Information about Task List
Time management is straightforwardly defined as the management of time in order to make the most out of it.[1]
But in a 2001 interview, David Allen observed:
Time management could refer to all of the practices that individuals follow to make better use of their time, but such a definition could range over such diverse areas as the selection and use of personal electronic devices, time and motion study[2], self-awareness, and indeed a great deal of self-help. As narrowly defined, it refers to principles and systems that an individual uses for making conscious decisions about the activities that occupy his or her time.
For many years management texts did not emphasize the personal productivity of the manager. Many popular management texts had no explicit material on time management or personal productivity management. When it was covered the coverage was brief and often linked with stress management.
Task lists are used in self-management, grocery lists, business management, project management, and software development. It may involve more than one list.
When you accomplish one of the items on a task list, you check it off or cross it off. The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually on a note pad or clip-board. Numerous software equivalents are now available, and many popular e-mail clients include task list applications, as do most PDAs. There are also several web-based task list applications, many of which are free.
Task lists are often prioritized:
In contrast to the concept of allowing the person to use multiple filtering methods, at least one new software product additionally contains a mode where the software will attempt to dynamically determine the best tasks for any given moment.[5]
Task list applications may be thought of as lightweight personal information manager or project management software.
The 80-20-rule can also be applied to increase productivity: it is assumed that 80% of the productivity can be achieved by doing 20% of the tasks. If productivity is the aim of time management, then these tasks should be prioritized higher.
The method dictates a template which emphasises an average individual's immediate sense of emotional and monetary security. It suggests that by attending to one's personal responsibilities first, an individual is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.
Inherent in the acronym is a hierarchy of self-realization which mirrors Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of needs".
The term self-help or self-improvement can refer to any case or practice whereby an individual or a group attempts self-guided improvement[1]
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The term self-help or self-improvement can refer to any case or practice whereby an individual or a group attempts self-guided improvement[1]
..... Click the link for more information.
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But in a 2001 interview, David Allen observed:
You can't manage time, it just is. So "time management" is a mislabeled problem, which has little chance of being an effective approach. What you really manage is your activity during time, and defining outcomes and physical actions required is the core process required to manage what you do.
Time management could refer to all of the practices that individuals follow to make better use of their time, but such a definition could range over such diverse areas as the selection and use of personal electronic devices, time and motion study[2], self-awareness, and indeed a great deal of self-help. As narrowly defined, it refers to principles and systems that an individual uses for making conscious decisions about the activities that occupy his or her time.
Early History
The label "time management" cannot predate the widespread use of the word "management" in our sense at the beginning of the 20th century. Popular self-help books on the subject were published around the same time (Arnold Bennett and Orison Swett). Concerns about the wise use of time have a longer history, reflected in the large number of proverbs concerning time and its utilization, dating at least to Classical Greece and to the Old Testament and other wisdom literature.For many years management texts did not emphasize the personal productivity of the manager. Many popular management texts had no explicit material on time management or personal productivity management. When it was covered the coverage was brief and often linked with stress management.
Contemporary Time Management
In First Things First, Stephen R. Covey and his co-authors offered a categorization scheme for the hundreds of time management approaches that they reviewed:- First generation: reminders (based on clocks and watches, but with computer implementation possible) can be used to alert of the time when a task is to be done.
- Second generation: planning and preparation (based on calendar and appointment books) includes setting goals.
- Third generation: planning, prioritizing, controlling (using a personal organizer, other paper-based objects, or computer- or PDA-based systems) activities on a daily basis. This approach implies spending some time in clarifying values and priorities.
- Fourth generation: being efficient and proactive (using any tools above) places goals and roles as the controlling element of the system and favors importance over urgency.
