Time management skills and productivity techniques have always been in demand, but with technology encroaching on our time with 24/7 access and instant notifications, these are even more critical now. People want to learn how to do quality work and accomplish more without sacrificing what’s important to them. The answer is quite simple – stop managing time and manage yourself.

There are a wide variety of techniques that teach prioritizing, goal setting and self-management. The Gold Time approach has a little bit of everything. It is easy to use and can be very efficient if you practice it regularly.

First, categorize your activities using the following matrix:

 

Quadrant 1: Important and UrgentThese are problems or crises that need to be attended to or it could result in a major problem.

Quadrant 2: Important but Not UrgentActivities that affect your mission, roles and goals. Significant, but do not have a sense of “NOW” about them.

Quadrant 3: Not Important but Urgent – These are immediate, in-your-face activities like a ringing phone, or inconvenient interruptions.

Quadrant 4: Not Important and Not Urgent—These are almost always time wasting activitiespoorly run meetings, many e-mails, watching too much TV, etc.

After calculating where and why the time leak happens, ask yourself this: What is the one activity that I could do superbly well and consistently, to produce the marvelous results I desire? Prioritize accordingly.

Don’t neglect the important but not urgent quadrant – those things eventually turn into a crisis consuming everything else you do. Build up the schedule around YOUR priorities with attention to important but not urgent activities. Things will still come up, but they will be more manageable and you will have a better sense of accomplishment and control.

Gold Time will work only if you make it work: be proactive, eliminate the distractions and schedule Gold Time in your calendar everyday if you can.

Need help with this topic or leadership coaching? Contact Mission Critical Teams.

 

 

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  1. […] caught up in things, they plan and execute according to what matters most. I already introduced a Gold Time Management Technique in the past, but it is such a helpful tool that I would like to expand on it […]

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