How Many Tools in your Toolbox?

If you're like me you have about a gazzillion tools in your toolbox - everything from hammers, to electrical tape, to some strange little tool that measures the diameter of things. But how many do I use on a regular basis? What are the core tools that I just cannot do without?

Well, I'm not an electrician, so the electical tape is out. I'm not a whoever-it-is that needs to know the diameter of things, so that's out. Even the allen wrenches and those coveted channel-lock pliers aren't used that often. No, the basics tools for me are a hammar, a pair of pliers, a flat-head and philips-head screwdriver.

These are the things that go in the top section of my tool box - that part that's the first place you go to for tools, the most accessible, and it usually even has a nice little handle so you can lift it out and take it to where the work is.

Now that's not to say that the other tools aren't useful. I dare say that I bought them special in order to do specific jobs and without them my life would have been very ... well... annoying, to say the least. But they don't sit in the top section - I don't use them all the time.

I learned a long time ago to keep them out of the top section for the simple reason that if they're there, they crowd out those tools that I need most of the time and makes it impossible to find them. I scrape my knuckles looking for them, get frustrated, starting dumping things on the floor and generally waste a lot of time.

The same is true for Time Management tools.

There are a myriad of tools, tips, and tricks out there. And they're all wonderful. They are especially rampant in electronic systems, but even paper systems can begin to overwhelm you with different pages and sections, and if you're not careful, they will crowd out your basic Time Management tools and you will soon get frustrated and stop doing your Time Management all together.

Pare down! I continually focus on the three main tools that will ensure that my day is organized and my time is managed efficiently:

• A Task List
• A Calendar
• A Journal

When I get overwhelmed and Time Management has escaped me, it's usually because I've cluttered up my tool box. When this happens to you, take control - clean out your tool box and get back to the basics. You'll find you're back on track in no time.

The Biggest Enemy

I have found that the biggest enemy to Time Management is that sense you have at the end of the day that you got absolutely nothing accomplished; that your day has just been a waste of time.

You can combat that with one easy exercise: pick a time each day at the end of the day (if you're an office oriented person, that might be around 5:30; if you work at home or freelance, it might be later in the day - closer to supper) to review your day. Make sure it's the same time each day.

Take just 15 minutes to review your task list, calendar and journal for the day. Look over your task list, add those myriad of things that you did do that didn't start out on your list. Check off the things you accomplished, delete the ones that are no longer relevent, and schedule forward the ones that must be relegated to another day.

Now take a fresh look at all that you did accomplish today! Smile! You did a great job! You've gained back control of the day and you can look back with pride in a job well done. Now go get a good night's sleep... you deserve it!

Time Management Seminar - 2/26/11

I'm finally moving into the Seminar arena in my Time Management training presentations and am having a trial run this coming Saturday in Greenwich Village, New York City, NY from 1 to about 5.

Since this is for "guinea pigs" only :-) and free, it's by invitation. I do have room for a few more participants so if you'd be interested in attending, just let me know. You can tweet me at twitter.com/ap_jones.