How to effectively plan your time: methods, techniques, mistakes To achieve global and everyday goals, it is important to correctly plan you...
How to effectively plan your time: methods, techniques, mistakes
To achieve global and everyday goals, it is important to correctly plan your time and distribute tasks correctly. Let's figure out how to do it as efficiently as possible, not get lost in the routine and not be afraid of bulk work.
Scheduling is a method of efficient allocation of time for the quality performance of various tasks.
It often happens that cases and deadlines accumulate like a snowball, and there is less and less time and energy left. As a result, we get either burnt deadlines, a nervous breakdown, or all of this at once. To avoid disastrous results of work, there are such tools as time management, goal setting and planning. These "three pillars" of efficiency have much in common but still differ. You can read more about time management, for example, in various books.
Planning is a more global method of allocating time and prioritizing tasks, as it is used not only in personal life but also in business. In the latter case, planning is especially necessary, because the result of production depends on the correct distribution of tasks and resources. In general, business planning is one of the methods for the effective allocation of time, actions, resources and funds.
Main types of planning
Since the planning method has a wide range of applications, each area of >>>>>\u200b\u200blife has its own type.
planning as needed
This type, in turn, is divided into:
The directive, in which the implementation of the assigned tasks is mandatory. Detailing and the person to whom the finished plan is sent are implied. It is more often used in state planning or in an enterprise.
Indicative, not implying the obligatory fulfillment of deadlines and tasks. It is rather advisory and is used in microeconomic processes.
By task completion time
The timing within which the plan is built is important here.
Short-term planning - calculated for a period of up to a year.
May contain a plan for the day, week, month, and quarter. The most common type, as it is used both in everyday life and at the enterprise.
Medium-term planning - used in government agencies, enterprises and firms.
Usually calculated for a period of one to five years.
Long-term planning - here the calculation is for a period of five years or more.
It is often used in science and economics to solve strategic problems.
According to the content of the plan
This includes tactical, strategic and process planning.
Strategy is a long-term plan that defines the main vector of the company's actions. This includes market research, target audience, workflow optimization, and so on.
Tactics are planning, in which conditions are created for solving the tasks set in strategic planning.
Calendar planning - implies the distribution of strategic and tactical steps for specific dates and other indicators.
Business planning - is one of the types, is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of planned activities. This is a detailed plan, which includes all the main indicators of the organization and business.
Topmost popular planning methods
Eisenhower Matrix
The prioritization method was invented by Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States.
Eisenhower Matrix
The method is based on the distribution of cases into four categories:
Important and urgent to do.
This includes tasks that need to be completed as soon as possible. For example, to hand over a project, on which the further actions of the company depend, or a term paper, the deadline of which will burn out in a week.
Important and not urgent - this category is more about self-development, which is necessary for personal growth.
Learning foreign languages, playing sports, reading useful literature - everything that does not have clear deadlines, but is very important for a person.
No matter and urgent - here we are talking about daily, routine tasks that are mostly domestic in nature.
Cooking, laundry, cleaning, daily mailing - all this can be delegated to free up time for more important and urgent tasks.
Not important and not urgent - at first glance, it seems that this category is not needed in principle.
However, here we are talking about leisure, which, in turn, also needs planning, since often free time can be very limited, and the lists of films, books and songs need to be not only replenished but also implemented.
Pareto method
Or the 80/20 rule. The essence of the principle formulated by the Italian sociologist and economist Vilfredo Pareto is that 20% of efforts bring 80% of the result and, accordingly, 80% of the effort is spent on 20% of the result. It all depends on how effective this or that action is in achieving the goal.
This method works especially well in everyday life. If you correctly allocate your time to 20% of the necessary tasks, then this will bring you closer to the goal by 80%. The Pareto method is best used in conjunction with the Eisenhower matrix, starting the day with important and urgent tasks and gradually moving to less important, but more voluminous.
OKR method
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results - 41">4goals and key results. This methodology is more related to business planning. It is based on the effective control of tasks in the implementation of the company's goals. In addition, the methodology involves project management to synchronize individual and team goals. It was developed by Intel in the 1960s. Now the system is used in companies such as Google, Spotify, Twitter, LinkedIn, Airbnb and others.
John Dorr, a well-known venture capitalist, partner of the Kleiner Perkins fund, who was at the origins of the implementation of OKR at Google, proposed this formula for setting goals: 36">3I will achieve ___________, which can be measured using __________________, where you need to enter the goal and key results. As Felipe Castro writes in The Beginners Guide to OKRs, the latter should be quantifiable and measurable.
fixed time methods
This includes techniques in which work is done on a timer. One of the most common is the Pomodoro method, invented in the 1980s by the owner of Cirillo Consulting (and then a student) Francesco Cirillo. The essence of the technique is that you work for 30 minutes, after which you take a five-minute break. After four such working sets, there is a "big break" of 30 minutes.
decomposition method
If the task is too voluminous, you can stall even at the initial stages of its implementation. To prevent this, you should divide it into smaller steps, so it becomes clear where to start and how to achieve the goal. This method is also called "eating salami or elephant in pieces." Step-by-step implementation of tasks and concretization is much more effective in achieving a global goal.
Simple Planning Tips
1. Decide on a method
The types described above are not suitable for everyone, so you should take into account the characteristics of your body and the rhythm of life, as well as the level of perseverance and concentration on tasks.
2. Make planning a habit
Regardless of the method, try to bring the process itself into a habit. This helps to streamline not only everyday life but also the process of achieving global goals. Planning also develops strategic thinking and foresight.
3. Formulate goals clearly
A common mistake is building blurry plans. Learning French, achieving success at work, travelling a lot - all this is more about desires, and goals should be specified in as much detail as possible. ">"Sign up for a French course next month_______, 72">7plan a trip to country N next year_______, >>develop a product promotion strategy_______, and so on.
personal experience
Anna Melyantsova 4">4 Head of Corporate Acceleration Programs at the HSE Business Incubator:
"In our daily planning, we use a combination of methods:
determination of annual and quarterly goals and key results using the OKR method. This approach helps to focus on what is important both for the business and for a particular employee;
Break down goals into weekly tasks and then into smaller actions. When formulating steps, as well as goals, we recommend taking into account the criteria by which you will understand that the task has been completed successfully;
To correctly prioritize the list of tasks and maintain focus, we rank the resulting list of daily activities using the Eisenhower matrix. In addition, you can add an additional parameter for sorting tasks - resource consumption. And, accordingly, to be the first to carry out those that most influence the achievement of goals and at the same time are the least expensive.
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