HOW TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH YOUR TIME ?

So you are looking forward to being more effective with your time!

To get maximum returns in life, the only way out is to control your life, by controlling your time.

And to control your time, you have to be aware of where your time goes.

If you want to make effective use of your time, you have to be productive with your time.

By focusing your efforts on getting Big results with as little effort as possible, you can be Productive with your time.

This will make a HUGE difference to your life when you are aware of what you do and where you spend your time.

According to Pareto’s 80/20 principle, 80%results come from 20%of your activities.

In today’s world, where your life is filled with never-ending responsibilities, you need to change the way you think, do and be.

By focusing on tasks and activities that make a difference in your life, and stop doing things that no longer serve you, you can get control over your time and your life.

This can be possible by carefully selecting, discriminating, and prioritizing those tasks that add meaning and value to your life each moment.

The more carefully you plan your activities the more you will accomplish in less time.

.By discriminating your tasks, you will become more efficient and effective. This will magnify your success manifold

In this blog post,

I will share with you a powerful and simple tool that will help you pick up tasks and activities that will make you more efficient and effective with your time, and
Plan a week’s tasks that will make you more effective and efficient with your time.

So before I take you to the details of the tool, let me tell you something about the tool and why it must be used by you.

Do you want to be MORE EFFECTIVE with your TIME AND EFFORTS and be MORE IMPACTFUL?

Get the FREE ACTION PRIORITY TOOL HERE !

THE ACTION PRIORITY TOOL :

The tool has 4 quadrants, for 4 different types of tasks. It helps you to make a list of tasks for each category and become aware of where you are spending your time and efforts so that you can bring about a change in the way you do things and become more effective with your time and efforts.

HOW TO USE THE ACTION PRIORITY TOOL TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH YOUR TIME

You just have to take two steps

Step 1 -Know the 4 quadrants and tasks for each quadrant .

Step 2 -Plan tasks for 1 week using this simple and powerful tool and do things differently .

So let’s begin!

STEP 1: The 4 quadrants of the Action Priority tool

There are 4 quadrants in the picture above and each quadrant represents a specific task type.

Quadrant 1 – Quick Wins.

Quadrant 1 is for Quick wins. Tasks in this quadrant offer a high level of impact and require a minimal amount of effort.

You are likely to enjoy these projects, as they can impact your career and company greatly without requiring you to work well into the night.

They Boost your energy instantly and take anywhere between 30 mins to 1 hour.

You will want to check these projects off quickly because they offer significant rewards without a huge demand on your time and effort.

Note– Finish tasks in Second Quadrant before going to do the tasks in quadrant one.

Tip– Sometimes tasks seem or feel the HIGH effort, but can be completed quickly, eg a task you’ve been putting off, like a phone call or booking a meeting or appointment.

Caution–Don’t get sucked into doing quick wins and avoiding work on bigger goals.

Quadrant 2 – Big Projects.

Quadrant 2 is for Big Projects. Tasks in this quadrant require High effort and give you a High Impact.

This Quadrant is where you must spend most of your time.

These are the tasks that you must do because they have serious positive or negative consequences.

Your Big Projects and Goals come in high on the impact scale.

However, these rank highly on the effort scale as well, as they are going to require a substantial amount of time on a day-to-day basis to complete properly and have a huge impact on your company and career. Ignoring these tasks can cost you in the long run as they begin to pile up by causing Overwhelm and Indecisiveness

Note — If there are more than one or two such types of tasks, write A1, A2, A3 against them according to priority.

Tip –It’s good to set aside larger chunks of uninterrupted time to focus and be productive on these high-effort tasks.

Caution –Sometimes when you feel overwhelmed with such types of tasks and procrastinate, it will be good to break them down into easy bite-sized chunks, so that you can do them easily.

Quadrant 3 — Filler Tasks.

The Quadrant 3 is for Filler Tasks.

These types of tasks are low in both impact and require less effort.

