunities that are staring you at the face right now.
The traffic. Wherever you are in the world, the metropolitan landscape is cursed by the reality
of traffic. If you go with the flow of workers during the “rush hour,” which is ironically the
slowest time for traffic, then you will be late for work or for your appointments! Expect traffic!
Leave earlier than usual. It’s better to be early than late for your appointments.
The dog that ate the assignment. Have you ever heard of Murphy’s Law? If it can go wrong, it
will go wrong! Have you ever been in a hurry over a presentation or some appointment you
need to make and the computer freezes over. The printer won’t work. The fax machine breaks
down. I’ve had plenty of experiences like that. During crunch time, the tendency for equipment
to break down is heightened exponentially! Beware of technological glitches; they can ruin your
day and even your profession.
Facebook! The next time your colleague or employee appears so intent in front of the
computer, he just might be ogling some picture or some status at Facebook.com. Facebook has
become the single biggest time waster in the corporate world. If you can ban it at the
workplace, do so! Unless you have special considerations why you need it at work.
Email. Emails have sped up our lives. We now transmit data at the speed of light, or at least it
seems like it! But it also made our lives a bit complicated. How many times do you check your
email in an hour? If you peek at it every 30 minutes, you’re doomed! Whenever you get an
email, you open it, try to deal with it and complete. Meanwhile, the world goes on and the
clock ticks toward your next deadline.
Set a time for email checking in the morning right after you sit at your desk. Another email
checking time after your lunch, and the last email check would be right before you call it a day!
Instant Messenger. Beware of instant messengers, they can make your life miserable! When
people feel that you and your response to their questions is just at their fingertips, they will
have an instant messenger chat with you and ask you to do so many things in real time. Just like
your email, manage the time spent on instant messengers.
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6.
Phones and Mobile Phones. They just keep ringing, right? If you are a call center agent, then
you do not really have any right to complain. But if you are in the middle of a meeting or in the
midst of completing a project, it can drag your time away. So put them on silent mode. Activate
your answering machine and get them away from your sight and just check the messages later!
Complicated time management system. Time management system should not be too
complicated! Your task can be completed in ten minutes but the process of managing the list of
tasks takes 3 hours, then you better discard that time management system! Instead of helping
you out, a complicated time management system will simply drag you down.
Too many demands at work. Take a look at your job description and your daily to‐do list. Is it
too long? How are you doing at work so far? If the demands of your job are simply too high, you
may be sacrificing your physical and mental health and even your career! Manage expectations
and the demands from you. Learn to say NO! Say YES only to the tasks that you are supposed to
carry out!
Workspace. The design of your workplace can also contribute to your time management woes.
Cluttered workspaces are a bane to productivity. Each time you start a task, you may be
tempted to clean up and clear your desk of stuff. You end up not doing the real task expected
from you. Make sure that your workspace is clean and clear enough to give you breathing
room. If it is cluttered, then you better devote at least three hours to clean it up.
Complex and convoluted processes in the office (Red tape)! How many signatures do you need
to get a project going? How many managers do you need to talk to before going through to the
CEO? If your office processes are so full of red tape, you better simplify things because they are
dragging you down and they are sabotaging the productivity of your workers.
Streamline! That’s how small organizations make it in big industries. If you can do that, you’ll
get amazing results!
Frequent small talks and frequent visitors. If you’re the friendly guy in the office, be careful of
frequent small talks and frequent visits. Sure, it feels good to talk about the weather, the latest
news and trends in fashion or sports and whatever stuff you want to talk about. But if you
frequently stop by some cubicle down the aisle and chat, you may be compromising your
productivity and inducing others to do the same! Shame on you. Reserve small talks during
lunch time and on breaks. You can maximize time that way.
Time is such a prized commodity in the business world right now that you
cannot afford to lose it over trivial things. In a world that puts value on
productivity, effectiveness and efficiency, be sure to maximize the time that you
have!
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7. Diagnose Yourself: Nine Signs You’re Infected by Digital­
Distractionitis
Do you suffer from Digital Distractionitis? Are your work and study habits affected by your
online (and even offline) habits?
I’ve heard the terms “Facebookery” and “Twitteritis” from Yahoo Launchcast.
I laughed.
But it has a ring of truth in it. We really are in the age of digital distraction.
If you’re afflicted by the following symptoms, then you’ve got digital distractionitis.
1. Can’t plug out of the computer and the Internet without emotional anguish. You can’t
imagine plugging out of the computer. If you do, it is with utmost regrets and a painful sigh.
