Lesson Plan

Time Management: Ten Strategies for

Better Time Management

LESSON PLAN
OVERVIEW: Finding a time management strategy that works
best for you depends on your personality, ability to self-motivate
and level of self-discipline. This lesson describes 10 possible
strategies for improving your ability to manage the events in your
life in relation to time.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: Participants will increase their

awareness of time management strategies and learn how to
implement self-selected strategies that will assist them in
managing their time more effectively. The ten strategies include:
Knowing how you spend your time
Setting priorities
Using a planning tool
Getting organized
Scheduling your time appropriately
Getting help from others

 Not procrastinating
Managing external time wasters
Avoiding multi-tasking
Staying healthy

TIME:

3 hours preferred, can be modified for shorter time

allocations or broken into a series of modules

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Instructional methods

include lecture with PowerPoint, individual and group tasks, roleplaying, drawing, demonstration, group discussion, and
question/answer sessions. Instructor should incorporate personal
examples to illustrate the content, whenever possible.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:

Blank paper
Pens or pencils
$1.00 bills in play money
Large clear plastic or glass jar
Medium-sized rocks
Gravel or pebbles
Sand
Water
Liquid container with pouring spout
Sample planning tools (e.g., calendars, To Do
lists, PDA, diaries, work logs, etc.)
Sample ticker file
Sample organizers (e.g., file folders, thumb drive,
desk caddy, ice cube tray, tackle box, etc.)
Sample personal item to illustrate clutter
Laminated signs labeled: Always, Sometimes,
Rarely
Tape
Optional: Timer with alarm

AUDIOVISUAL NEEDS:

PowerPoint presentation on CD-ROM

Laptop computer
Projector
Screen
Flipchart and markers

HANDOUTS:
Handout #1:
Handout #2:
Handout #3:
Handout #4:
Handout #5:
Handout #6:

Money vs. Time

Time Log
May be copied front and back
Time Log Analysis
My Time Management Matrix
Balance Your Life Goals
Program Evaluation

APPENDICES:
Appendix A: Script for Roleplays
Appendix B: Breathing Exercises

You cant save it,

You cant borrow it,
You cant lend it,
You cant leave it,
You cant take it,
You can only do two things with it
use it or lose it.
What is it? Answer: TIME!
(Rupured, et.al., 1998)

Slide 1

You only have 24 hours, 1,440

minutes or 86,400 seconds each
day. How you use that time
depends on skills learned through
self-analysis, planning, evaluation
and self-control.
Materials Needed: 24 or
more $1 bills in play money

DEMONSTRATION: While
counting 24 dollars in play money,
say the following:
Pretend that Im a bank and I credit
your checking account with 24
dollars every morning. I am open
365 days a year. You cannot get
credit; you cannot have an
overdraft; you cannot carry an
ongoing balance; you cannot move
your money to a savings account;
and you cannot draw against
tomorrows deposit. If you dont use
the 24 dollars before the end of the
day, you will lose them forever.
What would you do with your 24
dollars?
Option: Ask a participant to give
you the money back in dollar
increments equivalent to how they
spend each hour of the day.
Much like money, time is both
valuable and limited. It must be
protected, used wisely and
budgeted. Lets look at a
comparison of time and money in
1

your handout.
Materials Needed:
Handout #1

Slide 2

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU

ARE NOT PRACTICING GOOD
TIME MANAGEMENT?

STRESS
TASKS TAKE
LONGER
ILLNESS/FATIGUE
DISORGANIZATION
LACK OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT

ACTIVITY: Money vs. Time

REFER TO HANDOUT #1 and ask
participants to complete the
checklist. After 2-3 minutes, ask
participants to share responses by
raising their hand if the statement
applies to both money and time.
Discuss any disagreements.

Practicing good time management

skills results in higher levels of
productivity, more energy, less
stress, the ability to get things done,
positive relationships, and increased
self-esteem. But, what happens
when we dont practice good time
management?
Your body responds to the stress
you feel when faced with a situation
thats new, unpleasant or
threatening such as dealing with
time issues. Too much stress can
affect mental and physical health
and even damage relationships with
family and friends. Over time, stress
can harm your health causing or
contributing to allergies, muscle
tension in the neck and back,
gastrointestinal problems, sore
throat, sinus infections, colds and
flu, migraine and tension
headaches, sleep disorders, high
blood pressure, and heart disease.
Poor time management also affects
your performance by reducing
productivity and efficiency. When a
person is having trouble managing
time, they often become frustrated
2

and short tempered. Whether they

are part of a family or a work team,
their contributions are reduced and
tasks often fall through the cracks.

Slide 3

What is Time Management?

Time
management
refers to a range
of skills, tools,
and techniques
used to manage
events in your
life in relation to
time.

Time management is really a

misnomer. We dont really manage
time we manage ourselves and
our life events in relation to time.
Today, we will explore 10 strategies
that can help you more effectively
manage events in your life in
relation to time. Finding strategies
that work best for you depend on
your personality, culture,
circumstances and priorities but you
must look critically at yourself and
perhaps confront some difficult
issues.
Note to the Instructor
Cultural Differences: Perceptions of
time differ, depending on ones
culture. Differences are often found
in the number of hours worked per
day or week; the importance of
punctuality; the amount of time
spent on leisure activities; etc. In
the United States and Western
Europe, people tend to have a
monochronic time orientation in
which interpersonal relations are
subordinate to time and time is
measured in distinct units. You
often hear comments like time is
money or one thing at a time. In
3

polychronic cultures, human

relationships and interactions are
valued over arbitrary schedules and
appointments. Many things may
occur at once and interruptions are
common. (Hall & Hall, 1990). Keep
these difference in mind when
working with diverse audiences as
cultural approaches to time
management may vary. The
recommendations given in this
lesson focus on the monochronic
time orientation.

