CHOOSING PRIORITIES

Effective time management  involves prioritizing. you cannot handle all the tasks that come your way at the same time. Working to a list of priorities in vital. It is also important to give priority to developing your expertise in a chosen area of specialty.

ASSESSING IMPORTANCE 

Tasks fall intro four categories: very important, important, useful, and unimportant. They also have times horizons: urgent (to be done as soon as possible) , fairly urgent (to be done by a near deadline) , not urgent (can wait for a while) , and optional (no time pressure). The categories and time horizons determine what you can put at the bottom of the pile, and what must go to the top. Estimate the time each task will take, then plan your days and weeks round achieving the top priority tasks, fitting in the others round them.

COMPARING PRIORITIES

Look at the way you prioritize carefully. The good prioritizer puts the future ahead of the past and tackles difficult jobs first. The bad prioritizer puts the past before the future and postpones demanding tasks.

DEALING WITH DEADLINES

Avoid the practice of most journalists, whose work is ruled by deadlines, but who usually leave everything until the last minute. When you name or accept a deadline, be sure that the chosen completion date is really necessary. Once a date is agreed, missing the deadline is not acceptable: keeping it becomes a key priority. Work back from the deadline for the main tasks to see which sub-tasks have to be completed by what time. if possible, build in some room for slippage. You will probably have reason to be grateful for this contingency. If all else fails, though, be prepared to ask for an extension early as possible. Do not spring any last minute surprises on anybody.

AVOIDING A LAST-MINUTE RUSH

Set yourself interim deadline to help you meet a final deadline date. In this way you can work towards achieving your final target in stages, rather than rushing a job at the last-minute.

PICKING A SPECIALITY

Making the right choices on priorities also applies to improving areas of personal performance. General ability opens the greatest numbers of doors, but i also pays to give priority to one area in which you can become expert. First, you  stand out from the crowd as the person who knows all about the subject. That knowledge could give you a key position in important projects and discussion. Second the experience of mastering a subject in depth and having total command in your special area bolsters confidence and builds mindpower. Do not chose a specialization that will rarely, if ever, be used. Rather, seek mainstream areas that are vital to the business of the organization, such as organizing market research or setting up new operations.

NOTE:

1.   Put what can wait indefinitely intro a file, than throw away the contents.
2.   Try to finish one task before you start on another.
3.   Make a point of finishing work by the time that you have agreed to.
4.   Do not rely on seniority: rather, win the authority of true expertise.