2. Glued to Facebook for an hour or so. If you spend more than an hour straight in Facebook,
you really have “Facebookery” and is seriously distracted.
3. Twittering, Plurking after every five minutes about the weather, the food you’re eating,
when you’re going to the bathroom, or really personal matters you’re thinking about. Give
yourself a break dude!
4. Signing up for Overtime at the office just so you can enjoy free internet. You got the
overtime pay and you’ve checked your favorite sites, too!
5. You’ve got dark spots on your wrists. Too much typing and mouse‐overuse.
6. The deadline for your project was yesterday and you’re just doing halfway through it. And
Facebook, Plurk and Twitter are beckoning you to log on.
7. You’re with the friend at the coffeeshop (with free Wi‐Fi) and you just can’t resist the urge
to check your email on your phone. There goes the good conversationalist.
8. You’ve got Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome and Safari open. Each of them with numerous
tabs open. On top of that, you’re chatting with at least five friends on Yahoo Messenger, AIM,
Google Chat or Skype.
9. You’re checking your favorite YouTube videos, blogs and websites every hour to see if
there are new posts and content for you to read or watch.
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8. If you’re displaying all nine symptoms, you better give yourself a break and start working! Don’t
wait for the boss to come around and catch you.
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9. Kill Your Inner Saboteur: How to Beat Procrastination
Don’t you just hate it! You have a deadline in a few hours and you’re fidgeting. You notice the
dishes waiting to be washed, the laundry, the whining dog and everything else but your task. Or
consider a friend of yours who is ALWAYS late for appointments, without exception! If you’re a
supervisor or a manager, I’m sure you have got some employees who turned in an assignment
late, making your professional life a little more miserable than it has to!
Why do people procrastinate?
We’re surrounded by procrastinators. We procrastinate, too! Procrastination is a terrorist living
inside you–it sabotages everything you do! If you do not kill your inner saboteur, you will end
up killing your career instead. Here are thirty one tips on how to beat procrastination.
1. Unload everything from your mind.
Set aside 5‐10 minutes and grab a sketchpad and a pen (or pencil, if that’s what you prefer).
You’re procrastinating anyway, you might as well dedicate the next few minutes actually doing
something productive. Start writing down all the stuff that’s in your mind–the dishes, some
emotional turmoil you may have, confusions, schedules for the day and for the week,
something you hate, and anything else that crosses your mind. After that, take a look at your
list and flesh out any task that you may need to accomplish.
2. Admit to yourself that you feel overwhelmed.
If you have filled out a whole page of the sketchpad, you are probably overwhelmed but too
proud to admit it. One of the top reasons why people procrastinate is the feeling of being
overwhelmed and overrun by so many things!
3. List down your tasks.
Don’t worry about accomplishing those tasks. Just list them down and then put beside each
task the target completion date for each task. Be warned though. If you list down ALL your
tasks, you may end up becoming overwhelmed! If you do, take a break and breathe deeply.
4. Ask yourself if you really need to do this.
This is a good question, really. Because if the answer is no, then you can stop worrying about it.
So tell me why you’ve been worrying about this task again?
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10. 5. Delegate tasks.
If you don’t need to do a particular task, it’s time for some mudslinging! Go look for the right
person to do this. It might be the task of your boss or your subordinate’s. The next time you
start including a particular task in your To‐Do list, you better make sure that it’s really your job.
Otherwise, just say NO!
6. Grab a cup of coffee and work outside.
This works for me most of the time, except when my stomach is a little too acidic or I can’t find
a Wi‐Fi hotspot in the Starbucks near my home. It does not have to be coffee if that’s not your
type. You can go to a fancy restaurant and spend 2‐5 hours there just trying to look busy and
actually getting things done.
7. Stop thinking of the beach. Or your favorite TV show.
Or anything else. Isn’t it nice to daydream… of your new car. New house. A beach in the
Philippine islands. A million dollars in your bank account. Or perhaps think of other things: like
“why did I ever agree to this project?” or berate yourself for working at your desk when there
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11. are so much more open opportunities for you. It’s really nice to think of something…anything
but the work right in front of you. So stop thinking of those other things and think of the work
at hand.
8. Don’t underestimate the time needed for every task.
If you need to set up a blog, you will need at least a week to get it going. If you think you can
get it done in just two days, think again! If you feel that you can write a 30‐page paper 12 hours
before the deadline, I can just give you a rope and perhaps you can go hang yourself when you
discover your grade for that paper. My point is, do not underestimate the time you need for
your tasks.