Slide 4

Strategies

Slide 5

Know how you spend your time

Set priorities
Use planning tools
Get organized
Schedule
Delegate
Stop procrastinating
Manage time wasters
Avoid multi-tasking
Stay healthy

Feel free to pick and choose among

these 10 strategies or incorporate
ideas from all of them. Remember:
Different techniques work for
different people.

Strategy 1 - Becoming aware of how

you use your time may improve your
time management skills.

Slide 6

Use a Log to Determine

How You Spend Your Time

Materials Needed:
Handout #2

Maintain a daily log of how you

spend your time. You may be
surprised at how much time you
spend on various tasks or how
much time is spent with phone calls
and interruptions. The time log can
provide you with a starting point for
determining what needs
improvement. How long you keep
the time log depends on the nature
of your work. For most people,
keeping the log for 7 consecutive
days (one week) will suffice; for
others, it may require a month or
two.
Split your day into chunks of 15-30
minutes (perhaps smaller chunks, if
necessary for your schedule). You
may want to make copies of
HANDOUT #2: TIME LOG after
leaving this class. Record exactly
how you spend your time be
specific. Log your time as you go,
not at the end of the day. You may
not have to record something every
15 minutes, but every time you shift
your attention (Mackenzie, 1997).
Try not to change your behavior
during this time, even if you see
obvious areas where you can gain
better control similar to keeping a
food diary when you are on a diet.
Rather, try to get a realistic picture
of your typical schedule.
After you have completed the time
log, separate your tasks into
categories according to the nature
of the task. For example, you may
use categories such as reading,
meetings, replying to e-mail,
assisting others, phone calls,
teaching, thinking, planning,
exercising, sleeping, working on a
hobby, etc. Then, calculate the
5

Materials Needed:
Handout #3

percentage of time that you spent

on each category. This will give you
a better picture of how you spend
your time. Use HANDOUT #3:
TIME LOG ANALYSIS to answer
important questions about your time
log. (Dodd & Sundheim, 2005).
Look for patterns.
Are you spending too much time on
routine tasks?
Are there things you can simplify?
Are you spending too much time
doing something that could be done
more succinctly or streamlined?
Are there times during the day when
you are busier?
Is it possible to reorganize your
schedule so that you are able to
work more consistently?
When are you most and least
productive?
Are you doing work that should be
delegated? Or work that shouldnt
even be done?
Do tasks take longer than they
should?
What would happen if you didnt do
this task?

Do you use down time effectively?

Do you have time to think?

Slide 7

Activity

Since our class time is limited, lets

use an activity that gives us a quick
look at how we spend our time.
ACTIVITY: Ideal vs. Real

Materials Needed: Paper,

pens or pencils

Slide 8

Provide a sheet of paper for each

participant. Instruct the participants
to draw a circle and divide the circle
into 5 or 6 sections representative of
how they spend their time. Draw a
second circle the same size and
divide it into sections reflecting how
they would like to spend their time.
Now, compare your actual time
allocation with your ideal time
allocation. What are the
discrepancies? Why arent your
circles the same?

Strategy 2 The key to prioritization

is determining the most important
thing to do to reach your goals.

Slide 9

Priorities First!

Materials Needed: large

glass or clear plastic jar,
medium-sized rocks, gravel
or small pebbles, sand, water
& container with a pouring
spout.

Slide 10

Determining Your Priorities

Using the Matrix
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Not Important

DEMONSTRATION: Big Rocks in

a Jar!
Show an empty jar to the
participants and say, The jar
represents your schedule. Add
rocks to the jar. The rocks are the
important tasks. Now add gravel,
sand and water. The gravel, sand
and water are less important tasks
or filler work. The moral of this story
is you can make time for your big
rocks, but only if you put them into
the schedule first and fit everything
else around and between the rocks.

Managing your time effectively

requires a distinction between what
is important (as demonstrated by
the rocks) and what is urgent
(MacKenzie, 1997). Urgent means
it requires immediate attention
cannot be put off without creating
problems. Importance has to do
with results. If something is
important, it contributes to your
mission, goals and/or values.
Experts agree that the most
important tasks usually are not the
most urgent tasks. Yet we tend to
let the urgent dominate our lives.
Covey, Merrill, and Merrill (1994)
group our activities into four
quadrants in their Time
Management Matrix: urgent, not
urgent, important and not important.
While activities that are both urgent
and important must be done, Covey
suggests that we spend less time on
activities that are not important
8

(regardless of their urgency) in order

to gain time to focus on activities
that are not urgent but important.
Focusing on these important
activities allows you to gain greater
control over your time and possibly
reduce the number of important
tasks that do become urgent.
Materials Needed: flipchart
and markers

ACTIVITY: My Time Management

Matrix
Draw and label the matrix on a
flipchart. Explain the matrix based
on the 4 quadrants. Give examples
such as those below:
Quadrant 1 (Urgent and Important)
= Family member is hospitalized
from a car accident and you need to
pick up her children and care for
them overnight.
Quadrant 2 (Not Urgent but
Important) = You need to get a
wellness check-up. Items in this
quadrant allow you to be proactive.
You should spend most of your time
working on items in this quadrant.
Quadrant 3 (Urgent but Not
Important) = Your boss wants
information for a report that is due
tomorrow. Or, you want to clean
the house before your extended
family arrives for dinner. These are
usually someone elses important
items.
Quadrant 4 (Not Urgent and Not
Important) = You are reading junk
mail or surfing the web. These
items are considered busy work.
You may use these items as an
escape.
9

