Prioritizing: If time flies, where does it go?

From Wachovia's 3rd quarter eNewsletter entitled "Getting Fiscally Fit"

The old adage: “There's so much to do and so little time” has never been truer than in today's busy world. By the time you wade through your e-mails, return phone calls and take care of life's unexpected details, the morning is gone and the rest of the day is a scramble just to get back on track.

There are ways to make the day more productive, and by taking just five minutes at the top of the day to set goals and prioritize your tasks, you'll find that you will become more effective, and efficient in no time.

Take five
“Managing our time needs to become a ritual,” says time management guru Peter Bregman, “all it takes is a little discipline.” Before you start your day, sit down with a piece of paper and make a list of goals for the day. Next, prioritize them and schedule time for them in your calendar, the most important and most difficult in the earliest slots. Once every hour, check in with your list and see where you are. If necessary, make adjustments, but stick to the plan. End the day with a five-minute review of the list, and build a new list of the top five things that need to be accomplished the next day.

Track your time for a few days
If you often get to the end of the day, and don't know where the time went, consider tracking your time diligently for 2-3 days and see where it is going. You can do this in an online calendar on your computer or with a PDA.

Give yourself some focused time
The only problem with multi-tasking is we often don't deliver our best thinking when we are working on ten things at once. If possible, schedule an hour each day during which time you focus only on one task or activity. You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish with one scheduled hour of work time.

Block out time for answering emails & returning calls
Whenever possible, block out times in your day for returning emails and returning calls. This avoids constant interruptions that can keep you from focusing on what you need to accomplish that day.

Put technology to work
There is no end to the new technology available to help you stay on track and focused. Set the alarm on your cell phone or desktop calendar to chime hourly to remind you to check your progress throughout the day. Use applications such as Google Calendar, Backpack, Tiddlywicki, or just a stack of index cards to help you make lists and schedule your priorities. Use calendars, note-taking tools and to-do lists as organizational aides. Synchronize your iPhone or other smartphone or PDA applications with your computer to help you stay focused on your priorities.

End with tomorrow in mind
If you're feeling overwhelmed, take just a few minutes out of your day to organize, and end the day knowing what is most important for you to tackle tomorrow.