Business Computing Tips

By K&K Fainges kfainges@...

Never had enough time in the day?

Getting everything done can be hard, but here is something that might
help. Called an urgency/priority matrix, it helps you plan out the
day.

First get a piece of paper. Draw a big plus sign (+) on it. Then mark
the top left corner URGENT. The one next to that mark IMPORTANT. Then
the bottom corner is Not Urgent and the one next to that Unimportant.

Go to http://www.users.bigpond.com/sagatech/urgency_matrix.htm for an
example.

Give yourself 3 minutes a day, either planning at night for the next
day, or in the morning, and set out what needs to be done that day.

Then list it on this grid.

Some things are urgent AND important, like say paying a phone bill
that is due today.

Some things are urgent, i.e. you have a deadline, but not really that
important, say picking up the gourmet cat food. You have to get to
the shop before it closes, but the cat can eat something else if you
don't get there.

Some things are important, but not urgent. Like talking to your kids.
You need to talk to them every day, but not right now. (More on this
later.)

Some things are just not urgent or important, like dumping spam
email. So here's the big hint, if you are getting enough time in the
day, stop doing these things! It sounds easy, but often that is where
we lose the most time each day. We call it faffing. Ask yourself, do
I really need to be doing this or am I just faffing.

Things move around on the grid. For example, dumping spam can become
both urgent and important if your account is starting to get too full
and you could lose emails. More importantly, you can ask, will the
world really end if I don't iron the tablecloths. The real answer is
probably no.

Most of all, you need to think what it is that you really are aiming
for. If a happy family life is your top goal, then talking to the
kids should be your number one priority and should be in the top left
hand square. Don't be tempted to move it because it doesn't sound
like a REAL task. It is very real to your kids.

**********************************************************************
Please feel free to pass it on to your friends, just let them know I
wrote it.

Karen Fainges holds a Bachelor of Business, and a Grad. Cert of
Vocational and Educational Training. All this is nice but it's the 14
years of having to make sales or starve that makes her think she has
really learnt what does and doesn't work. A tutor for all ages, she
specialises in helping people get started on the long road to
technology.

"It has to be practical, it has to be cheap, and it has to work."