Effective Time Management

June 18, 2010

Interview with Ruth Klein, author of the book Time Management Secrets for Working Women

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Mike Carruthers:
Being productive without getting stressed - how do the experts do it?

Ruth Klein:
I have to work at it. So for example, first thing in the morning - I know that is a real pivotal point and there are pivotal triggers throughout the day.
 

Productivity expert Ruth Klein, author of the book Time Management Secrets for Working Women , says the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day.

So what I do is, I really stay focused and I take five or ten minutes getting my thoughts organized. Sitting, planning and thinking - even though I've done that the night before.

And Ruth says it's important during the day to re-evaluate how the day is going.

So in the afternoon, usually around "2-ish", I just take a few moments and get re-grounded again and say, "OK, what is the most important use of my time right now?"

Of course the way to get things done is to actually do them.

So I recommend to my clients that they have at least four hours a day that is peak time - concentrated time where they are not interrupted. But they don't take those four hours all at one time. What I would recommend and what I do is I go in 50-minute intervals. So my peak energy, my high time, is in the morning. And that's something else you really need to be attuned to; when your high energy is, when you feel the best, when you have those ideas coming, when you're the freshest.