Materials Needed:
Handout #4

Materials Needed: paper,

pens or pencils

Other examples are provided on

HANDOUT #4. Ask participants to
complete the matrix for a specified
time period (e.g., this week or this
month) using their own examples
from each quadrant. Participants
may work individually or in small
groups. Allow a few participants to
share their examples and discuss
whether or not they fit in the
quadrant selected.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Provide

participants with a blank piece of
paper and ask them to number 1-15.
Tell them that we are going to
provide them with an activity that
helps them to determine their
priorities. Share steps below:
Step 1: List 15 of the major roles in
your life. For example: husband,
father, son, church member,
teacher, business owner, clerk,
softball player, member of
community theater, co-worker,
manager, etc. Be as specific as
possible. (Allow 5-6 minutes for
participants to think about their roles
and write them down.)
Step 2: Mark off 5 of the roles that
you consider to be less important.
Step 3: Now mark off 4 more of the
roles that you consider to be less
important. You should have 6
remaining roles.
Step 4: Beside each of the 6
remaining roles, write down 2
important results you want to
10

accomplish in these roles during the

next 5 days.
Step 5: Now, look ahead to the next
5 days and schedule time to achieve
these goals. Well talk more about
how to schedule time effectively
later.
Ask participants the following
questions to debrief: Was it easy to
identify your various roles? Were
there any surprises perhaps some
roles you had forgotten that really
are important? Did you remember
to list yourself as an important role
few of us schedule time for our
own personal wellness and
development? Are there some
important roles that you have
neglected recently?
Once you have identified your
priorities, remember to review them
periodically, asking yourself what is
important for me to do today, this
week, or this month. Be sure to
schedule those important items
before other day-to-day activities eat
up your time. Some planning tools
offer a place where you can record
your priorities and show scheduled
activities related to those priorities.
We will discuss these tools as part
of the next strategy.
Materials Needed:
Handout #5

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: See

HANDOUT #5: Balance Your Life
Goals. Ask participants to complete
the sentence. Talk about how this
activity can help us to identify
important activities based on looking
back from the future.

11

Strategy 3 Using a planning tool

can improve your productivity.

Slide 11

Slide 12
Planning Tools

Materials Needed:
examples of planning tools
such as a diary, PDA,
calendar, To Do list, etc.

Keeping a reliable, easy-to-use

record of upcoming events,
meetings, and appointments is
crucial for time management. There
are many types of planning tools
available, so find one that you enjoy
using.

One of the most traditional forms of

planning tools is the diary or
planner. The type of planner you
choose depends on your personal
preference. You may want to see
one day at a time or the entire week
at a glance. You may prefer the
standard diary, either desk-size or
small enough for your pocket or
purse, to simply record events and
appointments. You may want a
personal organizer with the diary,
address book, task list, and
notebook. Or, you may prefer a
high-tech electronic planner that
stores details in digital form.
Whichever form you use, you must
use it consistently.
Here are a few tips for making your
planning tool work better for you:
Take time to record
12

appointments and events in

your planner as they are
made. Dont jot them down on
another piece of paper to
transfer to your planner at a
later time.
Include preparatory time in
your planner if the activity will
require travel or other types of
preparation. Likewise, include
follow-up time after the activity.
Use color to denote different
types of tasks or more
important tasks.
If someone else manages your
calendar, let them know of any
appointments as soon as you
make them.
Remember to allow
unscheduled time for
unexpected situations that may
arise.
Pay attention to the type of tool
that suits you best, including
format (one or two page per
day; weekly calendar; etc.),
type of fastener, size, etc.
Always carry your planner with
you. If you cant, carry at least
that days calendar and task
list.
Keep your goals, projects and
other important lists in your
planner.
Regularly sync your electronic
planner or refill your paper
planner.
Only schedule about 70% of
your day. Remember to make
an appointment with yourself.

PDAs are a popular tool for those

who prefer electronic systems.
They are often combined with other
services such as a cell phone,
Blackberry, etc. (Beckwith, 2006).
13

Benefits of a PDA:

Pocket size, light weight

May only have to carry one

device for cell phone, e-mail,
etc.

Easy to update and replace

Information can/should be
backed up on computer

Can store lots of information

Works well for coordinating

dates with others who have
electronic planners

Has alarms to remind you of

important activities
Disadvantages of a PDA:

Runs on batteries and may

lose charge

Can lose all data unless you

re-sync with computer

Often truncates information

Screen may be hard to read

Stylus may be difficult to use

Screen cannot display a

whole calendar week with
details.

Materials Needed: Flipchart

and markers

ACTIVITY: Divide participants into

small groups of 4-6 each. Have
participants share the type of tool(s)
they use (other than the PDA) and
list the advantages and
disadvantages of each on flipchart
pages. Have a spokesperson share
the responses with the large group.
Remember, regardless of the
planning tool you decide to use, be
sure to use it consistently.

14

Slide 13

To Do

or Not To Do

Probably the most common

planning tool is the To Do list for
noting items that we want to
complete and their associated
deadline. Items on our to do list
may come from a variety of sources,
such as our supervisor, our
subordinates, our family members,
system-imposed, or from our own
goals and activities. Many of us feel
a great sense of accomplishment
when we can cross off an item on
our list. Most planning tools now
incorporate the basic to do list,
making a separate to do list
obsolete and cumbersome.
One common problem is having
multiple to do lists. Perhaps we
cant find our list and start a new
one without having time to
consolidate, one list has gotten too
long, or we want separate lists for
work and home. Theres also the
frustration of not knowing which task
is on which list. Or maybe you
crossed off the task on one list but
not the other. Dont keep multiple
lists!
Another problem with to do lists is
that they often do not have a priority
assigned to the task. You may want
to use a simple listing such as:
A = highest importance and/or
urgency
B = medium importance and/or
urgency
C = lower importance and/or
urgency
Finally, to do lists are often a
random listing of tasks. You can
reduce this problem by grouping
similar tasks together or using a
15

color code or symbol to designate

similar tasks (such as phone calls).
Some helpful points when using a
to do list are:
Remember to check your list
every day, usually at the
beginning of the day.
Cross off items immediately
upon completion.
At the end of the day, remember
to transfer incomplete items.
Be sure to assign priority
rankings to items.
Combine related tasks whenever
feasible.