9. Set aside enough time for things that must be done.
You should also take into account a small amount of time for procrastination. We all do it at
different times. But if you allow yourself a little slack in budgeting your time, you can probably
still finish your task even with a little procrastination going. Just make sure, that it’s just a little
procrastination!
10. Identify situations where you usually procrastinate.
Look at your habits and the tasks that land in your desk. Are there some kinds of tasks that you
dread doing? Is there a particular time of day or day of the week that procrastination is
unusually high? How about a place in your home when you procrastinate more than usual? If
you manage to identify these situations, avoid them!
11. Enumerate the price of delay and not doing it on time.
By telling ourselves the price of delay (in hundreds of dollars, or thousands perhaps) we may
become motivated by sheer fear and panic. Well, I say being motivated by fear and panic every
now and then is better than not being motivated at all. Sure, it is a poor motivator and may
lead to further problems, but you have to institute long term solutions for your procrastination
problems.
12. Work with the time available for you right now.
Don’t wait until you are inspired. Don’t wait until you have all 5 hours needed to solve that
problem. Work with the time available right now. If you can’t complete the task, then work at it
again on your next working time. Putting off work will just lead to more stuff piling up on your
desk. A little work done is not as good as a task done, but it is certainly better than not doing
anything at all!
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12. 13. Go back to your list of to‐dos.
Some procrastinators put off things they have to do because they are not aware of the bulk of
things waiting to be done. So they dilly‐dally and try to appear cool when in fact, the
professional world around them is just about ready to burst. A Psychology Today article states
the procrastination essentially means that the procrastinator lacks the will and the skills to
regulate himself.
14. Do the simpler tasks first.
This will warm you up and get you started. Doing the small tasks serves as a warm up for the
bigger stuff you need to accomplish. If you ever work out in a gym, you probably do lift some
lighter weights before gunning for the heavier ones. Same principle applies to working. Smaller
tasks prepare your mind and mood for the bigger tasks ahead.
15. Do the more difficult tasks first.
If this works for you, fine! If you want the shock‐and‐awe approach, though, you can start
doing the big tasks right away! This will flex your mental muscles right away and will give you
explosive power as you go through the tasks of the day. Just don’t forget the smaller tasks
though. Because big ones can easily crowd out the smaller tasks.
16. Audit how you spend your time for a week.
Observe your time management habits for signs of procrastination. Keep a journal of time
spent and tasks done for a week. After doing that, go through your time audit and cross out
unnecessary activities that you keep doing.
17. If you realize that you really don’t have time, then wake up an hour earlier in the morning
or go to bed later at night.
If you could not find time for some important activities, try carving out an hour from your
mornings. Sure, it will be difficult at first, but if you just go at it for at least six weeks, it will
become a habit and come easier for you.
18. Be a monk.
Close the door. Disconnect! Don’t be disturbed. Minimize interruptions and distractions. If that
means disconnecting from the telephone and the internet, do so. Don’t worry, the world will
not stop running if you disconnect. Make sure that you spend that distraction‐free time
productively.
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13. 19. Make your workspace conducive for working.
Remove clutter and any other stuff that do not belong to your desk. Sometimes, physical clutter
can also crowd out our minds. They can also distract you from what you are doing.
20. Set small deadlines in increments of 25 minutes.
Use the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is an amazing time management tool,
it helps you break down your tasks in increments of 25 minutes, then you pause for a 5‐minute
break before working again. Break down your big tasks into bite‐size chunks. They will be easier
to accomplish that way.
21. Broadcast to the world (FB, Twitter and other SNS) your deadlines.
If people are aware of your deadlines, they are less likely to disturb you, unless you allow them
to. But if you post your deadlines on Facebook, on Twitter and some other social networking
site, you are pressured to prove to the world that you can do your tasks within your deadline. If
all else fails, people can cheer you on or berate you if you fail. Now, wouldn’t that sting your
pride? Go prove the beraters and hecklers wrong. Do something right now!
22. Punish yourself if you don’t finish the task by the set deadline.
Cancel your plans for the night if you don’t complete your tasks for the day. Or if you don’t
complete your tasks, fast from your favorite food or drink for a week.
