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Other articles in this issue:

• The difference between time management and controlling events
• The major time robbers and how to avoid them
• How Owners and Managers should manage their time
• Vacationing for better health and productivity

Effecticely Scheduling Your Time to Maximize Your Accomplishments

We all get the same amount of time each day.  If you think of that time allotment as a bucket, how you fill the bucket with determines what you will accomplish each day.

To effectively schedule your day, you must first determine what is important.  These items fill your bucket of time as Rocks.  Rocks symbolize the big grouping of all significant things in your life.  Rocks are what you need to pay attention to and maintain advancement on.  They are the guiding principles that exemplify your Values.
Examples of Rocks include your wellbeing, your family and friends, your ingenuity, your intellect, your finances, your safety, and your profession.  The projects and activities you do should come only from those important values.  Once you have identified what is important define what is necessary to achieve those Values.
Even though your time bucket is now full of Rocks, there is still room.  Rocks break down into pebbles just as your Values break down into Projects.  Pebbles will fit in your bucket of time around the Rocks.  They support your Values.  Examples of Pebbles might be routine exercise to support your wellbeing, or continuing education to further your career.

Pebbles break down into Sand.  Sand represents your activities and is the fine granular level of management.  Your daily activities are the steps you take to complete your Projects.  These are the things on your “To Do” list.  You should not schedule anything on your list that will not fulfill your Values.
Even though your bucket seems to be full with all the Rocks, Pebbles and Sand, there is still room for Water.  Water symbolizes the flow of actions you take to complete your activities and thus your Projects.  The biggest Projects can only be completed by carrying out the detailed action steps.  By defining the Action Steps, you define what is next in your and your staff’s day/week.  For clients who have experienced our Process Consulting, this is the Post-It Notes and Sharpie exercise.

To effectively schedule your and your staff’s time to maximize your productivity, you need to:

1. Define what is important to you and your agency.  Know your Values.
2. Determine the steps necessary to complete the projects to achieve those Values.
3. Your scheduling should be adaptable and flexible. You should watch what is next in the pipeline and schedule your resources in advance.

There will always be the surprises that pop up during the day causing you to adjust your daily schedule.  By laying a solid foundation with a schedule that supports your vision and goals, you will find that your days are more and more productive.

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Copyright 2008© CSB Consulting and Connie Burtcheard