Time management is the most critical part that most of the people are bad at. Everyone seriously wants to manage their time effectively. But managing time effectively is a skill that is not learned overnight, but one has to practice it to become a master.
Of course, it is not an impossible thing to do and it is not necessary that you should be surrounded by staff and gadgets around to help you in managing your time. Actually it takes nothing but yourself to manage your time.
However, it is highly advisable to make use of anything and everything available to getting things done in the easier, faster and in the most effective way.
I am going to discuss about three important ‘D’s in the context of time management: Divide, Defer and Delegate. Some people are comfortable in using any or all of these three Ds while most others simply don’t feel right about it. Let me discuss why these three Ds are important and how to use them in order to manage time effectively.
Divide
Divide means dividing your tasks in to chunks. This is so vital and by dividing you can execute your tasks in a more efficient manner. Dividing is very useful if your task is a big one and either
(i) has lots of steps and the steps are all dependent or
(ii) involves varied and diverse types of little things.
In any case, instead of dealing with the whole big task, divide it into smaller chunks based on
(i) the sequence in which the little steps need to be executed or
(ii) the type of each little chunk.
Essentially dividing according to (i) will demand sequential execution of the tasks since chunk 1 needs to be completed first and based on its results or using its results, chunk 2 has to be executed and so on. While a parallel execution is possible with option (ii) if the result of the tasks are not dependent on each other and/or a sequential execution is not necessary.
It is obvious that for option (ii) the ‘divide’ concept will work well because different types of tasks are executed simultaneously in different places that add to the bigger task. It may seem that for option (i) the divide concept won’t work.
However, dividing the task into sequential chunks and executing them one by one will give a clear picture of how far you have gone and it is also a good motivator; you get an amazing feeling when you cross out an item in the list.
Defer
Procrastination is not always bad. You can also use procrastination for good. When you are not in the mood to do something, it is better to postpone the task for a later time, rather than sitting unproductive.
The same applies to tasks that don’t occur at the right time. Do not pick up to write your thesis at 2 in the morning. Do it when you are fresh both physically and mentally.
Delegate
Delegation is sweet. It has both pros and cons but if you manage to do it in the right way, you could accomplish a lot in less time.
Delegation essentially means outsourcing parts of your job to other people who are either experts in doing that or who are meant to do that. But it is very important that you take extra care to do the delegation process carefully; the care should be more than the care you would take to do the task by yourself.
Since you are asking someone else to do your job, you should make emphasis on the accountability. There are two different cases here:
(i) if the other person is meant to do the task you assign to them, then he/she is completely accountable for the consequences regarding that task. This applies if the person is appointed by you or your company in order to help you or in order to do that particular kind of the job.
(ii) if you ask the other person to do part of your job as a help, then that person is certainly not accountable for whatever consequences.
In any case, double check outsourced tasks for correctness. Be clear about the deadlines when you initially delegate the task and make sure you follow up with little reminders well before the deadline.
Don’t give the job to someone, forget about it totally and call them to your cabin on the day when it is due. Further, do provide all necessary background information that is necessary to complete the delegated task.
These three ‘D’s stand for your rescue when you feel so tight about managing your time. Why not use them? Any thoughts?
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Article by JaneSheeba
+Jane is the founder of Problogging Success. She is an expert blogger, consultant, freelance writer and blog designer. Don't forget to get your hands on two FREE Ebooks she offers.
Jane has written 270 awesome posts for Problogging Success.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
‘Time Management’ in India is the most abused word. Everybody follow ‘Indian time’ that is 1to 2 hours and even 3 hours late!
lol… That’s true!!!
Sahil recently posted..10 Tips To Get More Traffic From YouTube
Jane, Love your insights and amazing post as always!
So very true, learning about how to effectively manage time takes practice and most important of all requires a mind-shift.
The 3D’s you have mentioned are crucial indeed! Great approach on how to effectively manage time and get more shit done (O:
And I agree about the feeling you get when you cross out an item from the to do list. It sure is very motivating to finish more items on the list.
Talk soon!
Adam Paudyal recently posted..7 Rudimentary Tips On Starting A Service In Your Blog.
Oh yes Adam, it indeed takes some practice. I still can remember a couple of years back how disorganized I were!
Excellent post Jane.
I love your tips, especially the one about Delegating tasks.
One of the effective way to manage time is to avoid doing multi-task.
Its better to finish one so that you can give each your undivided attention to complete and move on to the next one.
Sahil recently posted..Boost Site Speed Using CSS Sprites
Hey Sahil,
You are quite right. But not everyone will agree with you when you tell multi-tasking is against productivity. I used to tell that, but now I feel that it is OK. LOL
Jane.
