One of the time management techniques that I learned a long time ago, is the importance of knowing how you work to make time work for you. There are two techniques that have come out of that awareness for me.
First, I organize my activities in such a way that I'm using the same side of my brain during the same time period. It's difficult for me to write a grant and see clients on the same day. It means stopping in the middle of work, and neither gets the best of my attention. This is when I do everything I can to put the same kind of activity in the same blocks of time, preferably all on the same day.
Second, arrange time and appointments so that there are no interruptions. Recently, I had a week that was free of appointments, except one meeting smack in the middle. Knowing I had a lot of paperwork and computer work to catch up on, I was able to reschedule that meeting to another time. That freed me up to concentrate on a week in the office, focus, and move forward uninterrupted.
This also means though, that you have to be able to ask for what you want and need. Sometimes it means asking for help, or special consideration. That isn't always easy for me, but I've found the rewards in less stress and better productivity are more than worth it.
How do you work? What works best for you? How can you make time work for you instead of against you? It starts with being aware of how you work best, and then having the ability and freedom to implement changes that respond to your style.
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