23. Reward yourself if you complete the task by the set deadline.
Celebrate successes! Buy yourself a bar of dark chocolate. Go see that movie you’ve been
aching to see for a week now. Or grab a book from the bookstore. Anything that will add up to
your mounting sense of satisfaction and growing levels of confidence.
24. Do things as they occur to you, especially the smaller tasks.
If you have to call someone and it will only take 2 minutes, go ahead and do it. These small
tasks could pile up if you don’t do them right away.
25. Do nothing and stare at the screen for fifteen minutes!
This could make you so frustrated at doing nothing that you will probably start doing something
even before the 15 minutes is up.
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14. 26. Start working!
Motivating yourself is one thing. But there is simply no excuse not to start working! So go
ahead, take a look at your to‐do list again and pound at the keyboard. Start working!
27. Listen to “Drive” by Incubus and chase those fears away!
Remember the song Drive by Incubus: “It’s driven me before And it seems to have a vague,
haunting mass appeal But lately I’m beginning to find that I Should be the one behind the
wheel.” Be the one behind the wheel. Sometimes music helps put you in the mood for working.
Use that power to start working on those deadlines!
28. Look for ways to be motivated.
There are as many different ways to be motivated as there are many different kinds of people.
But please focus on good, wholesome fun! If you understand your motivations, you can tweak
that so you can start doing things for yourself, for your organization and for the people around
you.
29. Don’t take on projects that you are not able to fulfill.
Just learn to say no if you are already maxed up! You only have one body. You can only
maximize your time so much. If you say yes to too many commitments, you will just end up
exhausted, burned out, and churning low quality outputs.
30. Under promise. Over deliver.
If you accept a limited number of commitments (only those that really matter), you end up
being able to maximize the delivery of quality.
31. Learn to respect your personal time.
You assume several identities–only one of them is a worker. As a human being, you also need
time for yourself–to have fun, contemplate and meditate and replenish lost energies. Set aside
time for this and learn to respect that. Don’t work for all seven days of the week, respect your
rest day/s. The Jews are probably wise in not working for one day a week. It helps you rest and
give your attention to other aspects of your life.
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15. The Pomodoro Technique for Time Management
I came across the Pomodoro Technique back in November 2009. Pomodoro is the Italian word
for tomato and there are several tomato kitchen timers. This is what inspired Francesca Pirillo
in coming up with this productivity technique. It goes against the popular notion that
multitasking can help you accomplish more things in a shorter period of time.
The Pomodoro technique is built upon the notion that you should do one thing and only one
thing at a time. More specifically, you should only do one thing in every 25 minutes.
How does it work?
In the first place, you will need a timer. You can use the stopwatch of your mobile phone. Or
you can get a timer from the closest department store. Set your timer to 25 minutes. Within
that period, you should accomplish only one task.
What if you are working on a big task that will require more than 25 minutes? Simple, break
down the big task into smaller tasks and give yourself 25 minutes for each task.
Francesca Pirillio calls each 25‐minute intervals a pomodoro. You should be strict in completing
your task within that pomodoro. Blot out all distractions as you work. If you get distracted and
you start doing another task, then one pomodoro is wasted and you will have to repeat that
pomodoro all over again.
After each pomodoro, give yourself a 5‐minute break before starting on the next task.
To learn more about the Pomodoro technique, go download the Pomodoro Technique Ebook.
It’s no more than 45 pages and you can quickly breeze through it in just one sitting. It also has a
cheat sheet for really busy (or lazy) people!
You can also get several resources such as the To Do List, the Activity Inventory, together with
other stuff.
To help you apply this time management technique, you can also download the Focus Booster
app, a desktop timer application that you can use. It is built on the Pomodoro technique and
will save you some money because you won’t have to buy a timer anymore. Before
downloading this app, you will need the Adobe Air application first.
Try this system for a month and see if it works for you. If it does, then you can certainly
incorporate it as part of your working habits.
I have personally tried this time management technique and it works. The 25‐minute chunks of
time is a great way to really make sure that I am doing something productive. I encourage you
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16. to give it a try for at least two weeks. Then go back to this blog and let me know what you think
about it. If it improved your time management skills, then perhaps, you can recommend it to
others.
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17. Chet Holmes’ Time Management System
Chet Holmes is the author of the best‐selling book “The Ultimate Sales Machine.” He is also a
top karate martial artist, corporate trainer and business consultant.