Slide 14

Strategy 4: Removing the clutter

and getting organized are valuable
tasks.

16

Slide 15

Steps to Get Organized

Keep
Give

Away

Toss

Time management experts say that

we spend about 7 hours per week
just looking for things or being
distracted by clutter (Missouri
Business Development Program,
2009).
Keep-Give Away-Toss is one
method used frequently to remove
clutter. It involves a simple 3-part
question for each item you touch.
Do I need to keep it, give it to
someone else or throw it away?
Once the clutter is gone, you can
implement a system that allows you
to handle information less, only
once when possible.

Slide 16

Conquer the clutter

in your life!
Throw

it away
it
Act on it yourself
File it
temporarily
Store it

Lets consider this concept in more

detail as it relates to information
overload. There are five basic
options for handling information.

Delegate

Throw it away, delete it or

otherwise get rid of it. Some
questions to ask yourself before
you toss are: Do I really need it?
Will it help me in any way? Will
it be useful when I need it again?
Is it new or unique? Is it a
necessary part of a project or
special file (e.g., personnel file,
client file, school record, tax
related, etc.) Would it be hard to
replace? Would anything bad
happen if I toss it? (Dodd and
Sundheim, 2005)

Delegate it: give it to someone

else to do, file or respond.

Act on it yourself. Then throw

away or file it. Do the task now if
it takes less than 3 minutes or if
17

it is truly urgent.

Materials Needed: tickler

system

File it temporarily until it needs

action or until additional
information is received. You may
want to use a tickler file for
holding temporary information.

DEMONSTRATION: Show an
example of a tickler.
A tickler file works better than
an inbox or posting board
because items that are a
constant reminder often get
overlooked or buried. One
suggestion for setting up a
tickler system is to use a file
box or cabinet and label 12
hanging folders as January
December. Then label 31 file
folders from 1-31 for each day of
the month OR label 5 or 7 file
folders for each day of the week
OR label 4-5 file folders for each
week of the month. Rotate files
within the hanging sections. At
the first of the month, take out
the hanging folder and sort
inserts into the sub-categories.
At the end of each day/week,
take out the next day/weeks
folder and place on top of your
desk so you will be sure to follow
up on the items enclosed.

File or store it permanently

where you can retrieve it. But
keep this bit of trivia in mind:
There are 50 million file drawers
in the U.S. with 250 billion pieces
of paper in them. Only 10% of
the paper filed will ever be used
or referred to again (Mackenzie,
1997).
18

Slide 17

Activity

Materials Needed: flipchart

and markers

Slide 18

Tools to De-clutter

Materials Needed:
examples of organizers

ACTIVITY: Identify your clutter.

Divide participants into small
groups. Provide flip chart sheets
and markers. Instruct each group to
list what is cluttering their life.
These can be tangible (such as
stacks of unread journals) or
intangible (such as multiple
demands from the boss). Have
each group select a spokesperson
to share their list.

There are various methods for

getting organized depending on the
type of clutter, so select one that
works best for the type.
You may have to try several
methods before you decide on the
system that works best for you.
DEMONSTRATION: Show
examples of tools such as a desk
caddy, toolbox used for teaching
supplies, CD Rom or travel drive,
etc.

To remove desk drawer clutter,

utilize utensil holders or ice cube
trays.
Keep items needed for a
particular chore in a labeled
bucket to grab and go.
If magazines and newspapers
are stacking up, subscribe to
journals online, or recycle old
ones.
Donate or recycle electronics or
broken items.
Have a clothing swap with
19

Slide 19

A TOP TEN LIST

Excuses for keeping things around
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Ill use it SOMEDAY!

Its too good to throw away.
It will be worth something one day!
It will come back in style!
It was a gift from ______.
I paid good money for it.
As soon as I lose weight, Ill wear it.
It just needs to be fixed.
They dont make these any more.
Im saving it for

Materials Needed: item

such as a collectible, old
school papers, clothing that
is too large or too small

friends or donate to a charity of

your choice. Dont forget
consignment shops.
Join in at a neighborhood garage
sale.
Scan paper into electronic form
and store the device in a safe
place.
For an entire room, only work on
that room. If an item belongs in
another room, put it there but
dont start organizing the 2nd
room until you are completely
finished with the 1st room.
Get a friend to help you that is
good at organizing. Ask that
friend to question you about why
you are keeping certain items.
If you really must keep things
you dont have room for,
consider renting a storage unit
on a temporary basis.

Many of us are pack-rats and keep

things just because.
ACTIVITY: Review the list on the
slide. Try to be humorous and get
the audience involved by sharing
additional excuses. Show
participants an example of an item
that you have saved for several
years that has no obvious use or
value. Optional: Ask participants to
look in their purse or wallet for an
item they carry that has no real use
or value, such an expired library
card or outdated coupon.
If any of these excuses describe
you, then you need to take action to
get rid of the clutter.
20

Strategy 5: Carefully scheduling

your time can lead to having more
time.

Slide 20

Alan Lakein, in his classic time

management book entitled How to
Get Control of Your Time and Your
Life, states that There is always
enough time for the important
things. The busiest people are able
to find time for what they want to do,
not because they have any more
time than others but because they
think in terms of making time by
careful scheduling.

Slide 21

KNOW YOURSELF!

When are you most

productive and alert?

When do you tend to

overcommit?

When can you more easily

balance responsibilities?

When do you make time for

YOURSELF?

Are you a morning person or an

evening person? Typically, we
experience a time of day when our
energy level is highest and we are
able to perform at our peak mental
and physical abilities. Becoming
familiar with your natural daily
rhythm can help you schedule your
time more appropriately. For
example, if you perform best after
that first cup of coffee in the
morning, then allocate the most
demanding tasks of the day to that
time.
Using your time log, you can
determine when you are most
productive, more alert and have the
most energy.