They have no serious consequence on your work. Some examples are – booking a movie show, catching up with a friend, dining with a colleague and doing some personal tasks, fixing up an appointment for a doctor or spa.

You can check them off between the gaps of projects tasks.

Tip –Do them in gaps between meetings or project tasks. They require anything from 15 -30 mins. They give you an instant boost when you are feeling low.

Caution – Avoid filling your schedule with filler tasks. A good idea will be to do them before lunch break or going home.

Quadrant 4 –Hard Slogs.

Quadrant 4 is all about Hard Slogs.

These tasks do not provide much in the way of an impact on the company, but they do require a lot of time and effort.

Removing or delegating them to someone else will leave you more time for the Quadrant 2 tasks.

Some like to get over with them as quickly as possible, while others keep them on the pending list for as long as they can.

Whichever way you approach them, remember that these jobs still need to be done, even if you don’t like them.

Tip —If this task has to be done try asking,” Who else might enjoy doing this task , could do it faster, or could you delegate to who would benefit from the experience ?’’

If you find that there is no way to delegate them and you are compelled to do them at any point in time, then ask, how could you bring fun to it ( eg add music ) or reward yourself when it is done?

Caution – Sometimes hard slog tasks drain us. If you can’t delegate or drop a task, break it into smaller, more attractive actions and take regular breaks.

Step 2 – Let’s plan tasks for one week using this simple and powerful tool and do things differently.

‘’Time is best spent in Quadrant 2 – High Effort and High Impact Tasks .‘’

Now take one week in your life .

Make a list of all activities that are currently on your plate– Work Tasks, Personal tasks, and Anything Sundry in between, and place them in the appropriate quadrants ( which you feel is accurate).

It may take a bit of time to think through each activity to grade it accurately, but this is an essential step to be successful with the tool.

Now we will move to the next two steps

.STEP 1 –Placing the tasks in the respective quadrants.

Of the tasks you have identified for the week, take them and place them into the appropriate quadrants in a blank quadrant, which you can make in the word document.
Next, ask yourself, are there any deadlines you have to meet this week? Is there anything you absolutely MUST get done? Highlight these and see which quadrant they are in.
Finally, look at your chart and consider where you spend most of your time.
What % of the time do you spend in each quadrant? How would you like to spend your time differently? What actions could you implement in the next week?
Add upcoming tasks to each quadrant. Think about the upcoming tasks and add them to the relevant quadrants.
Highlight anything with a deadline. Which quadrant are your deadline tasks in?

STEP 2

What did you learn about yourself from the percentage of time you spent in each quadrant?
How might you like to spend your time differently?
How could you be more productive?
What gaps do you have in your schedule where you could complete necessary filler tasks?
How could you maximize your ‘’Quick Wins’’, while also completing your ‘’Big Projects?’’
What specific Quick Wins will you focus on?
What Hard Slogs could you delegate or drop altogether?
Finally what other actions will you take with what you’ve learned?

Write down all the answers in the space below the blank quadrant.

Tip-So while you may need to spend the majority of your time on big projects or tasks, it’s worth spending a few moments to identify your quick wins and maximize productivity.

Here are some guidelines to help you with each quadrant-

Quadrant 1 -Quick wins

.Spend 5 mins Brainstorming these every week.
.Do as many as you can (without compromising the bigger picture )
.If you can identify one of these to complete daily.
. What tasks seem or feel the HIGH effort, but can be completed quickly? (eg. A task you have been avoiding )

Quadrant -2

This is probably the bulk of your work or main role, so make sure you –

.Block time to do the work.
. Plan, prepare and clarify required outputs.
.Agree on goals, dates, and breakdown of big tasks into smaller chunks – creating smaller, lower effort tasks.
.Identify tasks on your lists that are interdependent -eg, need to be finished before you start the next one. Make these a priority.

Quadrant 3 :

First, ask if this low-impact task is really necessary?