Chet Holmes’ basic time management system is built on the mindset that time management
should be simple and uncomplicated. It’s funny, how he wrote about a time management
seminar he attended where the speaker told them to track how they use their time for three
months! He couldn’t believe his ears! He just rolled his eyes, gathered his things and left the
seminar! Since then, he went on to devise a simple time management system that he could use
in managing his businesses.
1. Touch it once.
2. Make lists.
3. Plan how much time you will allocate to each task.
4. Plan the day.
5. Prioritize.
6. Ask yourself, “will it hurt me to throw this away?”
1. Touch it once.
Do not begin a task if you are not yet ready to deal with it. A concrete example is email. Once
you open and read your emails, prepare to do the action items you find right there and then.
With the prevalence of emails in our communication, we tend to just read the email, try to
remember what it said and decide to go back to it later in the day.
That is a waste of time! If you could just allot 3‐5 minutes to do what is asked by the email, you
can discard that email right away and then move on with your other tasks. The lesson here is
simple: once you touch it, deal with it!
2. Make lists.
Lists are a great way to organize your tasks for the day, for the week, and for the month. You
can prepare as many lists as you can, store them on your planner or your computer. Be careful
though. If you list down too many things, you will end up not finishing them all by the end of
the day. That will also have a negative psychological effect on you. You may feel as if you’re
doing everything you can and still it is not enough. Or that you may end up feeling that lists are
nonsense!
Chet Holmes suggests listing down only 6 items that you must absolutely do for the day. No
more. No less. This way, you could look back at the day and be satisfied that you have done
your best.
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18. 3. Plan how much time you will allocate to each task.
After creating a list, you need to estimate the number of hours (or minutes, perhaps) you need
to allocate for each task. Ideally, each task should only take you up to an hour. Six tasks would
then be done within 6 hours. That leaves you with extra time for checking your emails, going to
meetings and other routine tasks in your office. If the number of hours exceeds ten hours, then
perhaps, you need to reassess your work habits. Perhaps, you are not working as efficiently as
possible!
4. Plan the Day.
Now that you have your list and you know how much time you need to allocate for each task,
you need to plot your tasks according to the time period that you want them work on them.
You will need your scheduling skills for this. Do this in the morning for 5‐10 minutes at the start
of your day. Consider this time as your planning time so you can be more effective and more
efficient throughout the day. Keep in mind though, that you have to stick to your schedule no
matter what!
If an officemate stops by for a small talk, try to be polite and say that you are working on
something. If that can’t be helped, then give him 3‐5 minutes and when that time is up, go back
to your desk and start working again.
5. Prioritize!
At the end of the day, look at your list and your schedule again. Plan for the next day and put
the most important task first. When you have surmounted the biggest and most important
challenge for the day, you can certainly move on with ease to the easier ones. Chet Holmes also
recommends that business owners should spend at least 2.5 hours a day in growing the
business! Not bad! Once you got that going in your daily working habit, it becomes easier!
6. Ask yourself, “will it hurt for me to throw this away?”
We are inundated with emails and other forms of communication daily. No doubt, you also
have lots of reports, reference materials and other documents on your desk, on your drawer,
on your inbox and on your computer file folders. Most of these things add up to clutter. Clutter
will make your life more difficult by slowing down your machine or by making it difficult for you
to look for the more important files.
De‐clutter! If you don’t need a particular file or document, get rid of it. If you’re a supervisor or
a boss, most likely, you can still have those files when you need them.
For sure, there will be interruptions to your schedule. That can’t be avoided. When there are
interruptions, just deal with it and then go back to your sked. Wouldn’t it be great to go back to
your list at the end of the day and cross out all six items off your list?
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19.
I recommend Chet Holmes’ time management system for people who are really swamped. It is
straightforward and simple. And it does not require any special tools, timer or equipment. But
this is predicated and built on an important concept that Chet Holmes also put forward: what
he called “pigheaded discipline and determination!”
Don’t stop doing, don’t stop practicing until you can say that you are already an expert at what
you’re doing—time management system and practices included!
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20. David Allen’s Getting Things Done
Getting Things Done by David Allen is perhaps one of the most comprehensive time
management system available. He has written a 267‐page book detailing all the processes you
need to implement with the Getting Things Done system.
We are beset with so many things in our daily work lives. Just take a look at your own
workplace, the demands imposed by your boss, the number of emails you have to answer, in
short, you are harried from all corners by the so many time management woes!
David Allen began his book by describing what “Stuff” is. Not surprisingly, we do have lots of
stuff in our personal and professional lives! If you do not manage stuff, you will inundated by so
many impossible demands and you will live a clutter‐full life!
