Wasting Time

One of the most valuable resources an SE has is their own time. You can approach how this time is used in multiple ways. Two extreme approaches are :

1. Throw your hands in the air, play the victim and declare that you are not in control of your own schedule.

2. Measure every minute that you work on something and justify the use of that time.

OK - those are extreme "strawman" viewpoints - yet I'd say we've all worked with SE's who have that mindset. I've always believed that the key to effective time management is moving things off your task list as well as doing the things that are on your list more efficiently. How do you move things off your list? Here is a great example, written by the Time Management Ninja - of "10 Things I Am Not Going To Do Today". I love this article - it certainly applies to me as a small business person, as well as "back in the day" when I was a VP, CIO or an individual contributor.

In fact - I just put points #3 (checking email) and #10 (starting before I finish) into practice. My email beeped and my phone chirped at me. Now it could be one of those PO's I'm expecting, but the 3 minutes I need to finish this blog isn't going to impact what I do with those emails - so why interrupt and read them? Good point...

Organize your time and say "no" to a few more unnecessary things in your life.