Time Management Program...this one is somewhat different.

As an organizer and someone looking to simplify and enjoy life, I've reviewed many a time management program.

If you've previously learned a time management program that works for you, wonderful! Keep at it.

If not, this time management program can work for you. With all of the programs out there time management has received a lot of attention lately. David Allen's is different in that it is somewhat anti-time management.

David Allen

The whole goal is for you to completely Get it all out of your head. If you've ever taken Tai Chi before, there's a "ready state" of the martial artist. You need to be completely at peace yet in control."Anything that causes you to overreact or underract can control you."

We need to get everything out of your head to get you to be in this "ready" or productive state of mind.

Typically, people have tons of things on their minds and writing to-do lists only serves to aggravate this problem, because if things are still going on in your mind, that means they have not been completely clarified yet, so to-do lists serve as reminders of EVERYTHING YOU HAVEN'T DONE!!!

Again, if something is on your mind, most likely you have yet to clarify what is the next action step that must be taken to complete this "thing on your mind."

If you haven't been able to organize your mind or your home, it may have been because in the past you may have been "trying to get organized by rearranging incomplete lists of unclear things."

I would like you to think now about managing action instead of managing time, managing priorities, or anything else you're fighting with.

So, how do you get it all out of your head?

1. Collect- Here's what you need to collect everything that comes at you. Get it in these collectors and not in your head.

Physical In-basket

Paper and Pen

Electronic note taking devices

Email

Voice Recording Devices

For example, you think-"I need to write this person a thank you letter." Create a "next-action" list. With regards to each task that pops up in your head, ask yourself, "What is the next executable action I can take to complete this task?"

Anything that takes longer than 2 minutes need to be tracked somewhere in one of the collection buckets.

You need to review the buckets regularly of course and empty them out.

What about things that have much more than 1 next executable action? "Clean out the garage", "Plan a vacation"- these projects require more than one action steps.

What I'd do is to keep a project list. Like an outline. Under the name of the project, break down all of the next action steps needed to complete this project on the list.

Since you are going to review this list weekly, you can visibly see what the next action item is and if you can take it now.

This is how you decide what tasks to do when.

1. Context- If you need a specific person or item like a computer, or the office files, you know if you're able to complete the task.

2. Time Available- do you have 5 minutes before your next meeting to complete one of the items on your "next-action" list?

3. Energy- Are you feeling up to completing this task? Or is this your low energy time?

4. Reward- Given the 3 other factors above, which item would you feel the most satisfaction having completed today?

Plan that things are also going to come up unexpected, so your day is a combination of unexpected surprises, and work you've already determined from your "next-action" list.

Know that whatever you choose to focus your attention on, even a coworker interrupting you, that is a choice and you are in control. In some ways, it also reflects your priorities.

The reason I'm not having you draw out or talk about priorities too much is that I think nowadays, work and home life are so enmeshed, there are no longer clear delineated boundaries to tell us what should or is a priority for us. As long as you feel clear headed, present, healthy, and balanced and no one is feeling too neglected, it's working!

1. Mind Mapping Software
Brainstorming technique that is so effective especially for people that "keep it all in their brain". Do a mind map on a piece of paper or on software to outline every step of the project at hand. Ramona Creel of Online Organizing, sells a very good Mind mapping software.

2. Legal pads
Keep lots of legal pads around for your hand-written mindmaps or your "next-action" lists.

3. Easels and Whiteboards
It's a lot of fun to have these in your home. Put them in kids bedrooms. Write all of your thoughts on the whiteboard. I just bought a blackboard with a beautiful frame around it and hung it on the wall in my home office. My husband loves it. I really bought it for him to get things out of his head and onto the blackboard.

4.File Folders
Create a file folder for each project. Keep all the materials for the project at hand. Even the napkins or loose papers you created at a restaurant or somewhere. You may keep this project file somewhere on your desk to remind you about it, of course I mean in an organizer, I'll put that next.

5.Vertical File folder Organizer
Keep just the file folders for the current projects you are working on in this vertical organizer.

I do think it is healthy for them to also work on some time management exercises that teach prioritizing, just so they get exposed to the concept.

Teenagers will still benefit from David Allen's Time management program that I reviewed above.

More time management for teens, here.
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