21

Slide 22

Schedule Your Most

Productive Time
Block

out time for

your high priority
activities first
Only schedule
about 70% of your
time to leave
opportunity for
creativity

Slide 23
Just Say
Be honest
Use non-verbal language
Dont be defensive
Be brief
Dont use an excuse
Use positives

Scheduling is not just recording

what you have to do, such as
meetings and appointments, but it is
also making a commitment of time
to the things you want to do. Block
out time for your high priority
activities first and protect that time
from interruptions. Again, strive to
schedule only 70% of each day.
You need time to be creative -- this
includes planning, thinking,
dreaming and reading.

Dont over-commit. When theres

too much work to do, we tend to
work longer hours, get less sleep,
and give up our family time. All of
these tendencies lead to additional
problems.
We may over-commit for several
reasons. We may be unrealistic
about the time needed for
completing a task. Or, we may not
be willing to refuse a task, especially
if the request comes from a boss,
parent, teacher or someone else
with authority. The first issue can
be addressed with planning skills,
but the second issue requires us to
learn to say no.
Again, make sure that you are
focusing your time and energy on
tasks that are important to you,
based on Coveys matrix. Then,
learn to say no.
22

Be honest. Dont lie to yourself

by saying yes when you mean
no.
Use non-verbal language. Your
eye contact and posture must
communicate no as well.
Remember that only about 10%
of what we communicate is
through our words. Some
suggest that 40% is our tone of
voice and 50% is our non-verbal
behavior.
Dont be defensive. It leads to
confrontation and guilt.
Be brief. Use few words. Think
about your words before you say
them. You may need to use the
broken record technique of
saying no over and over again.
Dont use an excuse. An
explanation is acceptable if you
want to provide one, however an
excuse is typically broad and
only a half-truth. It may invite
challenge. An explanation
should be an explicit statement.
For example, instead of saying I
couldnt get it together., say I
had 3 assignments to complete
before I could start on that one.
Use positives to say no. Your
response can be powerful and
diplomatic if you start with 2
positive statements + 1 negative
statement + 1 positive
statement. For example, you
might say, I appreciate your
inviting me to participate. You
must have a lot of confidence in
me. Unfortunately, I am
unavailable for additional events
right now. I feel very special that
you asked me.

In work situations, you might

practice using some of the phrases
23

below to communicate your inability

to complete a task:
1. For someone other than your
boss, you might say:
Im sorry but I cant do that right
now.
2. For your boss, you might say:
I appreciate your confidence in me
by assigning me this task, but I
couldnt possibly do a good job on it
right now with all the other
assignments that I have.
You have me working on [name the
task] right now. Do you want me to
stop working on that and do this
new assignment?
I can do that but it will be [tomorrow,
next week, later this week] before I
can get to it.
I cant do that right now, but [name]
is really good at that [or knows more
about that]. Can you ask him to
handle it?
Im afraid I couldnt do a good job
with that right now because of all the
other tasks I have on my plate.
Materials Needed:
Appendix A

ACTIVITY: Ask a participant to role

play saying no using the scripts
from Appendix A. Debrief using the
notes in Appendix A.
Dont forget to say no to yourself.
Dont put too much on your to do
list and make sure that you are
setting goals, timelines,and plans
and sticking to them. You can more
24

easily say no to tasks that dont fit

your goals and plans.
Lets think about a particular time
when careful scheduling is critical:
Working from home. Remember to
treat your work at home as if you
were in the office. Maintain a
regular schedule and ask your
family and others to respect it as
work time. Dress as if you were
working in the office get out of
your pajamas. Get away from your
work area during lunch.

Strategy 6: Not doing everything

yourself is essential.

Slide 24

If you are constantly interrupted,

then you have little time for
completing substantial tasks. And,
those who must constantly check
with you for decisions and
information are held up on
completing tasks as well.
Delegation can certainly help you
save time, but you must learn to
delegate properly.
Doing tasks that can be delegated
to others is costly. Lets determine
what your time costs consider how
expensive it is when your time is not
spent effectively.
ACTIVITY: Show this example on a
flipchart.
Materials Needed: flipchart
and markers

Determine how much your time at

work costs per hour and per minute,
using the following calculations:
1.5 x annual salary working hours
per year = cost per hour
25

Cost per hour 60 = cost per

minute
Use 1.5 to include overhead or
fringe benefits. Working hours per
year is typically 2,080 hours.
Example: $35,000 annual salary
$52,500 (1.5 x $35,000) 2,080 =
$25.24 per hour
$25.54 60 = $0.42 per minute
Now, use this figure to analyze the
relative cost of a few activities in
your day. For example, attending
this 3 hour class on time
management costs $0.42 x 180
minutes = $75.60.
Ask participants, Would you pay
$75.60 to improve your ability to
manage your time?

Slide 25

Get Help From Others

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identify the task

Match the task to a qualified person
Define the task and establish your
expectations
Check on the progress
Reward success

Delegation is very difficult for some

people to accomplish. However,
assigning the responsibility of a task
to someone else frees up some time
for tasks that require your expertise.
People use many excuses for not
delegating or outsourcing projects.
Jim Wendling (2008) suggests that
you will get more done through
delegation if you assume the
opposite of the following statements
is true:

I can do it better myself.

I dont know if I can trust her to
do it.
He isnt qualified to do it.
She doesnt want any added
responsibilities.
I dont have time to show
26

someone else how to do it.

There is no one else to delegate
to.
I dont want to give up this task
because I like doing it.
Im the only person who knows
how to do this.
She messed up last time, so Im
not giving her anything else to
do.