- "Get Organized" - paperwork and task triage
- "Protect Your Time" - insolate, isolate, delegate
- "Achieve through Goal Focus" - motivational emphasis
- "Work in Priority Order" - set goals and prioritize
- "Use Magical Tools to Get More Out of Your Time" - depends on when written
- "Master the Skills of Time Management"
- "Go with the Flow" - natural rhythms, Eastern philosophy
- "Recover from Bad Time Habits" - recovery from psychological problems underlying, e.g. procrastination
Overview
Time management strategies are often associated with the recommendation to set goals. These goals are recorded and may be broken down into a project, an action plan, or a simple task list. For individual tasks or for goals, an importance rating may be established, deadlines may be set, and priorities assigned. This process results in a plan with a task list or a schedule or calendar of activities. Authors may recommend a daily, weekly, monthly or other planning periods, usually fixed, but sometimes variable. Different planning periods may be associated with different scope of planning or review. Authors may or may not emphasize reviews of performance against plan. Routine and recurring tasks may or may not be integrated into the time management plan and, if integrated, the integration can be accomplished in various ways.Task list
A task list (also to-do list) is a list of tasks to be completed, such as chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool that serves as an alternative to memory.Task lists are used in self-management, grocery lists, business management, project management, and software development. It may involve more than one list.
When you accomplish one of the items on a task list, you check it off or cross it off. The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually on a note pad or clip-board. Numerous software equivalents are now available, and many popular e-mail clients include task list applications, as do most PDAs. There are also several web-based task list applications, many of which are free.
Task list organization
Task lists are often tiered. The simplest tiered system includes a general to-do list (or task-holding file) to record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish, and a daily to-do list which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to-do list.Task lists are often prioritized:
- An early advocate of "ABC" prioritization was Alan Lakein (See Books below.). In his system "A" items were the most important ("A-1" the most important within that group), "B" next most important, "C" least important.
- A particular method of applying the ABC method[3] assigns "A" to tasks to be done within a day, "B" a week, and "C" a month.
- To prioritize a daily task list, one either records the tasks in the order of highest priority, or assigns them a number after they are listed ("1" for highest priority, "2" for second highest priority, etc.) which indicates in which order to execute the tasks. The latter method is generally faster, allowing the tasks to be recorded more quickly.
Software applications
Modern task list applications may have built-in task hierarchy (tasks are composed of subtasks which again may contain subtasks)[4], may support multiple methods of filtering and ordering the list of tasks, and may allow to associate arbitrarily long notes for each task.In contrast to the concept of allowing the person to use multiple filtering methods, at least one new software product additionally contains a mode where the software will attempt to dynamically determine the best tasks for any given moment.[5]
Task list applications may be thought of as lightweight personal information manager or project management software.
Resistors
- Fear of change: Change can be daunting and one may be afraid to change what's proven to work in the past.
- Uncertainty: Even with the change being inevitable, one may be hesitant as being not sure where to start. Uncertainty about when or how to begin making a change can be significant.
- Time pressure: To save time, one has to invest time, and this time investment may be a cause of concern. Fearing that changing may involve more work at the start -- and thus, in the very short term, make things worse -- is a common resistor.
- Lack of will power: Why change if one really not need to? The greatest problem is a lack of will.
Drivers
- Increased effectiveness: One may feel the need to make more time so as to be more effective in performing the job and carrying out responsibilities.
- Performance improvement: Time management is an issue that often arises during performance appraisals or review meetings.
- Personal development: One may view changing the approach to time management as a personal development issue and reap the benefit of handling time differently at work and at home.
- Increased responsibilities: A change in time-management approach may become necessary as a result of a promotion or additional responsibilities. Since there is more work to do, and still the same amount of time to do it in, the approach must change.
Caveats
Dwelling on the lists
- According to Sandberg[6], task lists "aren't the key to productivity [that] they're cracked up to be". He reports an estimated "30% of listers spend more time managing their lists than [they do] completing what's on them".
- This could be caused by procrastination: by prolonging the planning activity, the individual avoids the tasks he should be doing by creating the illusion that he's still necessarily preparing for them. This is akin to analysis paralysis. As with any activity, there's a point of diminishing returns. For a task system to be efficient and effective, the user must recognize this, conquer his or her procrastination, and focus on completing the tasks.
