Time can be a tricky thing and it takes a solid system to make it tangible. Part of any good time management system is, of course, a tool to help you manage your time. The important thing is to find a tool that fits what I call your time management personality so that you end up with a tool that will work for you and max it out. We each are unique individuals with our own personality and our personality plays into what tool works for us when it comes to managing our time.
Once you know what your time management personality is, you know what tools are at your disposal. There are two types of tools: paper and digital. No matter which tool fits your personality, you have to maximize its options not only to get the most out of the tool, but to manage your time in the most effective way. Make an educated choice and by getting to know what features your tool has; everything that it’s capable of doing then max it out. Set it up for optimal use. The worst thing that you can do with the perfect tool is to not use it to its full capacity. Allow it to serve you in all of the ways that it can. Take the time to read the material that comes with it, seek assistance to gain understanding if necessary so that you’re armed with information and empowered with what it has to offer you. Invest the time initially so that you’re not stumped later on down the road under using something that could be serving you in a much better way.
If a digital tool is the right fit for you and you chose a phone that allows you to receive your email, set up your email according to the instructions you received from your service provider. For both paper and digital solutions, begin adding your calendar items and then your contacts. I know, this can take some time, but if you block out an hour or so each day over a few days, depending upon the number of contacts you have. Whether you’re working with a paper system or an electronic one, the good news is that once they’re in, they’re in and all you have to do from that point is make updates.
For electronic tools, you might have a memo pad, software applications such as MS Word, Excel and Power Point and various media files. Learn their capabilities and how they can support you and put them to use. Remember, max out your time management tool. Learning all of its features, how to use them and implement its use for maximum impact.