Regardless of whether you are a student, work at home mom, a web designer, or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, prioritising your work is critical to your success. Failing to prioritise your work load usually results in being extremely inefficient and extremely stressed out. How many times have you thought to yourself “I have so much to do today, how am I ever going to get it all done?”

There is no exact science to prioritising, but there are several tips that should help you become a more efficient, less stressed version of your current self:

Make a list – this may seem obvious but you’d be surprised at how many people try to organise their tasks in their head. You’ll often find that you feel a lot better just getting everything out so that you can see it in one place.

Consider time constraints – what absolutely needs to get done today and what can wait until tomorrow or next week. Everything may be important eventually, but some things are more important now.

Consider people constraints – all things equal, move things that other people are waiting on to the top of the list. If you know that your manager can’t finish his proposal without your part, that’s more important than the thing that you always do on Wednesday that could just as well be done on Thursday.

Consider the consequences – are you going to get fired if you don’t do something? Is another task going to give you the inside track on that promotion? Those things should be more important than mildly inconveniencing the sales manager by responding to their email a day late.

Re-prioritise as necessary – let’s face it, priorities change. As they do, update your list. It will give you a sense of control over the situation.

Remove unimportant items – is there something on your list that you always push to the bottom and never end up doing? Then get it off the list. It doesn’t belong there.

Don’t list EVERYTHING – only list crucial tasks. You don’t need to list routine tasks (like lunch) or menial tasks (like checking your email). Also, you’re going into too much detail if you put down prioritising as a task.

Do everything you can to keep your list small – this means saying NO sometimes. You are not other people’s gopher. Do your work and help other people with theirs when you have something to offer, but don’t do their work for them. Along the same lines, learn to delegate things to the people that are supposed to be doing them. Why book your plane tickets when you have an assistant for that?

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Prioritise-Your-Work&id=219970

This month we bring you some tips about a topic equally important for employers and employees alike – time management!

Professor Timothy Sharp, also known as ‘Dr Happy’, has these top tips for managing our valuable and limited time.

“1. Know that what you think determines what you do, and what you do determines the type of life you lead. If, therefore, you want to change the way you live your life then you might need to change the way you think. Specifically, know that:

•    There will always be problems and disruptions
•    More and faster is not necessarily better
•    You can’t control or do everything

2. Ensure the expectations you have of yourself (and of others) are realistic.  Aim high if you want to but unrealistic expectations only lead to frustration and disappointment.

3. Be proactive and take responsibility for everything you think, feel and do.  You might not be able to control everything that happens to you but you can control how you respond to it (so learn to respond helpfully, constructively and as often as possible, positively).

4. Determine what’s really important (as opposed to seemingly urgent) for you right now. Clarify and plan exactly what you need to do to achieve your priorities.   Prioritising involves choosing what not to include as much as what to include in your life (which also means saying “no” is often just as important as saying “yes”), so it’s important to recognise we can’t do everything.

5. Focus all your efforts on achieving what you’ve (realistically and objectively) determined to be important and on what would have the most positive impact on that. Maintain this focus for as long as is necessary to achieve what’s important.

6. Make sure your efforts are leveraged to achieve the best possible outcome by doing tasks in an efficient way. Consider whether certain tasks can be delegated and/or whether you can utilise the expertise, experience or resources of others.  Consider, also, your support network for helping and encouraging you.

7. Be prepared to be flexible (when appropriate). Remain focused and avoid disruptions but also keep your eye out for new opportunities.

8. Build on your strengths (and those of others in your family, friends and/or team at work).  Work out what you’re good at and utilise it as much as possible.   Also, work out your high-energy periods and schedule intense/high energy tasks accordingly.

9. Make time for switching off, rest and relaxation, and for activities that energise you.  This will help improve your efficiency and productivity (but remember, although there’s nothing wrong with trying to do as much as possible we all need to take care of ourselves and take breaks on occasion to ensure we get the most done in the long term).

10. Remember, positive change will not be finished today but it can certainly start today. Be aware that although you may not be able to achieve mastery overnight, you can certainly start right now to do things that will make a difference over time. It happens in steps.”

Source - http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/thenest/listings/detail/i/1/article/3826/Time-Management-Timothy-Sharp