By Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC
President, NACTA

Is it just me or do you too often wonder, “Where does the time go?” It seems that I have just mastered writing 2006 on my checks — and here we are in 2007 already. I swear, as I get older the time goes faster. Time is such a precious thing and one we must manage accordingly. In this article I will challenge Father Time and perhaps together we can make the most productive and joyful use of our time this year. This will be the first of a series where together we will delve into some of our time challenges and see if together we can make 2007 timeless.
Where does it go?
I have been reading up on this so hopefully what I share will be helpful to you, as well. I am going to figure out where my time flies. One idea is to start a list of what you do during a week. We could try just a day log but I think the week will give us a better idea of how to manage our time more effectively. Write down everything you do for a full week. Start with the first day and log your activity all day. Time yourself online, writing E-mails, casual chats, business calls, exercise, eating, etc.

Cleaning up
At the end of the week you should have a pretty big list and one you can really scale down to figure what was time well spent and what was wasted time. I think we can all agree that E-mail can sometimes be a time waster if not managed. Basically, if something is not contributing to your personal life and balance, your work and business in a positive way, then you might want to review your time crunch. Cleaning up your list and disposing of wasted time might be just the ticket.
The List
Scheduling our time is often hard to do but so important. If you are like me, I often begin my day with a dream of the many things I will accomplish. Then, alas, 6 p.m. is upon me and I am not feeling that I finished any of my projects. Instead, other things popped up during the day and while important as well, I might have given them higher priority than they deserved. Try to prioritize the importance of your to-do list and make one each day.
I have learned a simple but very effective way to do this from a friend. I simply make a list of tasks I want to accomplish during the week. I write down each task with an open box next to it. I know I could automate this function but the simple paper and pen works for me here. I check off each task since completed and some days I even finish them all. I don’t know what it is about seeing them checked off but I feel that I am really getting somewhere. Some days I do not complete a task as perhaps someone I needed to reach was out. I then put a follow-up flag next to it. Each day I review the entire list to work through the tasks. Sounds pretty simple but it works for me!
You might even want to take this a step further and allocate how much time you think each task may take. That way you will be able to schedule your day more effectively and better manage the time. I am going to try to do this in 2007.
Lessons Learned... It’s all about results
I have learned some great lessons from my husband, Tom. When we married 24 years ago I remember learning probably the most important business lesson from him. He and I were business partners running a Hawaii wholesale tour company. He drilled into my head the need to be more results-oriented and less task-focused. Sometimes I thought my head would burst just thinking of all the things I had to do in a day. I wanted to go hide, as it seemed I would never get on top of it. He would tell me to take the day off.
Sure, great idea... How in the world could I take a day off when I had so much to do? Of course I hate to admit he was right, but yes, he was. On one particular day of serious stress he said, “Go to the beach for the day, Joanie.” I really fought it but he kept saying I needed to go there with my pad of paper and take the day to get “the bigger picture.” Trust me when I tell you I fought this hard. I thought he was nuts..... I was just too busy and had many deadlines.
I finally agreed and off I went to the beach with my yellow legal pad and pen. I also stopped at the bookstore and bought a book on time management. I read the book and worked my plan that day. I came back to our office the next day feeling as if I had a 20-pound weight lifted off my shoulders. I am sure I stood taller that day. I have never forgotten that focusing on results I want to accomplish in my personal and work life is simply a must.