If yes make this task to –

.Make use of those 15-30 mins gaps between meetings.
.Give you a break from bigger tasks.
. Give yourself a boost by completing something!
.Keep productive when you’re feeling tired or low energy ……

Quadrant 4 Tasks :

Ask yourself :

Is this task really necessary?
.Who else might enjoy this task, could do it faster, or could you delegate it to who would benefit from the experience?
.What other ways are there to approach this task? Get creative!
.If you have to do it, find a way to.

Here is an article to help you with prioritization –7 AWESOME TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU TO PRIORITIZE BETTER

CONCLUSION –

As I said at the beginning of the post that if you want to be effective with your time, you have to be productive with your time.

To get maximum returns in life, the only way out is to control your life, by controlling your time.

And to control your time, you have to be aware of where your time goes.

And by knowing this simple yet powerful tool, you must have understood by now, where you spend your time most and are thinking about what changes you will make in the way you do things,

So where do you spend your time most?

If you spend most of it in quadrant 2, you are doing well, and if you are spending it most in quadrants 1,3, or 4, then what will you do differently to be more effective with your time?

Share your answers with me in the comments box below.

If you’re curious about learning more about how to use your time effectively , I support managers at all levels with coaching specifically on this powerful topic. If this sounds like you and you’d like to explore how coaching can help, please schedule a

So you are looking forward to being more effective with your time!

To get maximum returns in life, the only way out is to control your life, by controlling your time.

And to control your time, you have to be aware of where your time goes.

If you want to make effective use of your time, you have to be productive with your time.

By focusing your efforts on getting Big results with as little effort as possible, you can be Productive with your time.

This will make a HUGE difference to your life when you are aware of what you do and where you spend your time.

According to Pareto’s 80/20 principle, 80%results come from 20%of your activities.

In today’s world, where your life is filled with never-ending responsibilities, you need to change the way you think, do and be.

By focusing on tasks and activities that make a difference in your life, and stop doing things that no longer serve you, you can get control over your time and your life.

This can be possible by carefully selecting, discriminating, and prioritizing those tasks that add meaning and value to your life each moment.

The more carefully you plan your activities the more you will accomplish in less time.

.By discriminating your tasks, you will become more efficient and effective. This will magnify your success manifold

In this blog post,

I will share with you a powerful and simple tool that will help you pick up tasks and activities that will make you more efficient and effective with your time, and

Plan a week’s tasks that will make you more effective and efficient with your time.

So before I take you to the details of the tool, let me tell you something about the tool and why it must be used by you.

Do you want to be MORE EFFECTIVE with your TIME AND EFFORTS and be MORE IMPACTFUL?

Get the FREE ACTION PRIORITY TOOL HERE !

THE ACTION PRIORITY TOOL :

The tool has 4 quadrants, for 4 different types of tasks. It helps you to make a list of tasks for each category and become aware of where you are spending your time and efforts so that you can bring about a change in the way you do things and become more effective with your time and efforts.

HOW TO USE THE ACTION PRIORITY TOOL TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH YOUR TIME

You just have to take two steps

Step 1 -Know the 4 quadrants and tasks for each quadrant .

Step 2 -Plan tasks for 1 week using this simple and powerful tool and do things differently .

So let’s begin!

STEP 1: The 4 quadrants of the Action Priority tool

There are 4 quadrants in the picture above and each quadrant represents a specific task type.

Quadrant 1 – Quick Wins.

Quadrant 1 is for Quick wins. Tasks in this quadrant offer a high level of impact and require a minimal amount of effort.

You are likely to enjoy these projects, as they can impact your career and company greatly without requiring you to work well into the night.

They Boost your energy instantly and take anywhere between 30 mins to 1 hour.

You will want to check these projects off quickly because they offer significant rewards without a huge demand on your time and effort.

Note– Finish tasks in Second Quadrant before going to do the tasks in quadrant one.

