1. Take time to schedule and manage your emails and phone calls

• Never check email or voice mail first thing in the morning
• Schedule regular times to check emails and stick to it
• Read recent emails first
• Allocate the amount of time you will spend and stop promptly
• Create email signatures to sign off with one click
• Read it, delete or move it

2. Pre-plan and then plan again – keep your eye on your large goals

• Plan next week either on Friday afternoon (business) or Sunday evening (mom)
• Plan your day before it plans you! Set your intentions and goals for the day in advance of that day. The day before, the night before or in the morning before you begin your tasks for that day.
• Allocate specific time slots for recurring tasks, do them over and over at the same time each week - Gasoline, banking, grocery shoppingCalls, reports, marketing.

3. Arrive early for appointments

Spend the time you wait for others to plan what you want to accomplish in the meeting

• This will decrease your stress level.
• You will appear poised, professional & in control of your schedule instead of harried and disorganized.

4. Umbrella Your Day

(create chunks of time for related activities)

Divide your main responsibilities into 5 days, for example:

• Planning Day – (Friday or Monday)
• Current Large Project
• Outside Appointments, Errands
• Bills / Paperwork
• Research

5. Create an exit area in your office for all items that need to leave your space.

• Place things there as you find them.
• Choose an area on your desk or credenza that is positioned towards the door.

6. Create ‘To Do’ Lists

• Complete the three most important tasks each day before you move onto anything else

7. Take Control Your Papers

• Check it, move it into a predetermined place off the counter until you are ready to take action
• Handle it only once before you work on it

8. Learn to say NO

• Don’t volunteer until you take a moment to determine whether      you have the time to fulfill the commitment
• Give yourself permission to reconsider commitmentsDelete unnecessary tasks from your schedule that detract from your BIG picture goals
  
• Don’t automatically respond to another person’s  problem / fire before you determine whether it is going to foul up your agenda