Time Management Skills Development

Sample E-mail Question and Answer by Stephanie Kay, M.A., L.C.P.C.

J. wrote that he is struggling both at home and at work with time management issues. He spends too much time in the office, much of it spinning his wheels, and too little time at home with his family. He is stressed out and in a downward spiral, unable to take control of his life.

Stephanie's Answer: You do sound overwhelmed, J., and you are not alone in your struggle with this issue. Time Management is one of the biggest issues we see in the workplace today. I would really like to help you deal with this so long as you are willing to try a few new strategies that will enable you to manage your time more effectively.

One of the most common time management mistakes people make is not having work-life balance. It seems that you, too, are struggling with this. We all have physical, intellectual, social and emotional needs. These needs overlap, so that if you don't allow enough time for physical activity, for example, the other areas will be also be out of kilter. You must be wondering if it is even possible to address these areas with all you have on your plate. I believe that paying attention to these needs will enable you to enhance your performance.

The core of time management is in weekly organization of your time. It would be helpful for you to take 5-10 minutes on Sunday night or Monday morning to write down your goals for the week. What would you like to accomplish this coming week at work and at home? Try to set goals that are realistic, specific, achievable, and within a certain time frame. Writing down goals makes them concrete when you see them on paper. You wrote that you have no time to spend with your 3 children, let alone your wife. Might the dinner table be a good place to begin? A nice family discussion about the day's events assures everyone gets to speak and gets a share of attention. That might also help fill your social and emotional needs.

Suppose, for example, you've been missing dinner every night because of working late. What would be a realistic, achievable, specific, and time bound goal to remedy this situation? This is where many people run into problems. They set too lofty a goal, like planning to be home for dinner 5 nights. This sets them up for failure. Setting a more realistic goal, like being home for dinner 2 nights is more realistic and achievable. Taking small steps is an effective way to realize your goal and doesn't cause frustration.

Next in your time management planning, decide what you will do to achieve your work goals. Block out sections of time on your weekly calendar. Now list all the projects you need to do this week. It is important to clarify your priorities so that the most important tasks get allotted the most time. Perhaps you could establish a simple priority rating system, like A - B - C. Fill in the A projects first, then the B projects and, finally, the C projects. Some of the A projects might seem overwhelming. One way to manage this is by chunking. That means breaking the project into small chunks. By doing this you will experience the satisfaction of completion and energize yourself to move to the next chunk of work. Oh, be sure to factor in at least 15 minutes at least 3 times a week for a brisk walk (notice I didn't say 5 times a week). Not only will this help you meet your physical needs, it will also revitalize you for the remainder of the day.

Why not give these suggestions a try and let me know how they're working? After you've mastered these, we can move on to additional time management strategies. Please let me know if you're struggling with any of these ideas so we can remedy any problem areas before moving ahead.

The last thought I'd like to leave you with is that time management is one of the best tools for managing stress. See if it doesn't work for you.

Stephanie Kay, M.A., L.C.P.C.