In a world of never ending tasks, we find ourselves overwhelmed with to-do lists. These lists continue to grow at a rate that surpasses the completed tasks. This is true for all Americans whether you are a teacher, lawyer, parent, or business owner. Instead of pushing all day-to-day tasks to the side, let’s look at a Time Manage Matrix used by PRO Farm Rank.
To organize and attack our tasks, first, tasks need to be ranked according to importance and urgency on your overall list.
A–Important/Urgent (Daily care of family such as driving to school or work, meals, crisis management, last minute financing and repairs, past due bills)
B–Important/Not urgent (Preparation and planning, crisis avoiding activities, timeliness of daily routine, timely repairs and maintenance, skill improvement)
C–Not important/Urgent (Interruptions, some phone calls, some salespeople, some meetings, some mail, some repairs and cleaning)
D–Not Important/Not urgent (Busy work such as decorating, junk mail, scrolling on social media, some phone calls)
When completing this matrix myself, I assumed that all Type A activities must be completed first. Expelling energy on these activities leads to burnout and stress. Focusing on Type B tasks can reduce the number of A tasks, or potential “fires” that need to be put out.
Allowing yourself to focus time on Type B activities will allow you to avoid unimportant tasks (C and D), and lessen Type A tasks.
For example, after my husband Vince and I introduced our baby into the household, the Type B tasks shifted drastically from meal prepping for two adults to three. Our priorities became preparation and planning bottle times, diaper bags, checkups, and creating a daily schedule. Without consideration to Type B tasks, our Type A tasks such as medical emergencies, or driving to work were easier to manage because we planned for any outcome.
I can not say our time management was running as smoothly our first month home with the baby. Burnout was felt quickly as a result of Type C and D tasks, such as mindless cleaning, catching up on junk mail, or decorating a themed room. Staying on task with Type B and A tasks allows us to focus on our health, our newborn’s health, and keeping ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually balanced.
Try this time management matrix out for yourself to determine how you can manage your time more effectively. H-hour Training and Events can incorporate the Time Management Matrix into your next professional development day. To inquire click the link below.