In today’s hectic life, traditional time management tools do not always help us organize our thoughts. Tools – such as PDA's, file folders and to-do lists -- are essential in helping us get organized but they don’t work without a carefully constructed plan. What we need to understand is that our lives are filled with countless thoughts and interruptions any of which can raise our anxiety and make us lose precious time from a carefully planned day. What can we do?

First, we have to understand that it is OK to deal with thoughts that fight for our attention. This is perfectly normal. Our subconscious mind does not distinguish between a small tasks and critical business decisions. Unfortunately, we only have so much time in a day to address these thoughts so they stay there, waiting for the next opportunity to remind us. Second, we should get these thoughts off our mind and into a system for properly addressing the method and priority for fulfilling them. Our mind will stop reminding us only when we address the problem and provide steps for handling it.

There are four steps for managing our thoughts and resolving the issues that are most important to us. The first step is to take time to list all these thoughts. The list does not have to be in a set order or priority. It is more important that the method we choose to write these thoughts be available to us when new thoughts arise. I t does not matter what we use; only that we write them. The simple process of writing our concerns on paper helps relieve anxiety and almost automatically prepares us for the work of organizing our action steps. Our mind is the most efficient system for organizing our thoughts and, often, all it takes is the time to list what needs to be done. In addition, the process of writing helps alleviate the so-called “ram overload” associated with keeping too much on one’s mind. Once your thoughts are removed from your plate, you will find new insights and ideas and the time to deal with them.

The second step is to take your list of random issues and organize them based on the labor needed to handle them. Labor, which we will call “action steps,” is needed to begin resolving any item. Some tasks do not require any action and can be classified as “nice to know”; others as “need to know.” Some items can be processed in less than five minutes while others need their own folders for action and/or follow-up. Organize the items in each list by the amount of time needed to address them. In most cases, items can be kept in two to three sections: those without action, those requiring less than five minutes to resolve and those with multiple or long-term actions. Next, take each list and organize it by priority. This organizational step helps prepare for the next step: the actual actions needed to resolve the problem completely

The third step assigns an action to each item on the list. If an item requires many actions, such as a project, an additional list is maintained for that problem or project. As noted above, a folder may be needed for storing the list of actions and results as the project is fulfilled. By maintaining the project on paper (or on a PC or PDA), it stays out of our thoughts, giving you the freedom to address new issues and focus clearly on your current work. At this level, the use of a tickler folder is highly recommended. A tickler file consists of one folder for each day in the month. Every day, the appropriate folder is reviewed for action items that need to be performed. These items will, at some point, be added to the daily calendar to prevent unwanted thoughts and unnecessary actions.

As a fourth step, you should decide which items will be resolved and in what order of priority. At this point, you can decide which problems are addressed by their priority (recorded in step 2), the amount of available resources (for example, an addition to your house would be nice but is not yet financially possible), logistics (I can’t mow the lawn while I am at work) and the amount of time needed. A simple task (like calling the restaurant for dinner reservations) can be done quickly. A more complex item (like preparing a departmental budget) requires many other resources and follow-up actions. The use of a calendar or PDA becomes essential at this point. Items on your daily calendar must be completed or advanced. Obviously, this also requires that the scheduled items must be within your power to complete. Also, as noted above, some actions are simple steps along the way to fulfilling the task.

This article stresses the importance of taking ideas and thoughts out of your mind and committing them to paper or electronic media. The effort will not only clear your mind of mundane tasks and distractions, but help organize your options for managing complex activities. Much more can be written on this topic with elaboration on how to prioritize different tasks, decisions that can improve your productivity and methods for handling actions. If you would like information on additional resources for this topic, feel free to drop me an e-mail or give us a call.

Dag Gonzalez.