| Finding Time requires developing the art of prioritizing. | | | | straightforward. Therefore, you can schedule it around |
| When you don't, you may suffer from Musical Chairs | | | | more complex tasks. |
| Syndrome. Do these symptoms sound familiar? | | | | However, if you can't proceed without financial data |
| Symptom Number One: As soon as your day heats | | | | from seven colleagues, and you are unable to collect |
| up, your priorities are dislodged from their assigned | | | | all the information until the day before you need to |
| order. Each task has to scramble for a new place. | | | | hand in the report, this task becomes a time-limited, top |
| Before long, you are working off of urgency, not | | | | priority! |
| overview or efficiency. | | | | Whenever you are dependent on other people for |
| Symptom Number Two: You feel out of control. You | | | | information or material, your task's level of difficulty |
| ask people to bail you out, or you feel people let you | | | | increases. This is because you may have to take |
| down, because you're caught once again with too | | | | additional steps to get the data you need. And |
| much to do in too little time. | | | | certainly you need to build in time to integrate the |
| Symptom Number Three: You lose credibility. People | | | | information and create a cohesive report. |
| mistrust your plans and your boundaries, because | | | | So, when prioritizing, look for dependencies. Any task |
| you're constantly revising your priorities, wasting their | | | | that depends on others' cooperation rises in priority. |
| time and yours. | | | | * Next, examine your short-term or one-time events. |
| The good news is, you can overcome this malady! | | | | What tasks on this list carry the greatest |
| Just practice and perfect the following 3 tips: | | | | consequences for yourself or others? Mark these as |
| Tip Number One: Make a list of all the tasks you need | | | | highest priority. |
| to accomplish. | | | | If, say, your child must be outfitted in a costume by |
| * Sort these into 2 lists: ongoing tasks and one-time | | | | week after next, you have a high priority on your |
| events | | | | hands! If you do not get this done, your child will be the |
| * Circle time-limited items in each category. (Those that | | | | only one in the play without a costume. |
| must be accomplished by a certain date and/or time.) | | | | Tip Number Three: Reintegrate. After you have set |
| Tip Number Two: Categorize systematically. Develop | | | | priorities for each task using this system, combine both |
| a system of prioritizing that remains relevant, even | | | | lists and create your calendar. Now you are ready to |
| when the pressure mounts. | | | | communicate your priorities and start accomplishing |
| * Determine which ongoing tasks are most important, | | | | them! |
| and, if needed, how much cooperation is required. | | | | The more care you take in setting clear priorities, the |
| For example, you must file a budget report by the third | | | | easier it becomes to mobilize yourself. How can you |
| Tuesday of each month. Since it's involves finance, it is | | | | develop the action steps you need to experience |
| probably a high priority. If you simply need to integrate | | | | success at prioritizing and finding time? |
| daily records, this job is a relatively short and | | | | |