Time and task Management - My own way !
Urgency Vs Important Matrix - A great tool for managing our time & tasks
I grew up using Stephen Covey's Urgency Vs Important matrix as my tool for time management & more importantly as my tool for task segregation.
Its a great tool make no doubt on that. Its a tool that helped me reflect on where was I spending time. For sure it reminded me that I was spending most of my time in Quadrant 4 (Not important and Not urgent) !
Over the years I have found one challenge using this tool. The tool does not connect me to my Vision, my long term goals. The tool does not help me visualize my end state and often leaves me a bit untouched. My other challenge with this tool - I cannot avoid all my Q3 tasks. They are important at times yet cannot be moved to Q2 / Q1.
A New Approach to Managing Time and Tasks
Having an emotional connect to the task on hand has always been fruitful in getting the task completed. The very reason we never complain while doing things we love (such as arranging a party, going on vacation, or burning those mid night oils as a startup) is because we have an emotional connect to them.
The Matrix I have developed is to get that emotional connect while segregating the tasks on hand and managing time more effectively.
Growth - Tasks that are done for our Growth and our long term plans fall in this category. An example could be - learning a new skill , working on ways to save money for future, preparing a Business case for an opportunity you believe will get you the much needed intrapreneurial role at work etc. Tasks in Growth are derived from ones long term vision and plan. Its important to have that long term goal written to start drilling them down to tasks. One can get the emotional connect while doing a tasks in the growth quadrant because its connected to ones long term goal.
Sustain - In today's world one has to exhibit and do new things to sustain the current role. Tasks such as finding a new problem to solve, doing those presentations to the leadership fall in this category. Tasks in sustain if done and done more often will result in growth but the growth need not be exponential. The difference between Sustain and Growth can be compared to that of growing one step at a time vs growing by jumping a few steps at one shot.
Stagnant - I almost call tasks done to keep our current job going in this category. If these tasks are not done then the current status quo is at risk. Stagnant is to ensure you are at least stuck to the same step and don't get down.
Hit refresh - My personal favorite. This is the mindfulness time. Daily runs, hobbies, vacations all fall in this. Hit refresh (as I derived inspiration from Satya Nadellas book to name the quadrant)is what keeps you going and helps the body and mind to be focused on other quadrants.
Spend time in all the 4 quadrants each day
Its important for one to spend time in all the four quadrants each day. I believe in spending one or two hours for Growth each day, Two hours for Sustain, Four hours in Stagnant and an hour for hit refresh.
Time and Task management are essential for one to keep the daily journey going. Its important to keep the journey heading towards your goal and the tool that I developed is one such compass that keeps focused on their true north.