The art of task management. How to categorize tasks:

One of the things I'm always looking at is the number of things I have to get done in a day. If I were to look at all the things I need to get done, I would absolutely pull my hair out and become very frustrated. So to be the most efficient with my time I find it much better to group things together that I can accomplish. Where I am during the day and the things that I can get done based upon where I am or even what I'm doing. As an example, if I think of something that I need to get done, I am going to add it to my list of things to do. When added, I categorized into four particular groups (Area, Category, Owner and Context):

Area - Area represents the "Why" of this task. What is the area of focus? Why am I doing this? What is the impact? as an example I look at things such as career, personal growth, family, finance. These are the areas of my life that this task could impact.

Category - Category represents the "Type" of task that this is. As an example, a task could fall into these categories: Health and Fitness, Leisure, Sales, Project Management, Mentoring, Research, Marketing, Education, Administration, Review time. So this particular qualification of the task helps group it according to the functional area of my life that I might be looking at. The categories are important because they will match my time budget categories.

Owner - Having an owner represents "Who" will be doing this task, who owns this task. As an example usually I will be the owner of the task. However, sometimes a colleague or a subordinate will own this task. This helps me track and make sure that if things are owed, or I'm dependent on tasks that I do not own, I know who to go to for status.

Context - "Where" Having a context is the same thing as where will this task be accomplished. It is important to not have too many contexts. However, making sure you have enough to cover the different areas in your life.
As an example, I do my task at the following:
computer, phone, computer and a phone, The office, When I'm alert, When I'm tired, etc....

Adding a context to your task will allow you to further group your tasks based on these contexts that you define. So I can be more effective. I'm only working on tasks to further that apply to specific context or area that I'm in now, and I'm not wasting my time thinking about tasks that can't be done. One big time waster is reviewing tasks you can not do any ways.

The next challenge is to take all the tasks and make sure that you're able to sort them according to these different areas and categories. Depending on how you want to view them and this is why the review time is done. As an example, if you want to use Excel, every task would be listed on a separate row in the columns would match these groupings, Area, category, owner, context, task description and due date. I use a different product for this. However, it's easily done Using pen and paper for this solution. You might even have a notebook based on the different types of categories in tabs or sections according to your particular areas, categories and contexts.

Well, that's it for today, I hope you have a great productive day.

Until next time

How Review time affects your mood!

Do you feel like some days you're in a great mood and others you frustrated, or you feel like nothing is getting done?

Well, I have a suggestion for you, and ask that you make sure that you are doing reviews. In my time management work sessions, I always state that part of your time scheduling should include review time. It is very important. Having review times accomplishes a couple of things for you.

1. It shows you that you can accomplish tasks even though you may not enjoy doing them. However, they move you toward your goals and that in and of itself gives you a great amount of pleasure from the knowledge that you're moving toward your goals.  So in turn, you will be in a good mood.  Moving forward is always a positive thing. It certainly beats moving sideways, not at all, or worse yet, backwards.
2. The second thing that reviews do are they keep you on track. They make sure that the tasks that are still open match the direction that you're trying to move in.  You will also shed some light on tasks that might not apply to your current goals. Therefore, you should delete them and remove them from your vision and goal sets as it is just wasting your time.

So in closing, make sure that you review every day just five minutes of your time in its can help you be in a great mood.

Have a great day and until next time...