It seems the words “Time Management” are a buzz everywhere I go these days – both at work with projects and at home with tasks or chores. Instead of shortening our lists of things to do or adding more time in the day, we are forced to find a way to manage our time in an effective manner. There are many books, seminars, and weeklong retreats that will teach us how to de-clutter our lives and manage our time better.
Just over a month ago, I had over 700 emails in my Outlook inbox, a full calendar of meetings and sticky notes in every crevasse and corner of my desk. I thought I had the best, most functional and effective way of handling my tasks. I barely missed a meeting, got most of my work done and only reset my password (on my sticky notes) once a week. Clearly I was organized, right? Wrong !!!
Earlier this year my team and I huddled in a large boardroom at 5:30am (darn that Eastern time zone!) and started the journey of learning TASKit. This is a comprehensive task management system developed by Roger Reece, based on the task features of Microsoft Outlook.
Roger Reese began by asking us what kind of Time Managers we were and then how we would like to improve. (At this point I was still wondering what system could be more effective than colour coded sticky notes, but I was beginning to see the light.) We broke our tasks down into bite size pieces and explored how to prioritize effectively. We began to learn that every task, every email, has a timeline and how an implemented TASKit system will keep us focused and working on the right project within the right time frame. The course was interactive and allowed us to walk away with a solid plan to transform our current process (which clearly wasn’t working) to an organized, well oiled, Task Management Machine.
I am happy to report, that as of today, I am 100% TASKit implemented! I have less than 10 emails in my inbox at the end of every day, no more sticky note wall paper, and I’m on time – and on top of deadlines, at the end of each day. Most importantly, I feel an improvement in how I perform, in the quality I produce, and in the way I feel about my work.
For more detailed information about the TASKit Time Management Workshops, visit http://www.timemanagementworkshops.com.
Amber Kenyon
Sage Accountant Solutions Blog (Canada) 