The art of managing time- without a time turner

There aren’t enough hours in the day. I have constantly said that to myself, and have had it said to me.  I would think that with two blackberry phones, a Filofax, an online calendar, a secretary, and desk and wall calendars, that I would have a better grasp on time management. Alas, I still do not.

I have found that this is one of my biggest faults/continuing lessons in life.  While I have made improvements, I have found that it is still hard to figure out how to prioritize assignments, estimate how long they will actually take and then execute a schedule to get it all done. This is in addition to the things I want to do in my personal life- like have one.

I am trying to develop the habit of making sure all calendars are synchronized, otherwise they will be useless when trying to schedule things. Nothing is worse than knowing that you have a task or event that should be on your calendar, but it is not there when you go to schedule something else.

Time management is more than what is on the calendar, but actually putting into motion the plan to take care of and do those items. It is one of the hardest things to adjust to as a young lawyer with billable hours.

Planning to make sure you hit all of your deadlines, but still have enough work to stay busy and bill at a consistent hourly pace is like some elusive animal, and I’m on a major hunt.

I think with the Holiday slow down it will be a bit easier to inventory my “life projects,” both work and personal, and try to make subtle changes in how I prioritize what I want to do.  At this point it is all work and no play or healthy exercise. Not a good combination.

I plan to scour the web for interesting tips and ideas, and see if any are helpful in my quest to become a more efficient person, not just as an associate.