• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, January 4, 2012

Welcome to 2012.  It’s a whole new year, and potentially a new beginning, assuming that the Mayans are incorrect and the world won’t end this year.  As it is (most likely) a new beginning, I thought it might be time to share a New Year’s resolution, and one that you might find useful for yourself.  My 2012 is all about time management!

As any sports fan knows, managing the clock is a crucial part of the game, and managing your time is just as important in your day-to-day work.  Successful time management skills are important for allowing you to balance the various responsibilities you have, as well as a means to find overall balance between work and your personal life. All of us get caught up in the daily grind, and everything quickly seems like a priority, but if you can successfully manage your time, then you can better handle the stress thrown your way every day.

Here are some ideas I have that you might want to try:

1. TURN IT OFF - Turn Off Email For Two Hours Per Day

Email is the single biggest distraction of the day. Everything that comes into your inbox can seem like a top priority, but in fact it’s not. My resolution this year is to turn off email for two hours either in the morning or the afternoon, and use that time to accomplish a task that I’ve laid out for myself.  It could be drafting a presentation, working on a strategy, making calls, etc. This is the single biggest time management tool I’ve read about it, and I think it will help a lot.

2.  SHORT AND LONG - Make A Short-Term And A Long-Term To-Do List

Its important to set your goals and priorities, and one great way to do that is to lay out what you can accomplish today and tomorrow, and what you can set your sights on for the next week or two.  Your short-term list should be for no more than 48 hrs.  You check things off that list, and rewrite it every couple of days.  In that manner, you’ll find yourself accomplishing things quickly, which can make you feel as though you’re making headway.  Some people refer to this as the “baby steps” style of prioritizing, and I think it works great.  It helps me avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of to-do’s that I have, and allows me to sleep (a little) at night.  I started this last year, and will be continuing with it in 2012.

3. TO THE CLOUD - Set-Up A Cloud-Based Notes Tool

The cloud was my focus over the last two weeks, and I finally got everything placed up there: my music, my emails, all my folders, and my notes!  The first few items were pretty well underway, but now that I have all my notes in the cloud, I can easily access them from anywhere.  Dropbox and Evernote are my two personal hubs, but there are many services out there that can make access to your ideas and notes easier than you could have imagined.  The reason this is useful goes far beyond access. It allows you to jot down ideas wherever you may be, and regardless of what device you are using at that moment.  I have notes from meetings, notes sent to me in email that are worth saving, key documents and other assorted items easily accessible in the cloud.  In this way, I don’t forget things and I have a running list of related items

If your New Year’s resolutions involved balance, less stress or “finding the time,” then hopefully these little tips and tricks will help.  In the meantime, best wishes to you for a successful and prosperous 2012!

And thanks for reading my articles. I appreciate it!