At the heart of David Allen’s Getting Things Done system is five core activities and phases:
1. Collect
2. Process
3. Organize
4. Review
5. Do
Here’s a graphical representation of
the GTD System…
Let’s go through the different phases
one by one:
1. Collect
Most professionals I know keep a
planner or an organizer–it could be
an old‐fashioned notebook, a desk
calendar, a computer‐based
calendar, a pocket calendar in the
smartphone or all of the above!
The main task of the Collection
phase is to get it out of your head. If
you have an idea, a message left to
you by your boss, by your customers
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21. or someone else, you need to capture it and write it down. You could rely on your memory
alone but then, after several bumps, twists and turns in your day, you may forget all about
those things.
You can have several collection “buckets” for your stuff. Make sure though that you have a
master bucket. This way, you can minimize the risk of missing out some things.
2. Process
After you have collected a lot of stuff, you need to process them. You need to evaluate each
stuff that comes in. Is there any action you need to do with these items? If no action is needed
from one piece of item, you can probably cross it off your list, put the letter in the trash bin or
discard it. If the action can be done in two minutes, then just do it right away. Otherwise, you
need to decide which next action is needed. To do that, you need to move on to the next phase.
3. Organize
After processing the stuff that came in your collection buckets, you need to organize them,
depending on the next action steps you need to take. You can categorize the stuff you have into
Projects, Waiting list, Someday/Maybe, Calendar, or References. Projects are tasks that will
require several actions from your end before you can declare it done. The Waiting List is where
you put tasks that require you to wait for someone or something before you can complete it.
The Someday/Maybe list, on the other hand, can be a long term goal, a desire, or a wish that
you can fulfill in the indefinite future. You will also need to update your Calendar to keep track
of your time‐sensitive appointments. References are materials that you can use in the future
for your projects and any other tasks.
4. Review
The GTD Time management system requires periodic reviews to make it work. You need to
review the whole process daily, especially your collection buckets, the actionable items, as well
as the other steps in this system. At first, this may be difficult to implement. You may feel that
it’s a little too complicated for your busy work life. But as you get the hang of it, you can easily
implement it.
5. Do
Before you actually forget it, DO things! Make sure to follow through each action item until it is
done. While a lot of people advocate multi‐tasking, the GTD system could potentially help you
do away with multitasking and you can focus on your tasks until you can proclaim them DONE!
A lot of people also criticize David Allen’s GTD because it seems complicated and a bit difficult
to follow.
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22. Getting Things Done and Pomodoro Technique: An Integrated
Time Management System
I have setup Getting Things Done System in my workspace and I’d like to let you know that it is
an amazing system! I have a better sense of control of my projects and the things I have to do,
and I have minimized clutter in my workspace! What I am doing now is working at a system that
could integrate the three time management systems we’ve covered in this blog. In doing so, I
know that I can beat procrastination and maximize productivity.
I did the steps I’m outlining here. I hope that you, too, could build on the principles and
productivity system of the GTD so you can maximize productivity and minimize procrastination
and clutter!
Get a copy of David Allen’s book plus his Audio book. It is a great productivity handbook! It is
very detailed and it is not difficult to follow. While I’m traveling and I can’t read the book, I even
review the GTD system through my MP3 player.
Get an In‐basket. This serves as the collection place for all that comes in–letters, ideas, bills,
notes on a meeting, stuff I want to read–practically everything that comes my way.
Buy lots of envelopes and folders. Toss in some plastic organizers and boxes. By having these,
you will be able to file and label all the files and references you need. You will also need these
for the tickler file that David Allen described as well as for filing your reference materials.
Sweep your mind for all projects, thoughts and ideas that need action. List down all your
“open loops.” You can write them on paper, then put them into the in‐basket. You can process
each one individually and you can identify next action steps.
Gather all your stuff and put them in your in‐basket. Go around your room, your home office
area, and even your storage spaces to gather your stuff. All of them should go into the in‐
basket. If an item is too big, write its name on a piece of paper and off it goes to the in‐basket.
Prepare to organize your in‐basket. Set‐up your tickler file, which is essentially a calendar of 43
folders–12 for each month of the year, and 31 envelopes for the days of the month. You will
use this as a means of sending something to yourself at some time in the future.
Set up your Reference file folders/envelopes. It is better to just use one Alpha system. It might
be tempting to use a lot of categories but it’s simply better to file your references from A‐Z. It’s
simple and allows you to find your files easily.