You dont have to be the boss to find

people who will help you. You just
have to approach them the right
way.
First, identify the task or desired
results. Allow the person to
determine their own process for
completing the task.
Make sure that youve identified the
right person to handle the task, but
dont always give the task to the
most experienced or the person
most often available. Delegate to
others so that they become more
experienced and one person doesnt
feel overwhelmed.
Ask for progress reports and set
interim deadlines to check on
progress.
Be sure to give the person
responsibility and the appropriate
level of authority so they dont have
to come back to you constantly for
approvals.
Reward the person for successful
results, even if they are not exactly
what you would have done.

27

What about delegating to family

members? One activity you might
try is called the 10-minute Pick-up.
This activity can help you get things
done at home as well as have fun
with your family. You will need a
timer or alarm, upbeat music, and
cleaning materials. Give each
family member a section of a room
to clean (for example, sweeping the
floor, picking up clutter, dusting,
etc.). Make sure everyone has the
cleaning supplies they will need in
their hands. Set the timer for 10
minutes and shout, go. Each
person should quickly clean as
much of their assigned area as they
can until the time is up and the
alarm sounds. If anyone finishes
early, they should help someone
else. Then stop and applaud
yourselves.
Another way to delegate is buying
time -- utilizing a service that saves
you an investment of time.
Examples are lawn care service, car
pool to transport kids to school,
cleaning service, paying a
temporary worker or summer intern
to update your mailing list or do your
filing, etc. Buying time does not
have to involve cash; you could
barter for services or supplies.

28

Strategy 7: Putting things off results

in poor time management.

Slide 26

Slide 27

Dont Put it Off

Do you put off tasks because they

are overwhelming or unpleasant?
Do you put off making decisions?
Maybe you dont want to deal with
the reality of a situation or the work
it might create for you. Whatever
the situation, procrastination hinders
your ability to manage your time.

Chronic procrastination is
considered to be a lifestyle for about
20% of people. Chronic
procrastinators promote their own
self protection by telling lies to
themselves. They actively seek
distractions, such as constantly
checking e-mail or visiting social
networking websites. (Marano,
2008).
Procrastination has costs:
Health procrastinators have
more colds, flu, gastrointestinal
problems, and insomnia.
Teamwork procrastinators shift
responsibilities onto others who
become resentful.

29

Slide 28

How to Stop Procrastinating

Break the task down

into smaller
segments.

Complete a
preparatory task to
help you get started
organize notes.

Reward yourself for

completing smaller
tasks.

Some techniques are to:

Break big projects into smaller,
more manageable segments.
Jump start yourself by breaking
your pre-project tension. You
can start with any small
component of the task. Then,
keep on starting.
Use the Swiss Cheese method
(Lakein, 1973). Poke holes in
your project. Do easy, quick
tasks.
Do the harded or most
unpleasant part of the project
first.
Set aside 30 minutes of
uninterrupted time to work on the
project and then force yourself to
stop, regardless of what you
have accomplished.
Remove distractions. You may
need to use earplugs.
Say positive things to yourself
about your progress. Dont say
I should to yourself.
Aim for the exceptional but allow
yourself to be pleased with good
enough.
Celebrate small
accomplishments. Award
yourself for small steps as you
work toward the final product.

30

Strategy 8: Identifying some of the

most common ways we waste time
and addressing them helps us
capitalize on available minutes.

Slide 29

Slide 30

Slide 31

Dont let this happen to you!

Time Wasters
Which ones apply to you?
Telephone

&
voice mail
Meetings
E-mail & Internet

We are bombarded in todays world

with multiple sources of
communication. How can we
manage them all?

ACTIVITY: Have participants

identify specific time wasters using
the Time Robbers activity
described below.

Family

obligations
Unexpected

visitors

Materials Needed: 3 signs

labeled Always, Sometimes
and Rarely

Tape signs saying ALWAYS,

SOMETIMES and RARELY to a
wall with space between them,
preferably in 3 corners of the room.
Read the list of time robbers and
instruct participants to move to the
sign that indicates how often this
item applies to them. Ask for
suggestions on how to handle the
time robber.

31

Time Robbers: (Select from a few

or all of these items.)

Chatting or texting on the

phone/cell phone.
Unexpected visitors come to my
office or home.
My door is always open
employees come and go as they
please.
Doing tasks that others are
capable and willing to do.
Doing nothing while standing in
line.
Doing nothing while riding on
public transportation or as a
passenger.
Not planning ahead for meals.
Going to routinely scheduled
meetings.
Checking e-mail when the alert
prompts them that they have a
message.
Frequenting social networking
sites (Facebook, My Space,
Twitter, etc.)
Surfing the Internet.
Watching just one more TV
show.
Hitting the snooze button on the
alarm clock to get up at the last
time possible.
Shuffling toys, newspapers, etc.
from one table or area to another
without putting them away.
Not planning the activities for
your day.
Running errands without
planning to optimize your trip
time.
(Rupured, et. al, 1998)

32

Materials Needed: flipchart

and markers

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Divide

participants into 5 groups. Assign
each group to one of the time
wasters: telephone; meetings;
mail/e-mail; family obligations; and
visitors. Ask each group to identify
solutions to managing the time
wasters and list on flipchart. Have
each group select a spokesperson
to share their list.
_____________________________

Slide 32

The phone
Problems

Solutions

Conversation gets off on

a tangent
Person is not available
Interrupts your work

Schedule calls
Prepare an outline before
the conversation
Use voicemail, and set
aside a time of day to
return calls
Use e-mail to save phone
time
Stand up when on the
phone
Turn off the phone

Telephone:

Set times for making and

receiving phone calls. Route
calls to an assistant or to voice
mail otherwise.

Call people just before lunch or

near the end of the work day so
that the conversation is kept
short.

Eliminate small talk. Ask the

caller, what can I do for you? to
get past the small talk and to the
point of the call.

