Part One
Dear PR Matters,
Like all those in the corporate world, one of the biggest challenges I face is managing my time. We all know how navigating through the everyday traffic can take so much of our time, so much that it has been estimated that we all lose billions of pesos because of this.
And while we plan our days by planning our appointments, there are the unexpected things that come up, phone calls and important visitors we have to attend to. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed.
How can I best manage my time? I will really appreciate your suggestions on this.
Sincerely,
Veronica B.
Dear Veronica,
Thank you for your letter. Managing our time is a challenge we all face no matter what profession we are in. When we are in public relations, this becomes even more crucial when we have to face crises, which can come up at the most unpredictable time.
You are right, Veronica, in saying that at times we can feel overwhelmed. In an article in Inc.com, Lolly Daskal, president and CEO of Lead from Within shares with us “65 top tips to sharpen your time management skills.”
“One of the most important keys to personal and professional success lies in how you spend your time,” she says. “Every day, each of us has 24 hours to spend. Some of us make better use of that resource better than others. Learning to manage time and spend it wisely is among the most significant things you can do to build personal and professional success.”
We will share with you Daskal’s 65 best ways to manage your time in a series in this column:
1 Know yourself. “First and foremost, you have to know yourself,” Daskal says. ‘You can’t structure your time effectively if you don’t understand your dreams, strengths, challenges and priorities.”
2 Create an action plan. Daskal suggests that when you plan to do something, “create an action plan and give it all your focus.”
3 Construct a system. With that, find a system that works for you. It can be electronic or paper-based, following a manual or something you can develop on your own. Whatever it is, it has to work for you.
4 Focus on your goals. Distractions can derail us all the time. If you have goals, but tend to get distracted, Daskal suggests to “start by focusing on what you need to achieve and what it will take to make it happen.”
5 Understand your patterns. We are all different, and we all have to embrace what makes us unique. As Daskal says, “maybe you get a burst of energy in mornings, hit your stride after working out at lunchtime and think best in the late, quiet night.”
6 Structure your time. With that, focus your energy on doing your most important activities. Save your routine chores for low energy times.
7 Do the hard things first. This is because “difficult tasks require more discipline. If your commit to doing the hardest things first, you will end up doing them with greater consistency.”
8 Lace it with passion. We all know the power of passion. For Daskal, “passion will move you beyond your limits and your shortcomings.”
9 Create optimal deadlines. Make challenging, but realistic, deadlines. “It’s crucial to create deadlines for yourself to help you achieve your goals,” she says. “Think through what you want to accomplish and make your deadlines.”
10 Overcome procrastination. We agree with Daskal that procrastination is the top enemy of achievement, as it stands in the way of countless worthwhile goals. Instead, “get serious about becoming a person who gets things done.
11 Overcome fear. “Fear is false evidence appearing real,” Daskal says. Instead convert it into Face everything and recover.
12 If it’s important, put it on a schedule. This is the best way to prioritize and keep yourself on track.
13 Prioritize your to-do list. We all know we can’t do everything, so it’s best prioritize what’s important and let go of the rest.
14 Don’t obsess over unimportant details. They say the devil is in the details and the unimportant ones may be the ones that bog us down.
15 Choose your battles. “You win some, you lose some,” Daskal says. “Pick on what is important and be willing to let go of the rest.”
16 Stay motivated. Learn what keeps you motivated and inspire yourself daily.
17 Maintain your momentum. With motivation comes momentum, which is key. Daskal recommends to “learn what it means to stay in motion no matter what comes your way.”
18 Stop worrying. Worry may not only let us lose time, but also lose heart. “Don’t waste time worrying about things that may not even happen,” she says. “Focus instead on what you know and how you are going to be successful.”
19 Manage your stress. Daskal believes that stress management is life management. And she thinks it’s important to find out what destresses you—exercise, mediation, prayer, family time or social life, and schedule it regularly.
20 Stop multitasking. There are many studies that show that multitasking is not really a good thing. It actually prevents us from accomplishing things and doing them well. Instead, “focus on what you are doing, get it done and move on to the next thing.”
21 Initiate a routine. We agree with Daskal that routines increase productivity by making it easier to identify shortcuts and efficiencies.
22 Take notes. Our memory isn’t perfect, so develop a system of taking down notes electronically or on paper to remind us on things we have to work on.
23 Have an accountability partner. It’s always better to work as a team, and have someone you can communicate your schedules and goals with to keep these on track.
24 Think positively. Daskal believes that “where your attention goes, so goes your emotional energy.” That’s why it is important to think more what can go right rather than what can go wrong. Negative thoughts can sap our energy, while positive thoughts can help make things happen.
25 Delegate tasks. We may be able to do anything, but no one can do everything.
26 Pay people to do things that would cost you time. Let’s face it, there are things we don’t really like to do. But we can always hire someone who will enjoy doing it well.
27 Take breaks. We all need breaks to reset our energy.
28 Act now. “If you read an e-mail, respond immediately. If you open a letter, act on it or throw it away,” Daskal says. “If you need to speak to someone, pick up the phone. There is great power in now.”
29 Time yourself. If you tend to get distracted and procrastinate, Daskal recommends that you time yourself for 25-minute intervals and commit to work with stopping or distraction in each block.
30 Turn of notifications. While notifications can be helpful, they can also be distracting, and divert your attention from your work. They’re almost impossible to ignore so turn them off.
We will discuss more tips in next week’s column.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association, the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for marketing and communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.