Tip– Sometimes tasks seem or feel the HIGH effort, but can be completed quickly, eg a task you’ve been putting off, like a phone call or booking a meeting or appointment.

Caution–Don’t get sucked into doing quick wins and avoiding work on bigger goals.

Quadrant 2 – Big Projects.

Quadrant 2 is for Big Projects. Tasks in this quadrant require High effort and give you a High Impact.

This Quadrant is where you must spend most of your time.

These are the tasks that you must do because they have serious positive or negative consequences.

Your Big Projects and Goals come in high on the impact scale.

Note — If there are more than one or two such types of tasks, write A1, A2, A3 against them according to priority.

Tip –It’s good to set aside larger chunks of uninterrupted time to focus and be productive on these high-effort tasks.

Caution –Sometimes when you feel overwhelmed with such types of tasks and procrastinate, it will be good to break them down into easy bite-sized chunks, so that you can do them easily.

Quadrant 3 — Filler Tasks.

The Quadrant 3 is for Filler Tasks.

These types of tasks are low in both impact and require less effort.

They have no serious consequence on your work. Some examples are – booking a movie show, catching up with a friend, dining with a colleague and doing some personal tasks, fixing up an appointment for a doctor or spa.

You can check them off between the gaps of projects tasks.

Tip –Do them in gaps between meetings or project tasks. They require anything from 15 -30 mins. They give you an instant boost when you are feeling low.

Caution – Avoid filling your schedule with filler tasks. A good idea will be to do them before lunch break or going home.

Quadrant 4 –Hard Slogs.

Quadrant 4 is all about Hard Slogs.

These tasks do not provide much in the way of an impact on the company, but they do require a lot of time and effort.

Removing or delegating them to someone else will leave you more time for the Quadrant 2 tasks.

Some like to get over with them as quickly as possible, while others keep them on the pending list for as long as they can.

Whichever way you approach them, remember that these jobs still need to be done, even if you don’t like them.

Tip —If this task has to be done try asking,” Who else might enjoy doing this task , could do it faster, or could you delegate to who would benefit from the experience ?’’

If you find that there is no way to delegate them and you are compelled to do them at any point in time, then ask, how could you bring fun to it ( eg add music ) or reward yourself when it is done?

Caution – Sometimes hard slog tasks drain us. If you can’t delegate or drop a task, break it into smaller, more attractive actions and take regular breaks.

Step 2 – Let’s plan tasks for one week using this simple and powerful tool and do things differently.

‘’Time is best spent in Quadrant 2 – High Effort and High Impact Tasks .‘’

Now take one week in your life .

Make a list of all activities that are currently on your plate– Work Tasks, Personal tasks, and Anything Sundry in between, and place them in the appropriate quadrants ( which you feel is accurate).

It may take a bit of time to think through each activity to grade it accurately, but this is an essential step to be successful with the tool.

Now we will move to the next two steps

.STEP 1 –Placing the tasks in the respective quadrants.

Of the tasks you have identified for the week, take them and place them into the appropriate quadrants in a blank quadrant, which you can make in the word document.

Next, ask yourself, are there any deadlines you have to meet this week? Is there anything you absolutely MUST get done? Highlight these and see which quadrant they are in.

Finally, look at your chart and consider where you spend most of your time.

What % of the time do you spend in each quadrant? How would you like to spend your time differently? What actions could you implement in the next week?

Add upcoming tasks to each quadrant. Think about the upcoming tasks and add them to the relevant quadrants.

Highlight anything with a deadline. Which quadrant are your deadline tasks in?

STEP 2

What did you learn about yourself from the percentage of time you spent in each quadrant?

How might you like to spend your time differently?

How could you be more productive?

What gaps do you have in your schedule where you could complete necessary filler tasks?

How could you maximize your ‘’Quick Wins’’, while also completing your ‘’Big Projects?’’

What specific Quick Wins will you focus on?

What Hard Slogs could you delegate or drop altogether?