Time Management Ninja. Craig Jarrow

our next few rules, we will look at each of the time management weapons in depth.

      Ninja Wisdom

      5There are four productivity tools that everyone needs:

      a to-do list, a calendar, address book, and a notebook.

      5It doesn’t matter which type of tools you use, as much as it is crucial to have the right set of tools.

      5You only should have one of each kind of tool. Keep it to the minimum.

      5Always choose tools you enjoy and will actually use regularly.

      5Keep it simple. The best system is usually the simplest. Avoid overly complicated tools or devices, especially ones that you are not comfortable integrating into your daily life.

      Ninja Training

      Now that you know the vital time management weapons let’s take an inventory.

      Questions:

      5Do you have a to-do list, calendar, address book, and notebook?

      5Which (if any) are you missing?

      5Do you have multiple of any? Can you consolidate?

      5Which tools do you like or dislike using? Why?

      Having the right tools is just the start. Now, let’s look at how to use them effectively.

      Too Many Time-Weapons

      I asked a coaching client to bring all of his time management weapons to our first meeting. “Everything?” he said.

      He showed up with a tabletop full of stuff. Multiple lists, pads of paper, his phone, even a full-size desktop calendar. He must have had almost a dozen tools in all!

      One of the first things he said was, “I don’t know how I keep up with all of these!” then he laughed and added, “I guess that’s part of the trouble!”

      He had about four different to-do lists. Personal, work, and family calendars. And his contacts were scattered across three addresses books including a desktop box of business cards. We discussed how many productivity apps would allow him to merge these separate calendars and contacts into one source and color-code them from where they came from.

      A long afternoon later, we had consolidated his tools so that he was using only one of each tool. This meant combining his tasks lists, merging his address books, and more. He created one to-do list to encompass all his work and collated his contacts into a single contact list on his phone. Finally, he added all of his calendars to one app and color-coded them by their area of responsibility.

      When we were done, he had a much simpler set of tools that was infinitely more accessible and best suited to his personality and needs.

      Tools or Toys?

      When it comes to shiny gadgets, it can be hard to tell the difference between tools and toys.

      For many of us, we are drawn to the magical electronic tools that allow us to work almost anywhere. But they can also be a significant source of distraction, interruption, and stress.

      Take your phone, for example. Wikipedia and YouTube are just two of the millions of sources that give every internet user the wealth of human knowledge. But that same technology also tempts you with wasted time, games, and distractions. Remember that experiment from earlier? Your device will interrupt your life more often than a young child. Unlike a little kid, though, it won’t ever grow out of it!

      When it comes to your time management, you have to ask yourself, are your gadgets helping you get more done? Or are they actually, taking more of your time and attention?

      Just because a device has great potential for productivity, is also has great potential for distraction.

      If your gadgets are running your time for ruin, you might want to consider using a paper-based system. Despite all of the promises of an app, a paper-based system used religiously will beat the latest gadgets.

      So, take a hard look at your tools and ask yourself if you are genuinely benefitting from them or whether they are just toys.

Tip 3

Your To-Do List Should Be Your Best Friend

      When your to-do list reminds you of a task you forgot, you know it’s working.

      “Can you show me your list?”

      This question causes stress in many people.

      “Of course, I have a list. Let me find it.” Maybe they do have a rough list. Or perhaps, they produce multiple lists. One on paper. One test on their phone, and yet another on a random Post-it Note. Just writing that stresses me out.

      Studies show that only thirteen percent of people actively keep a to-do list every day.

      Do you have one? Well, are you actively using it?

      That is the first question that I ask those wanting to improve their time management. After all, if you’re going to get more done, you need to know what you need to accomplish. And that’s where your list comes in.

      This one question usually separates those who are trying to improve versus those that “want” to.

      If you could only have one time management tool at your disposal, it would have to be a good to-do list.

      Your to-do list’s one job is to track your tasks so that your brain doesn’t have to. Instead of trying to remember every last thing you need to do, you can free your head space up so that it can concentrate on actually getting your work done.

      The Most Powerful Productivity Weapon

      A to-do list is the most important time management tool at your disposal. A list of all the tasks you want to track gets you going, lets you know what you need to do, and helps you prioritize your work. It can be a paper-based list (some people like to use day planners or craft their own Bullet Journal in a blank notebook). Or it can be an app on your phone that syncs across all your platforms.

      A good to-do list will let you sort your to-dos by area of responsibility (work or personal) and order them by priority. Of course, you can do this all by hand on paper if you so choose. The purpose of your list should be tracking all of your work, which also allows you to see your progress. How good it feels to cross something off!

      This sounds like a win all the way around. Yet, there’s that looming statistic. Eighty-seven percent of people aren’t regularly using this simple and essential tool.

      The key factor here is to use it every single day.

      You simply can’t afford to make a list only when you feel like it. You need to have a list that continuously tracks your work and obligations.

      Like a good friend, your to-do list should always have your back. It’s a unique friend, too. It’s always available, always precise, and will always remember your tasks, so you don’t have to.

      Actually, you should never not be keeping a list. I have witnessed people who start a new list each day. This is a dangerous way to live because you lose everything that was on the list the day before. It’s like living your life as a “do over” every single day. Just because you go to sleep doesn’t mean the tasks reset or go away.

      Don’t Resist Your List

      One of the excuses I hear from those who don’t maintain a list is that they will “remember” their tasks later. Unfortunately, you won’t remember, and then you will inevitably get burned by the forgotten item.

      Our brains aren’t designed to