Rigid adherence
- Hendrickson asserts[7] that rigid adherence to task lists can create a "tyranny of the to-do list" that forces one to "waste time on unimportant activities".
- Again, the point of diminishing returns applies here too, but toward the size of the task. Some level of detail must be taken for granted for a task system to work. Rather than put "clean the kitchen", "clean the bedroom", and "clean the bathroom", it is more efficient to put "housekeeping" and save time spent writing and reduce the system's administrative load (each task entered into the system generates a cost in time and effort to manage it, aside from the execution of the task). The risk of consolidating tasks, however, is that "housekeeping" in this example may prove overwhelming or nebulously defined, which will either increase the risk of procrastination, or a mismanaged project.
- Listing routine tasks wastes time. If you are in the habit of brushing your teeth every day, then there is no reason to put it down on the task list. The same goes for getting out of bed, fixing meals, etc. If you need to track routine tasks, then a standard list or chart may be useful, to avoid the procedure of manually listing these items over and over.
- To remain flexible, a task system must allow adaptation, in the form of rescheduling in the face of unexpected problems and opportunities, to save time spent on irrelevant or less than optimal tasks.
- To avoid getting stuck in a wasteful pattern, the task system should also include regular (monthly, semi-annual, and annual) planning and system-evaluation sessions, to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the direction he or she truly desires.
- If some time is not regularly spent on achieving long-range goals, the individual may get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short-term plans, like staying at a particular job much longer than originally planned.
Techniques for setting priorities
ABC analysis
A technique that has been used in business management for a long time is the categorization of large data into groups. These groups are often marked A, B, and C—hence the name. Activities that are perceived as having highest priority are assigned an A, those with lowest priority are labeled C. ABC analysis can incorporate more than three groups. ABC analysis is frequently combined with Pareto analysis.Pareto analysis
This is the idea that 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of the disposable time. The remaining 20% of tasks will take up 80% of the time. This principle is used to sort tasks into two parts. According to this form of Pareto analysis it is recommended that tasks that fall into the first category be assigned a higher priority.The 80-20-rule can also be applied to increase productivity: it is assumed that 80% of the productivity can be achieved by doing 20% of the tasks. If productivity is the aim of time management, then these tasks should be prioritized higher.
Fit
The concept of fit is simple yet profound. Essentially, fit is the congruence of the requirements of a task (location, financial investment, time, etc.) with the available resources at the time. Often people are constrained by externally controlled schedules, locations, etc., and "fit" allows us to maximize our productivity given those constraints. For example, if one encounters a gap of 15 minutes in their schedule, it is typically more efficient to complete a task that would require 15 minutes, than to complete a task that can be done in 5 minutes, or to start a task that would take 4 weeks. This concept also applies to time of the day: free time at 7am is probably less usefully applied to the goal of learning the drums, and more productively a time to read a book. Lastly, fit can be applied to location: free time at home would be used differently from free time at work, in town, etc.POSEC METHOD
POSEC is an acronym for Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing.The method dictates a template which emphasises an average individual's immediate sense of emotional and monetary security. It suggests that by attending to one's personal responsibilities first, an individual is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.
Inherent in the acronym is a hierarchy of self-realization which mirrors Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of needs".
- PRIORITIZE-Your time and define your life by goals.
