I think organizational goals are the best guide to priortize followed by personal goals in line with the organizational goals. You are right, outlook is just a tool; its how we priortize is still a skill and art to be leart and used appropriately
Yes I do practice that. The work/ to do list is many time dynamic and has to be reset if priorities change. End of the day, I do do look at what could not be accomplished and why not. If it was bad time management, i think of strategies how to do better the next day
I usually print outlook calendar for the next day at the end of the work day and populate goals and tasks considering A B and C categories. then I try to eliminate B category by moving them to A or C Then I focus on A and eliminate C from the list
Cynthia,
I hope this works for you. I set aside three times each day to do email. Other than those times, I keep Outlook closed.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Hello,
Prioritizing has been the biggest challenge for me. As much as I do a To Do List, use Outlook, and post it notes, I fin dit hard to ignore incoming emails and students that drop in needing help. I realize my problem in that I must say NO kindly so that I can be more productive! I have rescheduled all of my weekly appointments and set some 20% cusion time between each meeting.
I will begin to set up 4 goals a day with A & B categories and report at the end of the week visulally seeing my activity log chart and identifying other issues perhaps.
I like to write my goals down. Once I have a list of goals I then choice the goals that are quickly obtainable and put them on a second list and place them on my bathroom mirror. The goals that may take years to reach I place on a vision board that hangs in my bedroom.
When it comes to daily tasks I prioritize the things that must be handled first and push the rest down on the list in my head. My goal after this course is to utilize a solid list to check off daily tasks on a daily basis.
Michael,
Upon what criteria do base your decision as to the relative urgency of the tasks you list?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I formulate a list of task, then then arrange them in order of most urgent to less.
I'm looking forward to putting into practice what I've learned in this class. My prioritizing has automatically been dictated by urgency. I will now be able to identify out time wasters and can more effectively schedule a productive-controlled day.
Charlene,
How do you decide whay is the most important?
Jeffrey Schillinger
i prioritize with begininning with what is more important and has a dead line
Nicole,
I feel the same way about my to-do list.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I prioritize my tasks based on urgency, then I write out a visual map that breaks down the specific tasks I need to complete my goals. Sometimes there are some steps within a larger task that I can that care of when I have a few extra minutes. I find that being able to cross things off of my "to do" list, no matter how small, gives me a sense of accomplishment and motivates me to move forward.
Typically I look at two things, small items that need to be done that day and longer term projects. I will always make it a priority to accomplish the smaller items each day and then balance working on larger objectives. This way I never lose site of the little items and I am always working towards the completing the larger projects.
James,
What are some of the factors you consider when determining if a task is an A, B or C?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I prioritize tasks similar to the A-B-C method, using a goal and to do folder for all tasks and projects.
Anne,
I find listing things in Outlook at specific times really works well. I also have a spiral notebook that I use just for talks that come up during meetings.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have always created "to-do" lists for myself, but only paper copies on scraps that sometimes get misplaced. I will try using Outlook to see if that helps me to get tasks done on a more timely basis.
A look at what needs to be done now and cannot wait. That which does come up unexpected will be reviewed and prioritized.
I love outlook too. It really helps remind me of the items and tasks that need attending to as well as dates to remind me when things are getting closer to due dates. Great tool!