Once you’ve gathered all your stuff and your mental open loops, process all the items on your
in basket and determine next actions. If the item does not need any action from you, you can
either,
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23.
Throw it away. If it’s trash and you will not need it anymore, then just throw it away.
Incubate it. Put it in the tickler file or in your Someday/Maybe lists so you can look at it again at
sometime in the future.
File it as reference. If the item has potential value for any of your projects and for your life, it’s
best to file it. Get an envelope, label it properly and then put it in your reference drawer.
If an item, however, requires action from you, you can:
Do it! If it will take less then two minutes, do it right away!
Delegate it. If you’re not the right person to do it, then endorse it to the right person or
organization for processing.
Defer it. If it will take more than two minutes, you should probably put it in your
calendar, depending on the priority you assign to it. If the next action step, however, is
urgent or should be done anytime soon, put it in your Next Actions List for processing
right away.
The GTD System also helps you manage your projects–items that require multiple actions from
you. The GTD Project management system advocates a simple and natural planning model
away from complicated systems used by most companies. For every project that you have, you
also need one folder for those and file them where you can see them right away.
Review your in‐basket, your tickler files and your calendar daily. This is where Chet Holmes’
Time Management System comes in:
1. Touch it once.
2. Make lists.
3. Plan how much time you will allocate to each task.
4. Plan the day.
5. Prioritize.
Chet Holmes’ last suggestion: Ask yourself “will it hurt if I throw this away?” has already been
integrated into the GTD system and you will not need it at this stage.
When you have carefully planned your day, you can integrate the Pomodoro Technique in
accomplishing tasks throughout the day.
Grab a timer and time yourself. Ideally, you should only do one thing for every 25 minutes.
Interuptions are okay if they don’t take up all 25 minutes that you have allotted for the task.
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24. After every 25‐minute work marathon, have a 5‐minute break to breathe, replenish energies
and prepare for the next task!
Review your system daily and weekly! That is a sure way to make sure that you can cover all the
open loops and the next actions expected from you.
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25. Practicing the Art of Effective Delegation
Just like my brother, who is 11 years younger, I love Naruto—the manga and anime series
about a red‐headed young loser who is out to become his nation’s best ninja, although he
started out to be worst loser in the ninja school for kids. Every Friday, my brother would ask me
if I’ve already read the week’s Naruto manga episode. We then exchange stories how cool
Naruto’s new move was or how amazing the battle is going and we’d speculate on what’s going
to happen next.
Naruto has one special power that I wish I had. It’s called Kage Bunshin or “Shadow Clone”
technique. Whenever I’m faced with lots of deadlines, schedule for meetings and what’s left of
my so called personal life, I just want to raise my hands, cross them together and shout “Kage
Bunshin” like Naruto does. If I were Naruto, that technique would have summoned ten or a
hundred of clones of me.
If I could do a lot by myself, imagine if what a hundred more of myself could do?
Good leaders have Naruto’s “Kage Bunshin” technique. But it comes in another name. It’s called
the art of delegation.
As a leader, you may be talented and you may know a lot of things. But you are still one
individual and you’re limited by your human body and your time. So if you want to do more,
then involve more people to work! A lot of young people know the twist to the Filipino adage
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26. “kung kaya ng iba, kaya ko rin!” (If tothers can, I can do it, too!) For leaders, indeed, “Kung kaya
ng iba, ipagawa sa kanila.” (If others can, let them do it!)
This is not an invitation for you to be lazy or to let other people do your job. Instead, it means
mobilizing other people to help you become more effective and efficient in achieving the
organization’s goals. After all, a leader is not supposed to do everything. You have friends and
followers who can walk with you towards the attainment of your common purpose and goals.
By practicing the art of delegation, you can enhance your leadership without neglecting other
areas of life. You may even be able to join the 5K marathon you’ve dreamed of joining or start a
new blog on leadership.
You can free up your sked. If you are working on a project and you always feel exhausted at the
end of the day, you’re probably doing too much. You’re too hardworking! And I didn’t mean
that as a compliment. You are not delegating enough. When you delegate tasks and
responsibilities, you can focus on the things that you do best.
Delegation maximizes the talents, skills and time of the members of the group. Why work on
the layout of the newsletter if your teammate Michael can do it better? Are you supposed to
write EVERY article in the newsletter? Nope. While you may be a great speaker, a good writer
and an average layout artist, you can let go of some of these roles and maximize the talents and
skills of your teammates.
