Internet Babel

or “How I Learned to Love Lists”

Now, I’m just guessing here but, if you’re anything like me, then you find “Time Management” easier to say than to do. I have a lot of Web development work to do, plus writing, domaining and managing this and another couple of Blogs and, while I have the best intentions of keeping on top of everything it just doesn’t always work out that way.

What sometimes happens as a result of this is that I get to a point where I’ve just got way too much to do and don’t know where to start – I get caught up in a kind of action-paralysis where I flit around from task to task without really accomplishing very much.

For me, the only way to stay out of such a state is to use lists – but use them effectivley.

A list in itself is of limited value – because you can just keep adding items to the bottom – and seeing a three page list on my table doesn’t make me feel any better or make me do things smarter. So – here are a few home-grown tips that just might help you manage your own time: 

1. Decide on your method/medium: Being old-fashioned at heart, I use pen and paper a lot for my list building. The main reason being that I just find that the act of physically writing the stuff down helps to focus my thinking. You may prefer to use a whiteboard, a text editor or even a mind-mapping type tool.
2. It’s not just a list: Writing down (or typing in) your lists will help you start to organise yourself, but don’t think of it as a ’single-level’. I create ’sub-lists’, i.e. lists of smaller tasks that belong under a single heading. You list your ‘major’ items at the top-level, and for each major item you can then create a smaller, more detailed list of individual tasks within that. This helps keep the list size down and allows you to focus on that specific area when you’re creating your ’sub-list’.
3. Let it Grow: I mentioned ’mind-map’ tools in the first point. Whether or not you actually use one of these, the same approach is very useful in list/task management. So, in practise, I might find that an item on my list spawns other related categories/lists. I just let the list grow outwards as well as length-wise – and then re-organise it later into a more readabe ’shape’. Yes, I may spend time building and refining my lists but this brings a much greater return in efficiency. Don’t be afraid to let your lists grow organically this way.
4. Know when to stop: Don’t let the list have a life of its own. The list is there to help you work smarter, not to distract you from actually working. You might decide to spend some time each morning on a list, or to take a 30 minute break during the day to revisit it and check progress, but DON’T let it rule your day.
5. Prioiritise: Some items are more important than others. It might be a Client review you’ve promised to do, it could be a contest you need to enter. Doesn’t matter what it is – if it’s important then mark it as such on your list (highlighter, assign it a big red ‘1′ or whatever, but do something to make it stand out from its less vital friends on the list).
6. Do Something You Don’t Want To Do: There will always be things you want to put off, it’s natural . The trouble is that the longer these things hang around, the more fearsome they become – they sit there in the back of your mind, nagging away at you. You know that you’ve got to do it, and you know that you don’t want to but it won’t just go away, believe me. So – make yourself do something from you internal ’stuff I really don’t want to do’ list. Pick one task that you’ve been putting off, and just get it done. You’ll almost certainly be pleasantly surprised at the sheer relief of getting it finished and out of the way.
7. Do Something You Do Want To Do: Go on, give yourself a treat. Put something on the list that isn’t neccessarily the most important thing, but that you want to do. Give yourself a little something to look forward to.
8. Update Your List: ‘The List’ is a living document. Update it when you’ve done something – put a big black ’strike’ through it (you might want to delete items from your list as you do them – I prefer not to but that’s just my choice). Enjoy the warm glow when you look back at that previously daunting list and see that it’s been reduced to a record of all the things you’ve achieved.

So there you go, just a little grab-bag of tips and tricks that might help you in managing your time a little better. They have all worked for me over the years, and god knows I’m not a naturally organised person. Feel free to comment with any little techniques or tips of your own.

Cheers
Dave