Time management?

Who knew such a thing existed? If you know me, you know I obviously didn't. Below is a piece by Linda Stone (no idea...) via Taylor, via someone else. She doesn't take into account that habitual procrastinators like myself need poor time management in order to start things dangerously close to the time due in order to maximize efficiency. That's my excuse at least...

1. Each evening or morning before you start your day, make a short list of your intentions (the result and feeling of something you want) for the day and by each, write the related to do’s for that day. Try to keep your list to 5 intentions. Consciously choose what you will do and what you will not do. Keep a different list of what you will review for inclusion on other days.

2. List only what you really expect to do that day. As other things come to mind, write them on a separate list. By putting these items on a separate list, you are creating the space to be in the moment with each of your day’s priorities. Review that list as you plan for the next day and determine how they fit in to your plans. Give yourself some down time, enjoy your successes at the end of the day.

3. Give yourself meaningful blocks of uninterrupted time to focus on each intention. Turn OFF technology each day during those blocks and focus on your intentions.

4. At home, be clear about what technology you’ll use and where. Computer in the kitchen? Maybe not. A friend of mine just removed the computer from her kitchen and said she is now far less likely to stop to constantly check email or news. In the kitchen, she pays attention to her family and prepares food. Sometimes they do group family activities at the kitchen table. When she heads into her office to work on her computer, her children know not to disturb her while she works. Untethered technology gives us the freedom to do nearly anything, anytime, anywhere. It can also enslave us - we feel compelled to use it where ever it is. Technology is neutral. How, when and where we use it is up to us.

- Linda Stone — who coined the terms “continuous partial attention” — writes about her tips for time management, based on her survey of successful, busy (and often powerful) people about their strategies for managing it all.

I guess I'll never be a successful, busy (and often powerful) people (as I write this during work). My to do lists are always too long and only get half done at best, and we have a computer in the kitchen. I like point 3 the best though. If I don't have more than an hour to do work, I usually waste time.