It’s YOUR Calendar, So Rule

It!calendar year (12-30-08) sun dazed

Office Building, Paddington Basin Justin Otto

5 simple ways to get more out of your work day … and get home on time

Ian Tomlin

quinn.anyaPeople scurry

There are only so many hours in a working day. Using them

smartly makes sense!

Use of shared business calendars can cause people to lose control of their own schedule.

It’s easily done.

Here are 5 ways YOU can take back control!

1. Take control of your calendar and

'compartmentalize'

Accept that it’s YOUR calendar:  You set it.  If

the schedule isn't working for you, it's your fault.   Avoid

walking into meetings or agreeing to perform tasks that

serve no benefit. Break down your day into compartments

so that tasks and meetings don’t over-run. 

2. Write down your priority tasks at the start of every day 

It's helpful to consider which tasks could make the biggest difference to your day. Work out what the most important things are for you to achieve today that will make it into a good day and write them down.  Then make sure you book them into your schedule and do

them first. juhansoninDawa's Designed To-do list

3. Plan to work harder in less time and avoid working into the margins

When people work longer hours they work 'less well'.   Commit yourself to focused bursts of hard-work during the day and avoid ‘letting yourself’

work into the margins of personal times and breaks. If you have more time to stretch into, you will use it.  

4. Work out your personal productivity

cycle

Human-beings can't work non-stop without a break and expect to maintain a peak productivity.  We each have a cycle when we are best, good, and just plain okay. Work out when you

work best and share it with your boss and colleagues.

5. Don't be unnecessarily generous with your time

If you like to be perceived as a nice and accommodating person then you might find yourself agreeing to meetings and places

for meetings that are good for others but not so great for you.  

Thank You.

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Ian Tomlin is a management consultant and author. He's written several books and hundreds of white papers and articles on the subject of customer science, organizational growth, technology and the evolution of the workplace. 

Books by Ian Tomlin:Agilization – The regeneration of competitivenessCloud Coffee House – The birth of cloud social networking and death of the old world corporationSOS - Social Operation Systems