Time Management Tips

A weekly planner with a pen

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." -Michael Altshuler

  • Prioritize: Assign daily tasks based on priorities, the time you estimate they'll take and your schedule.
  • Schedule: Schedule important tasks first, and break them into small, doable steps.
  • Focus Time: Schedule uninterrupted focus time.
  • Determine: Schedule difficult tasks during the most productive hours of your day.
  • Plan: If possible, plan your week and check with your team for alignment and disconnects.
  • Pause: Gather your thoughts before responding to unexpected setbacks.

Write down your plan for the week. Divide it into the following elements:

  • Top priority for the week
  • Meetings and conversations I need to schedule
  • Decisions needed to be made and by whom
  • Coaching and developing for the week
  • Must not miss items for the week
  • Potential barriers to meeting the top priority for the week

Source: Planning and Priority Setting Participant Guide, the Tennessee Department of Human Resources