Get Your Routines Down on Paper

Time management is an ongoing and popular topic on the Internet. There are many approaches and some really deliver benefits to the people who use them.

I am a big fan of routines. Every process has trigger points and key activities that need to happen like clockwork. Ensuring that you identify these key activities and then schedule them is a priority for anyone managing themselves or a team.

Putting the routine in writing makes it easier to communicate, it also makes it easier to manage.

I recommend that my clients who decide to create one of these loose timetables also uses a copy as a checklist. Ticking off completed actions can help to form the right habits. An alternative approach is to use a Kamishibai board of course. I'm sure that you can think of more alternative methods to drive the same kind of repetition.

As a rule of thumb I advise my clients to only put 50% of their time (or less) against a time table like this. This allows you to maintain flexibility in your day and handle the inevitable bumps of the day. That said, if you get in to your routine and it's designed correctly then you should experience far less bumps.

Giles Johnston
Author, Consultant and Chartered Engineer

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