- ORGANIZING-Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful. (Family and Finances)
- STREAMLINING-Things you may not like to do, but must do. (Work and Chores)
- ECONOMIZING-Things you should do or may even like to do, but they're not pressingly urgent. (Past-times and Socializing)
- CONTRIBUTING-By paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference. (Social Obligations)
Eisenhower-Method
All tasks are evaluated using the criteria important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent and put in according quadrants. Tasks in unimportant/not urgent are dropped, tasks in important/urgent are done immediately and personally, tasks in unimportant/urgent are delegated and tasks in important/not urgent get an end date and are done personally. This method was used by by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.See also
Tools
Systems
References
1. ^ The Concise Dictionary of Business Management, by David A. Statt, Taylor & Francis Group (1999), ISBN 9780415188678, Page 175
2. ^ Gilbreth, Lillian M., Thomas, Orpha Mae, and Clymer, Eleanor, 'Management in the Home'. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1966
3. ^ Time Scheduling and Time Management for dyslexic students. Dyslexia at College. Retrieved on October 31, 2005. — ABC lists and tips for dyslexic students on how to manage to-do lists
4. ^ ToDoList 5.3.9 - A simple but effective way to keep on top of your tasks - The Code Project - Free Tools. ToDoList 5.3.9. Retrieved on October 3, 2007. — Features, code, and description for ToDoList 5.3.9, a project based time management application
5. ^ Time Management Software - Email Management Software - Trog Bar. Features of the Trog Bar. Retrieved on October 3, 2007. — Description of features in the Trog Bar including "TaskSense," the feature which automatically prioritizes tasks.
6. ^ Sandberg, Jared. "Though Time-Consuming, To-Do Lists Are a Way of Life", The Wall Street Journal, 2004-09-10. — a report on to-do lists and the people who make them and use them
7. ^ Elisabeth Hendrickson. The Tyranny of the "To Do" List. Sticky Minds. Retrieved on October 31, 2005. — an anecdotal discussion of how to-do lists can be tyrannical
2. ^ Gilbreth, Lillian M., Thomas, Orpha Mae, and Clymer, Eleanor, 'Management in the Home'. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1966
3. ^ Time Scheduling and Time Management for dyslexic students. Dyslexia at College. Retrieved on October 31, 2005. — ABC lists and tips for dyslexic students on how to manage to-do lists
4. ^ ToDoList 5.3.9 - A simple but effective way to keep on top of your tasks - The Code Project - Free Tools. ToDoList 5.3.9. Retrieved on October 3, 2007. — Features, code, and description for ToDoList 5.3.9, a project based time management application
5. ^ Time Management Software - Email Management Software - Trog Bar. Features of the Trog Bar. Retrieved on October 3, 2007. — Description of features in the Trog Bar including "TaskSense," the feature which automatically prioritizes tasks.
6. ^ Sandberg, Jared. "Though Time-Consuming, To-Do Lists Are a Way of Life", The Wall Street Journal, 2004-09-10. — a report on to-do lists and the people who make them and use them
7. ^ Elisabeth Hendrickson. The Tyranny of the "To Do" List. Sticky Minds. Retrieved on October 31, 2005. — an anecdotal discussion of how to-do lists can be tyrannical
Books
- Allen, David (2001). Getting things Done : the Art of Stress-Free Productivity. New York: Viking. ISBN 9780670889068.
- Covey, Stephen (1994) First Things First ISBN 0-684-80203-1
- Fiore, Neil A (2006). The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt- Free Play. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 9781585425525.
- Forster, Mark (2006-07-20). Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management. Hodder & Stoughton Religious, 224. ISBN 0340909129.
- Lakein, Alan (1973). How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life.. New York: P.H. Wyden. ISBN 0451134303.
- Morgenstern, Julie (2004). Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life, 2nd ed, New York: Henry Holt/Owl Books, 285. ISBN 0805075909.
External links
- Make a To-Do List. George Washington University Academic Success Centre. Retrieved on October 31, 2005. — tips for students on making to-do lists and examples of bad and good to-do lists
- Becker, David. "Microsoft checks off patent win", CNET News.com, 2004-06-08. — a report of Microsoft patenting "a glorified form of the to-do list"
- Building a Smarter To-Do List. Article on 43folders.com
- t-log. Benchmark your time management for free
Management comprises directing and controlling a group of one or more people or entities for the purpose of coordinating and harmonizing that group towards accomplishing a goal.
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time.
One view is that time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence, and time itself is something that can be measured.
