Step One: Identify where time is going. Think of yesterday. Reconstruct on a paper what you did during the 16 hours you were awake. Then look at each activity objectively and determine whether it was worthwhile or not. Did it help you realize your goals?
Most of us waste time the same way every day. If you will study your activity patterns, it will become obvious where and how you waste time. For a more comprehensive picture of how you self-manage, keep a daily activity diary for two weeks and assess your activities in relation to the goals you set in the seven dimensions of your life.
A friend of mine evaluates her activities for the week every Friday and grades herself with either a plus or a minus. At the end of each month she tallies the score and adjusts her activities to coincide with her values and goals. She holds herself accountable for her life; she is proactive.
Step Two: Eliminate unproductive activities. It's as simple as that. Don't do the trivial in lieu of the significant. Don't walk to the mailbox three times each morning knowing the postman hasn't come yet. Don't spend hours in front of the TV if you don't really enjoy what you see or hear. Don't read the classified section of the newspaper over and over again. Don't allow yourself to waste time. If you spend lots of time worrying and fretting before each difficult job-search phone call, get tough on yourself. Use a three-minute kitchen timer: When the bell rings, make the call. Pretty soon, just looking at the timer will get you moving!
Step Three: Plan each day's activities. Buy a daily planner, which can be purchased at office products stores and costs from $10 to $150. The fanciest won't necessarily be the best, so look the choices over carefully and select one that best meets your needs. An ideal planner will enable you to plan your daily schedule, keep track of job leads, store important phone numbers and addresses, and record other relevant job-search information. Select one that breaks down each day into half-hour increments. Make sure it has a good supply of daily "To-Do" lists, which allow you to list every activity you intend to accomplish each day. On the next page is a To-Do list to get you started. Fill it out now for what you plan to do tomorrow.
Step Four: Prioritize your activities. All activities are not created equal. Some have greater payoffs than others. For example, if getting a job is a top priority, all your To-Do activities related to getting a job need to be prioritized. Why? Because you may have time to do only some of these things each day, so it's imperative to rank, in order, those that count.
One way is by the A-B-C method. Categorize those activities that you must do if you want a job as "A" priorities. Mark those activities that are important to your job search but not critical as "B" priorities. And check those activities that are pleasant, easy or nonthreatening as "C" priorities.
An "A" activity would be calling back a prospective employer three to four days after an interview. Or following up on a lead you got over the weekend. Or asking a former business associate for referrals - and then calling them. A "B" activity would be scouring the Wall Street Journal classified section. A "C" activity would be calling a company's personnel office to see if your resume was received. Look at the activities you marked on the To-Do list on the previous page. Now assign each of them an A, B or C priority.
Many people spend the majority of their time doing "C" activities because these lie in their comfort zone. They are safe and require no risk. But if you consistently do your "A" activities first, you will have a better chance of accomplishing your career goals - and on schedule. The Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto first suggested this notion: If we do the correct 20 percent of activities (those with the greatest payoff potential), we will realize 80 percent of our intended results. This is known as the 80-20 Rule. Check your routine tasks and habits and look for the time-wasters - activities that stand in the way of your successful employment. Then eliminate them. Focus your time on what counts.
Step Five: Arrange your day into blocks. Research has proved that it takes one to one-and-a-half hours to accomplish a thinking task. So look at your To-Do list again and block out realistic chunks of time for each activity. For example, work on one job-search project for at least 90 minutes before moving on to the next one. This will give you enough time to focus and finish each task you undertake.
You've heard this before, but I'm going to give it you again: No change in the status quo perpetuates the status quo. Change is never easy, but it's the only way to make things happen. Once you begin to manage yourself as you should, you'll be amazed at the exuberance and excitement you will feel. About everything.