When leaving a message,

indicate a time for the caller to
return the call.

Use caller ID to determine

whether or not to accept the call.

Tell the caller that you only have

a certain number of minutes to
talk.

When making calls, set aside a

specific time of day and bunch
calls together. Be clear about
33

the purpose of each call and

draft a brief agenda as if it were
a meeting. Dont let
conversations stray too far from
that agenda. Determine an
order of priority for the calls.

Slide 33

Meetings

Dont schedule if not

needed
Know the purpose in
advance
Arrive on time
Start and end on
schedule
Prepare and stick to
an agenda

Use e-mail instead of calling,

when appropriate.

Talk standing up it
automatically keeps the
conversation shorter.

Turn off your cell phone from

time to time.

Meetings:

Meet only if necessary. If a

standing meeting is not needed,
cancel it.

Use conference calling, memos

or individual meetings rather
than pulling together the larger
group.

Meet standing up.

Meet in unusual places, not a

conference room.

Schedule meeting one hour

before lunch or the end of the
work day.

Dont serve food.

Invite only the critical people to

the meeting. Communicate to
others via memos afterwards.
34

Slide 34

E-mail and Mail

Set aside a specific

time of day to check
e-mail
Turn off instant
message features
Handle each item
once
Sort mail near a trash
can
Limit Internet use

Prepare a timed agenda.

Dont allow unexpected issues to

be discussed. Hold them until a
later meeting or assign someone
to look into the issue and report
back at the next meeting.

Use a meeting convener to

manage time during the meeting.

E-mail and Mail:

Reduce the amount of information
you have to manage. How?
Cancel print and online
subscriptions if you arent
reading them.

Remove yourself from mailing

lists and e-mail listservs or
distribution lists. Unsubscribe.

Schedule a weekly reading

session, and then discard or file
the books, magazines, etc.

Save online articles to a travel

drive and take it with you to read
whenever you have a few
minutes. If you dont have a
portable computer, you can tear
articles out of magazines and
take them with you inside your
planning tool. Be sure to delete,
or discard, any articles that you
havent read within a month.

Skim reading materials. Use a

highlighter to mark important
items.
35

Lets talk about problems with e-mail

more specifically. Hearing the
phrase, youve got mail, isnt as
exciting as it once was. Many of us
cringe to think about all the e-mail
that accumulates in our inbox. We
know that the majority of the
messages are junk that simply
interrupt our ability to be productive.
Checking e-mail can also be a
tempting alternative, allowing us to
procrastinate on more urgent and
important obligations.
You can manage e-mail more
effectively by
Not checking e-mail when you
first arrive at the office. Work on
one of your priority tasks first.

Scanning your new messages to

identify priorities. For example,
you may want to read a
message from your boss before
reading general announcements
or advertisements.

Immediately reading and

responding to any messages
that you can answer in less than
2-3 minutes.

Organizing your e-mail into

folders, much like we discussed
in the section on Getting
Organized. Create an archive
folder for mail that you may need
to reference at a later date. You
may wish to have sub-folders if
the e-mail client you are using
does not allow for easy
searching on topics, senders, or
keywords. Create a hold folder
for messages that will require
assistance or additional
36

information. Finally, create a

follow-up folder for messages
that you can reply to but will
require more than a couple
minutes. Try to keep the number
of messages remaining in your
inbox to a minimum.

Removing your e-mail address

from any list-generated e-mails
that are no longer desired. Most
blast type messages include
instructions for how to
unsubscribe from the list.

Not checking your e-mail

continuously throughout the day.
Try to set aside certain times
during the day when you read email. Remember to turn off your
message alert system so you are
not constantly interrupted by a
notice that a message is in your
inbox.

Sending less e-mail and sending

shorter messages. Use the
telephone or walk down the hall
and communicate face-to-face.

Not sending work-related e-mail

after hours.

37

Slide 35

Family Obligations
Establish

a master calendar to post time

commitments
Make everyone responsible for consulting
the master calendar
Have a central message center

Family Obligations:
Post a calendar that everyone uses
to note events, project due dates,
appointments, etc. Keep the
calendar in a central, accessible
location. Remind your family
members that all activities must be
on the calendar and have family
discussions about any activities with
conflicting times. Have one location
in your home for leaving messages
for each other, sorting and
distributing mail, and other
communication activities.
Many of these suggestions work
well with a work team also.

Slide 36

Visitors
Schedule

another time for visit

visit is over
Use physical indicators to end visit
Schedule open-door times
Use body language
Be the visitor
Indicate

Visitors:

Tell the visitor that you are

working on a deadline and set a
time to meet later.

When you need to end the

conversation, say Thanks for
stopping by. or a similar closing
remark to politely indicate that
the visitor should leave.

If you are followed to your office,

dont sit down.

Arrange your work space so that

you are less visible to passersby.

Dont make it easy for the visitor

to sit and stay awhile. You may
need to put boxes or papers in
your visitor chairs so that the
visitor has to stand.
38

Slide 37

Schedule open-door and closeddoor times and let others know

the schedule. You may simply
close your door and post a sign
stating how long you anticipate
before you open the door.

Stand and escort the person out

the door, discussing their topic
as you walk.

Use body language to

discourage interruptions. Turn
your head, but not your whole
body, toward the visitors. Use
signals such as glancing at your
watch or the clock. Hold your
pen as if you are continuing to
work. Pick up the phone as if
you need to make an important
phone call.

Go to the other persons office

when you need a quick answer.
That way, you can control when
the conversation ends.

Strategy 9: Focusing results in

greater productivity.
What are some ways that you multitask?
Examples include:
Working on the computer while we
talk on the phone.
Talking on our cell phones while we
drive home from work.
Work at our desk during lunch.
Most of us think that when we do 2
or more things at once, we are
increasing our productivity and
efficiency as well as working more
39

quickly. We are actually just moving

quickly between tasks without
devoting our full attention to either
one. Switching between tasks takes
time. Our minds must decide to
switch, switch, engage with the new
task, decide to switch back, and
reorient to the old task.
(Rubinsteim, Meyer & Evans, 2001).