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One view is that time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence, and time itself is something that can be measured.
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David Allen (b. December 28, 1945) is a productivity consultant. He is the creator of the Getting Things Done time management method.
He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana where he acted and won a state championship in debate.
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He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana where he acted and won a state championship in debate.
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A time and motion study (or time-motion study) is a business efficiency technique combining the Time Study work of Frederick Winslow Taylor with the Motion Study work of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (best known through the biographical 1950 film and book
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The term self-help or self-improvement can refer to any case or practice whereby an individual or a group attempts self-guided improvement[1]
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For the sense of a legal doctrine, see .
The term self-help or self-improvement can refer to any case or practice whereby an individual or a group attempts self-guided improvement[1]
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Proverbs may refer to:
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- The plural of the word proverb.
- The Book of Proverbs, one of the books of the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament.
- Roy Proverbs, English footballer.
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Classical Greece, the classical period of Ancient Greece, corresponds to most of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. (i.e. from the fall of the Athenian tyranny in 510 BC to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC).
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Old Testament (sometimes abbreviated OT) is the first section of the two-part Christian Biblical canon, which includes the books of the Hebrew Bible as well as several Deuterocanonical books. Its exact contents differ in the various Christian denominations.
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Wisdom literature is the genre of literature common in the Ancient Near East. This genre is characterized by praise of God, often in poetic form, and by sayings of wisdom intended to teach about God and about virtue.
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Stress management encompasses techniques intended to equip a person with effective coping mechanisms for dealing with psychological stress, with stress defined as a person's physiological response to an internal or external stimulus that triggers the fight-or-flight response.
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Title of published work
- First Things First (Bob Bennett Album)
- First Things First (book)
- First Things First 1964 manifesto
- First Things First 2000 manifesto
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Stephen R. Covey (born October 24 1932 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is the author of the international best selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989.
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Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput, or Clock is a gene which encodes proteins regulating circadian rhythm. The CLOCK protein seems to affect both the persistence and length of the circadian cycle. CLOCK forms part of a basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor.
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A personal organizer, day planner, or personal planner is a small book/binder, designed to be portable, usually containing a calendar, address book, and other sections usually including blank paper.
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computer is a machine which manipulates data according to a list of instructions.
Computers take numerous physical forms. The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century (around 1940 - 1941), although the computer concept and various machines
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Computers take numerous physical forms. The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century (around 1940 - 1941), although the computer concept and various machines
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PDa may be used as an acronym for:
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Technology
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A goal is a state of affairs or a state of a concrete activity domain which a person or a system is going/tends to achieve or obtain.
A desire or an intention becomes a goal if and only if an action for achieving it, is activated (see goal-oriented).
Morten Lind and J.
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A desire or an intention becomes a goal if and only if an action for achieving it, is activated (see goal-oriented).
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Focus may refer to:
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In science, mathematics or computing:
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Motivation is a reason or set of reasons for engaging in a particular behavior, especially human behavior as studied in psychology and neuropsychology. The reasons may include basic needs (e.g.
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Priority may refer to:
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- Priority date, a concept of establishing waiting times in the immigration process by United States Department of State
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An objective or goal is a personal or organizational desired end point in development. It is usually endeavoured to be reached in finite time by setting deadlines.
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Goal setting
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Recovery can refer to:
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Procrastination is a type of avoidance behaviour which is characterised by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. It is often cited by psychologists as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision.
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Project management is the discipline of organizing and managing resources (e.g. people) in such a way that the project is completed within defined scope, quality, time and cost constraints.
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An objective or goal is a personal or organizational desired end point in development. It is usually endeavoured to be reached in finite time by setting deadlines.
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Goal setting
Goal Setting involves setting specific, measurable and time targeted objectives...... Click the link for more information.
In project management a task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a defined period of time. Tasks can be linked together to create dependencies. Nowadays, software developers have created incredibly efficient solutions to ease the project managers' work, as well as
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