Your summer break was wonderful! But now you’re back at work and you’re wondering just what to do with everything that has accumulated. Besides, you promised yourself that, this year, you would get organized. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. And just when you think you’ve set aside a little time to tackle that pile of reading or update those training plans, a crisis arises that only you can solve.

Does this sound familiar? CLO would like to offer a few helpful time management tips. The first thing to remember is that we really can’t manage time. It is uncontrollable and "time marches on" with or without us. We can, however, manage ourselves and our use of time. It takes some practice, and you won’t accomplish miracles overnight, but we think that if you try just one or two of the following tips, you’ll see an improvement.

Ask yourself what is happening around you that might cause you to lose time. Some things might be: interruptions from phone calls or unplanned visitors; meetings; procrastination; crisis management; unclear objectives and priorities; lack of planning; stress and fatigue; inability to say no; and disorganization. Try these simple tips for better time management:

• Make effective use of voice mail by returning calls at a scheduled time.
• Before agreeing to attend a meeting, ask yourself if it is really a good use of your time. If it’s not, send someone else or send your regrets.
• If you find yourself photocopying when you should be developing demonstrations, delegate! Make good use of volunteers.
• Stop putting things off. Set aside an hour, close your door and get that job finished!
• Good planning can help avoid a crisis. Emergencies will come up, but if you plan carefully, you won’t find yourself constantly putting out fires.
• Set goals! We ask our learners to do this, but we should be doing it too. Be specific. Include timelines and action plans. Carry out those plans!
• Clean up your desk. File effectively. Throw unused /unnecessary items out.
• Learn to say no. There are plenty of interesting opportunities out there, but you can’t be part of every single one of them. 
• Be kind to yourself! "Down time" isn’t a time waster — it is necessary for good mental and physical health.