Weve all seen the reports about the

dangers of talking on a cell phone
while driving. Some studies even
found that those talking on their cell
phone were more impaired than
drunk drivers. Weve also read
studies about children studying
while watching television, listening
to an MP3 player, or texting. These
studies show that children learn less
and use different parts of their brain
to store information. The same
applies to other types of multitasking.
Note to Instructor: There may be
some hope for those of us who like
to listen to background music.
Research is showing that passive
noise may not result in similar
problems.

40

Slide 38
Avoid Multi-tasking
WHY?
Doesnt

really
save time
Limits
concentration
Restricts focus

Slide 39

So, we know that multi-tasking

should be avoided because it
doesnt really save time, it limits our
concentration, and it restricts our
ability to focus. To help minimize
multi-tasking, you can:
Minimize interruptions.
Make a note to yourself about
something you need to do later,
rather than stopping a task to do
it.
Make a list of items you need to
communicate to the same
person and call them once,
rather than every time you think
of something to tell them.
Stand up periodically while you
are working to improve
concentration.
Set deadlines for yourself that
concentrate on completing one
task at a time.

Strategy 10: Taking care of

ourselves is important too. Regular
exercise, nutritious meals, and
opportunities for continuous learning
should be a part of your schedule.

41

Slide 40

STAY HEALTHY
What are YOU
doing to stay
healthy?

You need to be one of the priorities

you set for yourself. For those of us
who are used to thinking about the
needs of others first, this can be
more difficult. Think of meeting your
own personal needs as taking care
of a valuable piece of equipment.
You need routine maintenance.
Take time to relax and pursue your
own interests and try to keep a
positive outlook.

ACTIVITY: Ask participants to

name something they currently do
as routine maintenance. Examples
might include trying new recipes,
practicing yoga, reading romance
novels, etc.

Slide 41

Reduce Stress
Listen

to music
relaxation
Treat yourself
Get active and eat healthy
Take up a new hobby
Practice

It is important to schedule relaxation

time into your day. Relaxing, even if
only for a few minutes, can help
boost your concentration levels.
Your productivity declines as you
tire. Most people can concentrate
intensively for only one hour or so
without a break. Just a brief minute
with your head down, eyes closed
and deep breathing can help you
regain your energy level. Take a
few minutes for yourself after
completing a meeting, rather than
rushing back to your office. This
time out can help you clear your
head and refocus.
In addition to daily breaks, you need
to make time for family and friends,
hobbies and leisure activities.
There is no such thing as a working
vacation! Vacations and time off
work are necessary for reducing
stress and restoring your energy.
42

Listening to quiet, soothing music

may help you reduce stress.
Combining music and relaxation
techniques such as deep breathing
exercises or muscle tension/release
exercises can help you relax.
Materials Needed:
Appendix B

ACTIVITY: Lead participants

through breathing exercises
described in Appendix B.
Find something to look forward to,
such as eating lunch outside or a
walk at lunch, and think of this as
treating yourself.
Getting physically active most days
of the week actually helps with
relaxation.
And, developing a new interest or
hobby can take your mind off
problems, help you relax and
increase your self esteem.

Slide 42

Exercise
Keeping healthy doesnt require a
lot of special equipment
Practice
Stretch

deep breathing
regularly

Walk
Play

with your kids

Vary your physical activity. Play

softball, bicycle, do muscle
strengthening exercises, walk or
simply play active games with your
family.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Ask
participants to stand and stretch.
Or, lead participants through a few
low-impact exercises.

43

Slide 43

Practice Good Nutrition

Slide 44

Use MY PYRAMID as
a guide
Make your grains
WHOLE
Vary your vegetables
Focus on fruits
Eat calcium rich food
Go with lean protein
Avoid fad diets
Dont skip meals

What Weve Learned

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Finally, eat well, following

recommended dietary guidelines.

Analyze where your time is spent.

Decide what is important and urgent.
Utilize tools to improve time management.
Implement a system that allows you to handle
information once.
Schedule!
Empower others.
Quit putting it off.
Control time wasters.
Switching tasks is NOT productive.
Take time for yourself.

This slide summarizes the 10

strategies and provides a brief
review of what we discussed in this
lesson.
Probably the most difficult aspect of
time management is holding
yourself accountable for practicing
the skills youve learned. Check to
be sure you are meeting the goals
you defined within the timeframe
you established. Ask yourself over
and over again, What is the best
use of my time right now? (Lakein,
1973) Routinely check to see if
youve kept the commitments you
made to yourself and others.
Identify 1-2 times when you did not
follow your time management plan.
Acknowledge this to yourself.
Recommit and honor it. Your health
and wellbeing depends on it. In the
end, time management is really selfmanagement. To be successful,
youve got to take a stand for whats
important to you and actively pursue
it, not just dream about it. (Dodd
and Sundheim, 2005)

44

Contact your local Extension Family

and Consumer Sciences agent for
additional information about time
management and other life skills
topics including food safety, nutrition
and health, housing, financial
management, and family
development.

Slide 45

Ten Strategies for Better

Time Management

ACTIVITY: Answer any questions

that participants may have about the
content.

Lesson Plan Developed by

Dr. Sue Chapman, Extension Coordinator, Athens, GA
Peggy Bledsoe, Houston County Extension Coordinator, Perry, GA
Joan Mason, Sumter County Extension Coordinator, Americus, GA
Heather Walrath, AFC, Extension Intern

Ask participants to complete

HANDOUT #6: Evaluation and
leave their completed form with you
before leaving the room.

Materials Needed:
Handout #6

45