TIME MANAGEMENT
Confl icts and Commitments.How many
of your priorities are based on commitments
inspired by guilt, obligation, or a desire to avoid
confl ict? Completing these tasks may not be the
best use of your time. To avoid confl ict at the
expense of time management is bad policy. Don’t
be afraid to say “No.” Once you’ve set your pri-
orities in the fi rst place, stand your ground when
others try to get you to change them against your
better judgment.
Getting It Done
When a project keeps expanding or contract-
ing, it’s helpful to keep priorities fl exible. When
you lay out goals and priorities, have a Plan B.
For example, how often have you wasted time
because you struggled unnecessarily with some-
thing that obviously needed to be delayed? If
a thing near the top of your to-do list can’t be
done today, either break it into smaller chunks
or reschedule it for another day, and move on.
However, don’t make postponing tasks a habit.
Focus on how good it feels—rather than on how
hard it is—to accomplish things, and dig in.
InLeadership When the Heat’s On, Danny Cox
advises that you make the fi rst hour of your day
your most productive by tackling the hardest
things then. He also recommends looking at the
items on your daily to-do list and prioritizing
them according to the following criteria:
Do today no matter what: Items that absolutely
must get done
Do today if possible:Items that ideally should
be done