Begin by making a list of everything you have to do the
following day. Then, write an A, B, C, D, or E next to each
item on your list before you begin work.
An item that’s marked A is something you must do. It is
something that is important and there are serious conse-
quences for either doing it or not doing it. Put an A next to
those tasks and activities that you must accomplish in the
course of the day if you are to fulfill your responsibilities.
B items are those things you should do. There are mild
consequences for doing (or not doing) B tasks, but they are
not as important as A activities. The rule is that you never do
a B activity when there is an A activity left undone.
C activities are nice to do, but they have no consequences,
either positive or negative. Chatting with a coworker, getting
an extra cup of coffee, or checking your e-mail are things that
are nice to do, and often fun and enjoyable, but whether or
not you do them has no consequences at all in terms of your
effectiveness at your job.
Time Wastage Sabotages Careers
Robert Half International estimates that as much as 50 per-
cent of working time is spent on C activities, things that
make no contribution at all to the business.
Each person is a creature of habit. Effective people estab-
lish good habits and make them their masters. Ineffective
people accidentally establish bad habits, and then those bad
habits govern their lives.
Many people get into the habit of coming in to work and
immediately engaging in time-wasting, low-value, no-value
36 TIME MANAGEMENT