Handling one’s time when you have too much to do is such a pain. It’s even harder when you do multiple things such as freelance work outside of your regular day job - people want to pull you this way and that way and it just does not end.
Whilst reading this post I lost five minutes of my time where I could be doing research
but it was worth the time loss. Great post as always 
Gabriella - The Stepford Wife recently posted..A Sneak Peak at Windows 8
“Whilst reading this post I lost five minutes of my time where I could be doing research” LOL
Hi Jane,
Love the “Divide, Defer and Delegate” system you cover here. I would probably like to delegate a lot more than I do. I think this can be quite a challenge for sole entrepreneurs as we become too attached to what we have had to do ourselves and then letting go can be hard for us to do.
~Marcus
Marcus Baker recently posted..May’s Top Supporters
Hey Marcus,
Delegation is an elegant way to take the pressure off you a bit and make more time to work on stuff where you REALLY need to work. Some things which don’t really need you or things that you have no expertise on can be surely outsourced.
Jane.
Hey Jane,
This is one of my favorite topics! I totally agree with the dividing concept — life is so much more gratifying when you can break your projects up into small, manageable chunks. And how sweet is it when you can cross them off your “To Do” list, right?
Having said this, my favorite of your “D’s” is delegation, in my case in the form of outsourcing. I am a huge fan of outsourcing for all aspects of your life. Many marketers cringe when they consider outsourcing, afraid that they’ll lose control of their project (this should never happen with effective followup) or somehow get taken (will not happen if you do your homework).
I have found outsourcing to be a crucial aspect of my business. I doubt that my business would survive without it.
Thanks for the interesting post, Jane!
Bob, Amen. Delegation is what’s keeping me going recently after my book launch. If we know how to do it correctly (overdoing or being careless could jeopardize your business), delegation is awesome. Thanks for stopping by
Jane Sheeba recently posted..Blogging Action Plan Is Here
Jane, this idea of dividing your projects into chunks has been SO powerful in my life! It really works. Because I can easily become overwhelmed by all I have to do and then, the pressure is such that I get tempted to forget the whole thing.
But if I can break it down into simple steps and then, use your other idea, to defer some of the steps until tomorrow or the next day, my overwhelming project suddenyl seems manageable.
Delegating works when it comes to getting other family members to cook dinner
.
Great post!
Jeanine
Jeanine Byers Hoag recently posted..Blogging for LGBT Families
Jeanine, breaking down the task into small chunks makes it easier to bite. And it eliminates the sense of overwhelm
thanks for your comment.
Jane Sheeba recently posted..Author Markup, Google Plus And Niche Domination In Simple Terms For Bloggers
Hi Jane,
I like the three D’s that you came up with, they are very creative! Time management is very important in blogging because it’s so easy to lose track of time. If I’m not careful I will lose time doing things that really don’t matter or that could easily be handled by someone else for a fraction of the time.
Thanks,
Stacy
Stacy recently posted..So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur
Well said Stacy - time management is very essential for blogging
Hi Jane,
This post is a good reminder to make the best use of your time. A lot of times, we do it all on our own but delegating can help free up a lot of your time. Also, it allows you to focus on doing the things you are good at instead of spending a lot of time figuring out things which you are not strong in.
I also like how you mentioned divide. Breaking a tasks down helps you overcome the overwhelm and can get the momentum going!
Diana Simon recently posted..SEO 101: Basic and Simple Tips for Beginners
Diana I have recently started to focus on effective delegation and I must say that the results are awesome. I am able to achieve a lot in lesser time, with lesser effort and yet achieve things in an effective manner. Delegation rocks, but it has to be done the right way
Thanks for stopping by.
Jane,
Interesting Post. I really like the Divide, Defer and Delegate system you cover here. These are awesome tips. Managing your time online is very important.
Thanks for sharing this great post, Jane. Have a great weekend.
~Dev
Dev recently posted..How to add Google Plus one button to WordPress & Thesis
Yes, indeed it is some great tips here.
HI Jane, I love your creative title! I love the ‘divide’ part. I feel it is so refreshing to make a list and just have a chunk or so of a task… one that is manageable. Even when you complete that one bit… it feels oh so good and is a lot more inviting when you are not forcing yourself to complete the whole thing in one swoop.
The delegate I am certainly working on as I mentioned. I am in the midst of hiring a couple of outsourcers. The work to find ones I feel comfortable with has taken a little digging, but I am hoping it will allow me to save time going forward.
Ha, ha, defer… I am only just catching onto that. Rather than starting a task at midnight, I get to bed earlier these days to wake earlier with a clear head.
thanks for your great post as always.
Jayne
Jayne Kopp recently posted..How Do You Handle Change or Life Changing Events?
Sounds like a great plan on your “defer” strategy! Should be refreshing in the morning than to deal with the stuff with blurry eyes and sloppy mind at night!
