One of my New Year’s resolutions was to read several time management resources from a creative perspective and bring back to Timbuktoons some tips and tricks for getting things done even more efficiently.

This is the first in a four part series where I will be sharing those insights that have turned us from free floating creative types to efficient and organized free-floating creative types! (Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt.3, Pt.4)

CREATIVE PROCRASTINATION

There are not enough hours in each day so you know you will always have to procrastinate on something. The trick is to force yourself to choose to procrastinate on the small things in order to get things done.

Keys:

• Don’t clear up the small things first! Resist the temptation- we often underestimate how the small things add up and seemingly never end (especially e-mail)
• Choose to do the most valuable and important first. Place value on the items you need to accomplish each day. The 80/20 rule states that 80% of what you do is the least valuable, while 20% is the most valuable.
• Do it tomorrow! Work on the e-mails and phone messages that came in yesterday and file today’s away for tomorrow. The benefit is that when your mailboxes are empty, you are done for the day regardless of what comes in! For example, I created a “Do Today” email box and a “Do Tomorrow” e-mail box and file e-mails accordingly. This helps limit expectations others have of you. It is way too easy to get in a trap of pleasing people immediately. The problem is that our own work piles up until we have to work many hard and late hours to catch up.
• Learn to say “no.” Say no to the things that are not of high value to your goals. Look at your tasks as the following: Must, Should, Nice, Delegate, Eliminate.
• Identify your constraints. One major cause of procrastination is a feeling of inadequacy and a lack of confidence. What is holding you back from achieving your purpose quickly and well done?

Part 2: “Creative Organization”

There is no shortage of time management resources…just do a search on Amazon.com and you will be overwhelmed! These ideas are a mix of things that have worked for us at Timbuktoons, “Eat That Frog” by Brian Tracy, “Time Management for Creative People” by Mark McGuinness, “Do It Tomorrow” by Mark Forster and a host of other tips and tricks from the world of personal productivity!