In some cases, you may be a better layout artist than your friend Michael. But delegation
enables him to develop his layout and design skills so that after a few more projects, you can
depend on him to do layouts, instead of you doing it by yourself. Delegation helps you develop
and enhance the capabilities and skills of the members of the organization.
Through delegation, you are also giving the message that you trust and believe in your
teammates. Isn’t that great? Do you remember a time when an ate or kuya trusted you to do
something and you delivered it? Young people can do a lot of things, especially if leaders
believed in them. Sure these budding leaders may commit mistakes, but as you continue giving
them tasks and delegating responsibilities, they will become more proficient and good at it.
Who knows, they may even shine as the next generation of leaders in your organization?
Lastly, by assigning responsibilities to members, you are helping them become more
committed to the organization. They know that their contribution matters and they feel proud
to work with you and for the organization.
You can probably do some multi‐tasking by yourself and do three to four things at a time—
eating while checking your emails while coming up with a plan for your organizational project
and banging your head to the rhythm of the rock music playing in the background. But if you
use the art of delegation, five, ten or even more tasks could be done simultaneously! That’s
multi‐tasking at its best!
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27.
Delegating Do’s and Don’ts
Delegate responsibility and authority. Don’t just ask someone to do some things for you. You
need to let them know that they also have the authority and the capacity to do the things you
asked them to do. Empower them to make decisions. But let them know, as well, the limits of
their authority. In matters involving major decisions with budgetary considerations, it would be
better for them to consult you or other leaders within the organization.
Choose the right people for the job. Make sure that the assigned person knows how to do the
job. Or at the very least, he should know where to get resources to get the job done. If the
members of your team are all newbies or rookies, you may need to walk them through the
process of doing things before letting them do the job. That’s called empowerment.
Inspire them by explaining the purpose behind the tasks. Don’t just point your fingers at a
member of your organization and tell him that he has been chosen to do some important thing
for the organization. By asking if they are willing, you also make them feel special. And you are
giving them the right to refuse. It would be better for someone to refuse you right away instead
of creating problems by starting the job and quitting after a few days or weeks. People will
happily accept tasks if they realize how important these tasks are.
Clarify expectations and outcomes. Don’t just assume that the assigned person knows how to
do the job right away. To make sure that you are on the same page, you need to clarify what
you or the organization expects. Let the person know the deliverables and deadlines. If you are
organizing a concert and you are delegating the task of contacting a mobile sound system
company, then let that person know what kinds of services you need, who he needs to work
with, and the deadline in which he needs to complete the task. By clarifying expectations and
outcomes, you avoid miscommunication, which may result to misunderstandings and problems
in the task.
Don’t micromanage. When you delegate responsibility to someone, trust them. Sure, they may
not be able to do it as well as you do. In fact, they may do it better or not. Don’t call the person
daily and tell him how to do his job. That’s meddling. You may do more harm than good. Trust
the person and let him deal with the consequences of his choices and actions. If you
micromanage and get in the way, you actually prevent that person to grow in dealing with
responsibility.
Which gets us to the next point. Don’t focus too much on methods and process. Focus instead
on results and deliverables. Understand that the person you delegated the task is not you.
Therefore, he has a different personality, a different set of skills, a different way of doing things.
As they say, there are a hundred ways to kill the cow. As long as the person is not breaking a
law or the policies of your organization, he should be fine. You may become uncomfortable at
his style of working, but if he can deliver the results and outcomes you talked about, great!
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28. Ensure accountability through monitoring and follow up. Don’t let the person feel all alone
and forlorn in doing the job entrusted to him. Do follow up on the progress of the tasks. A
simple question “how’s the task going?” should be enough to ask delebout the project. Ask if
there are problems or issues you and the organization should be aware of.
Evaluate. When the task is done, you need to sit down and evaluate. Did the person delivered
the outcomes you agreed upon? What kinds of problems did he encounter? How did he solve
them? As the leader, it’s your job to gather feedback from appropriate sources. You also need
to form your own feedback –both the positive and negative ones and relate it to him. Don’t
forget to praise publicly and celebrate the results achieved for the organization. If you need to
criticize, do it privately. We could all improve from our failures and mistakes. By pointing out
specific areas in which the job failed or hit snags, you are helping a member improve his skills
and by the next time he takes on a job, he will know how to handle it better.
It takes time to practice the art of delegation but always resist the temptation to do everything
by yourself!
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