Hi Jane,
Love the three ‘D’s concept! As I learn about the Slight Edge philosophy, I am really getting a different outlook about the small insignificant things we do, which in fact, do not only make a difference, they make all the difference! This is especially helpful because we tend to get overwhelmed if we look at a problem/project with the end-result in mind. Learning to divide and conquer is the way to go.
You raised a good point about how procrastination can be good, and if I may add, it really can be good procrastination in a way that we should learn how to procrastinate on the not-so-important things (doing the laundry, other tasks), so we can deal with the more important things first.
The delegate part is something that I’ve yet to explore as I am currently doing everything by myself. It is definitely key to managing time more effectively and to truly focus on what’s important in our business.
Thanks for this very helpful post, Jane!
-Rowena
Rowena Bolo recently posted..30 Day Mental Cleanse: Think and Grow Rich (Chapter 5 – Specialized Knowledge)
Indeed the delegate part needs some mastering. It is because you’re not dealing only with yourself (where things are known) but also with unknown people.
Hi Jane,
awesome post. Time management is so important because it shows how we value our time and thus our life - doesn’t our live consist of nothing but time ?
You offer valuable pieces of advice to help people, thanks a lot.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend recently posted..How To Become And How To Be A Network Marketing Family
I am so glad that I could be of help Oliver
Hey Jane,
Never thought of procrastination as good but see your point fully sometimes when I am having a bad day and I try to work I find it hard to concentrate and do not seen to be very productive.
Valerie recently posted..TheCuteKid Coupon Code
Loved the way you have put this one
Initially I thought I needed some sort of 3D glasses to get by it, lol. Just kidding.
Anyway, the 3D approach as you put it is very effective indeed and maybe the only one I fail sometimes in doing is the third which is delegating. Don’t me wrong, I would not have enough time for all my ventures, both offline and online, if I did not delegate enough. Thing is sometimes, I have the impression that I can do something faster than spending the time to teach someone else to do it for me
Wrong approach I know and I am working on it, as time goes by. Getting better though..
DiTesco recently posted..Best WordPress and SEO Plugins 2011, Take Two
3D approach is awe3some
It’s definitely important to practice and manage your time correctly in order to achieve many tasks of your work hours.
Hi Jane,
I like the “Divide, Defer and Delegate” approach you’re sharing here.
You just reminded me to delegate more
All the best,
Mavis
Mavis Nong | Free Marketing Training recently posted..QR Codes – A Smarter Way to Communicate With Your Customers
Hi Jane,
I suffer sometimes from poor time management, and find myself sitting at my desk for hours achieving very little. The 3D rule is excellent and I will start applying it, keeping lots of visual reminders close to me at all times. Thanks for the post.
Will recently posted..The right way to Keyword Research
Good luck and more power to you Will. Let me know how it goes
Jane,
Great stuff
Let me add another D to your list: Delete.
Sometimes when you defer a task enough, it is not necessary to do that anymore. Although I’m not purposely trying to postpone a task, there may be situations, when I’m not ready to do a task right away. Then the situation might be already solved when I eventually get started and I can delete is off my task list.
Timo
Timo Kiander recently posted..10 Different Hats To Wear When You Become An Internet Entrepreneur
Timo love your addition always
Brilliant and one of the most important additions indeed! Thanks!
Whenever i have time problems, i divide the task into smaller task with breaks between. Every one of us has a time period we can stay focused without losing efficiency. I can try writing on my book for ten straight hours, but the quality and speed will go down exponentially. But i can get over this by taking just 5 minutes breaks between hours. It’s the same with tasks, this is going to save time on the long run.
Amit recently posted..Forklift Courses
Jane - What a great post! The three D’s you came up with are very creative, but also very helpful in doing a better job of managing time. It’s hard for me to delegate since I feel the most comfortable doing things on my own, even when I know I probably should ask for help. Do you have any advice on that?
~Kayla
These three Ds of time management are really awesome. Every person on earth has 24 hours a day and how you use those hours can really determine a lot of things. Time management is something which has been talked of for quite sometime and it is interesting to see that even after so much talk, so many people still do not manage their time well. These tips you have shared on this post can be of great help in managing time but only if they are put into regular practice.
Ryan Ward recently posted..The Luxury Market - Where it’s Hot and Where it’s Not
Great post, I’ve really enjoyed staying and reading each and every single detail posted on this great website. Anyways, back to the real scenario “Time management” is really the most important aspect in human’s life, whether you are a worker or not you need this one. Without it your life simply goes no where or like walking in the dark without any light.
Those mentioned 3D’s are really essential to apply as being said many found it useful one, the activity of time management also saves people a lot of time and keeps things organized.
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