It seems the days, weeks and months get shorter and shorter and we never have time to get everything we need to done.  Med-Certification.com students in pretty intensive training courses asked us about gauging things so they can finish in a reasonable amount of time and get into the work force.  We put together a kind of a priority list which goes like this.

Time management is about a plan of action, the ability to prioritize responsibilities, handle family matter, and constant interruptions.  An ìaction listî is a good way to begin to figure out how to do it.  Briefly, it goes like this.  Set up a daily diary ñ handwritten or on a computer. The diary lists the stuff you have to do whether now or in the future.  Then write a time management list every morning or night, and make it a habit.

The 80/20 rules is that 80% of things on your time management list will produce 20% of the results and 20% of the list will produce 80% of the results. A key element of time management training is to always remember this rule and work on the key areas that produce the important results (these are the priorities).  Soon, the list will have mostly the important things.

Allow time for changes in the daily schedule, emergencies and unscheduled things will always happen. Be realistic in trying to allocate each task a start time and finish time. Group similar tasks together for momentum and remember to carry forward items from one day to the other (only if they are important and must be handled).

It’s a great feeling to cross a task off the time management list.