Four D's of Time Management

Not exactly a mobile trend, but maybe I will make an app for that . . . :)

Listening to a Time Management seminar offered by my work, it allowed me to reflect on the training seminar back in 1983. The take-away was to remember the "Four D's of Time Management."

• Dump
• Delay
• Delegate
• Do

The thinking is, when a task is presented to you (occurred, assigned, "dropped from the sky", etc.), consider the following filter.

First, consider DUMPing the task. Just like junk mail, throw it in the trash -- it is not important to you, your boss, your organization, your family, etc.

Second, if you cannot dump, then DELAY. Put it in the bottom drawer of your desk. A week later, open the drawer and see if the task is still of consideration. If not, then DUMP.

Next, DELEGATE, why do a task when someone else can do it (maybe better than yourself).

Finally, if all else fails . . . DO.

These are the important tasks. These are your responsibility and you know how to approach and execute.

Keep these principles in mind as you continue the seminar. But let me save that for another post (NOT). You will now learn how to prioritize, break-down big tasks into smaller tasks, make a table of A-B-C and 1-2-3. This is just a formal filtering technique to micro-manage your tasks with the same 4-D's where all the "Do" tasks ripple to the upper-left of the table and the "Dumps" can be found in the lower-right side.

By the way, don't try to time manage the delegates and don't open your calendar to others to control.

Good luck -- watch for my repost in another 30 years.

Implement now, perfect later.