How to defeat the time bandits
Interesting and apparently useful article on time management.
How to defeat the time bandits
Getting organised has created an industry based on the relentless drive for more productivity.
Fran Molloy
...
Scottish sci-fi writer Charlie Stross recently claimed that he reads more while scanning his morning bookmarks than most 18th-century readers would have got through in a year. And time-management expert Hugh Kearns, a mental health lecturer who heads the Flinders University staff development unit, says technology is making us work harder, not smarter.
"The irony is that all this technology that we thought would lead to more leisure time has actually given us less," Mr Kearns says.
...
The number one offender? Email.
...
Mr Kearns' research led him to interesting findings. "We actually sabotage ourselves sometimes by procrastination and perfectionism and overcommitting. We procrastinate - putting off the difficult things in favour of the short-term distraction," he says.
In 20 years, he has found time-management problems haven't changed much.
Interruptions remain the biggest thief of time in the workplace, although the method of interruption (email rather than phone calls and an overflowing in-tray) has changed.
There are only a few basic principles, he says. "You need to be absolutely rock-solid on what you need to get done today or in the next hour."
Mr Kearns suggests putting aside specific times for answering email. "Switch off the alerts so you don't attend to an email every time it goes 'bing'," he says. "Then when you do open a message, deal with it straight away."
...
Productivity expert Des Paroz recommends a time-management system called Getting Things Done, which reinforces the need to set aside time to deal with emails and phone calls.
Developed by Californian management consultant David Allen, the system is explained in his bestseller, Getting Things Done.
...
"Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do," he says. "It comes from not finishing what they've started."
Mr Allen believes the key to being more productive is to free your mind to concentrate on carrying out the next task needed to complete the project.
...
But choosing from myriad organising tools available can be confusing and time-consuming. If you want to organise your life online, the trick is to choose one or two options - make sure they are versatile sites with plenty of flexibility - and use them effectively, Ms Oliver says.
...
Getting help on the web
...
"Google calendar and Gmail are very good," Mr Paroz says. "For most people, email is probably one of the biggest productivity drains, yet it doesn't have to be that hard.
...
But most of these organising resources demand an investment of many hours to learn. And, paradoxically, the overwhelming range of online choices has left many users frozen with indecision.
The web is in such a state of flux that many are afraid to commit to a single online organising suite for fear of choosing the wrong one.
...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/beat-the-time-bandits/2007/01/24/1169518718212.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
How to defeat the time bandits
Getting organised has created an industry based on the relentless drive for more productivity.
Fran Molloy
...
Scottish sci-fi writer Charlie Stross recently claimed that he reads more while scanning his morning bookmarks than most 18th-century readers would have got through in a year. And time-management expert Hugh Kearns, a mental health lecturer who heads the Flinders University staff development unit, says technology is making us work harder, not smarter.
"The irony is that all this technology that we thought would lead to more leisure time has actually given us less," Mr Kearns says.
...
The number one offender? Email.
...
Mr Kearns' research led him to interesting findings. "We actually sabotage ourselves sometimes by procrastination and perfectionism and overcommitting. We procrastinate - putting off the difficult things in favour of the short-term distraction," he says.
In 20 years, he has found time-management problems haven't changed much.
Interruptions remain the biggest thief of time in the workplace, although the method of interruption (email rather than phone calls and an overflowing in-tray) has changed.
There are only a few basic principles, he says. "You need to be absolutely rock-solid on what you need to get done today or in the next hour."
Mr Kearns suggests putting aside specific times for answering email. "Switch off the alerts so you don't attend to an email every time it goes 'bing'," he says. "Then when you do open a message, deal with it straight away."
...
Productivity expert Des Paroz recommends a time-management system called Getting Things Done, which reinforces the need to set aside time to deal with emails and phone calls.
Developed by Californian management consultant David Allen, the system is explained in his bestseller, Getting Things Done.
...
"Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do," he says. "It comes from not finishing what they've started."
Mr Allen believes the key to being more productive is to free your mind to concentrate on carrying out the next task needed to complete the project.
...
But choosing from myriad organising tools available can be confusing and time-consuming. If you want to organise your life online, the trick is to choose one or two options - make sure they are versatile sites with plenty of flexibility - and use them effectively, Ms Oliver says.
...
Getting help on the web
- Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (http://www.aapo.org.au/) Outsource your productivity woes by getting a professional organiser to wrangle your paperwork.
- 43 Folders (http://www.43folders.com/) Looks at simple ways to make your life better.
- BackPack (http://www.backpackit.com/) Calendar and to-do lists.
- Copernic (http://www.copernic.com/) A free desktop search program lauded for its video and music search capabilities.
- FoxMarks (www.addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2410/)Bookmark synchroniser for Firefox users.
- Freshbooks (http://www.freshbooks.com/) Invoicing and time tracking system that allows invoicing by email and online payments.
- Getting Things Done (http://www.davidco.com/) Home of corporate trainer David Allen.
- GoalsUnlimited (http://www.goalsunlimited.com/) Local site for managing life plans and cash flow.
- Google Desktop(http://www.desktop.google.com/) Download and search all of your emails and computer files in seconds. Google Online Suite: Gmail (http://www.gmail.google.com/) Offers 2.8 GB of free email space. Calendar (http://www.calendar.google.com/) Spreadsheets (http://www.docs.google.com/). Compatible with Word and Excel.
- Mother's little helpers (http://www.busymothers.com.au/) A household organiser developed by two former teachers with seven children.
- MyGoals (http://www.mygoals.com/) Goal-setting with automatic email reminders.
- The Productivity Show (http://www.productivity.thepod.castnetwork.com/) A local podcast with tips on being productive.
...
"Google calendar and Gmail are very good," Mr Paroz says. "For most people, email is probably one of the biggest productivity drains, yet it doesn't have to be that hard.
...
But most of these organising resources demand an investment of many hours to learn. And, paradoxically, the overwhelming range of online choices has left many users frozen with indecision.
The web is in such a state of flux that many are afraid to commit to a single online organising suite for fear of choosing the wrong one.
...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/beat-the-time-bandits/2007/01/24/1169518718212.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
posted by Patrick Henry at 10:18
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