Time Management Articles
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Create Systems to
Stay on Track
By
Kristy Schnabel
We all create systems,
sometimes in subtle ways, to make our life easier and to meet
our needs. Do you put your car keys in the same place each day
so as not to misplace them? It may seem like a simple act, but
it's a system -- an organized, coordinated procedure that
creates a desirable effect.
Systems help us in our home and work life by:
- Helping us remember.
- Keeping us organized.
- Communicating to others.
- Triggering subsequent events.
- Simplifying tasks.
- Saving us time.
We use systems in our home and work life. Here are
examples of systems in the workplace:
- Leaving important papers on a colleague's chair so he'll
be sure to see them.
- Marking an opened email as unread so it will get your
attention later.
- Attaching a sticky note with frequently needed
information to your computer monitor.
How do you know that you need a System?
Chances are that you'll know when your current method of
accomplishing a task is failing you. If you are forgetting
items you meant to remember, losing or misplacing things,
these are red flags. Another signal that a system is needed is
if a repetitive task takes longer than it should. For example,
if you repeatedly look up the same information, instead, you
might make the information more accessible.
Now that you know that systems can improve your life, and
you know some of the symptoms that a system is necessary,
let's look at the steps of a real life example.
Step 1: Identify a Challenge As a small business
owner, or just a busy person, you have trouble paying your
bills on time.
Step 2: Devise Possible Solutions You could pay each
bill as it arrives, or designate certain days each month to
pay bills. You could set up automatic bill paying through your
bank, or you could prepay your expenses. What other possible
solution makes sense to you?
Step 3: Evaluate Each Option's Suitability A system
is only going to work if it is something that you want to do,
and it fits your lifestyle. Examine these factors:
- Life Circumstance. Ask yourself if you can pay
your bills as they arrive if you only get paid once a month,
for example.
- Consistency. If you decide to pay your bills on
the 1st and 15th of the month, will that work if you travel
frequently in your job?
- Trigger. Ask yourself if a reliable reminder
exists (such as a recurring electronic appointment in your
calendar program) so that your system will work
consistently.
After evaluating possible solutions to your challenge
against your particular lifestyle, and identifying a trigger
to ensure consistency, give your new system a try. Don't
expect your first solution to work necessarily -- keep at it.
Your effort at arriving at a workable solution will be
rewarded with the system's success.
© 2006 Kristy K. Schnabel, It's Virtually Done!
Kristy Schnabel, virtual assistant with It's Virtually
Done, helps her clients develop systems for making their lives
easier. She relieves home-based professionals of their
administrative work. Learn more:
http://www.itsvirtuallydone.com
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