Six Sigma Blogs

Are you one of those people who always seem to struggle with time management? Do you spend hours starting and inventing hypothetical solutions but dont seem to get many of them done? Do you experience a lot of stress due to undone tasks regardless of your good intentions?

Do you have these symptoms? Spending your last few days of December doing well overdue travel expenses? Do you invent new diaries, planners (computer or paper based), only to yet again be looking for that confounded small piece of paper that you wrote some important details onto?

You are in need of a system that will make time management work for you. Whatever the system that you select to organize your thoughts, actions, contacts and diary, you still need the discipline and consistency to stick to one system for long enough for it to work.

Flat file paper notebooks and diaries dont seem to work for creative and innovative people. We have a need for colour and illustrations and practicality. Perhaps you also prefer a system that is always close at hand. If you are inclined to use colour and mind mapping and other graphically visible systems I suggest that you choose your stationery and your pens carefully.

What are the benefits of having a time and information management system? You can make such notes quickly before you go to bed, have breakfast, or while you watch the news on TV. Why would you want to make such notes at such times? Firstly, because 10 minutes later you have forgotten. Secondly, simply because you can, and because it creates the space for you to be your expressive self when you are doing other important things!

Accept that your brain is wired in a certain way and that you create the paper or electronic systems that will provide maximum means to capitalize on your invaluable if not ingenious thought processes. Im not just writing this to falsely compliment you either. Take some positive steps today that will help you learn about yourself and then capitilise on that knowledge.

If you spend some time in creating that elusive system that will work for you, fight off the temptation to depart from it and only effect changes with the discipline of a computer systems change manager! In other words, adapt and change and evolve your system by all means, but keep the consistency at all costs. Contact the author if you would like some more information on this subject.