Eliminating Non-value Tasks from your day
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success"

In support of time management, recognizing the need to manage your day through the elimination of non-value added tasks is often forgotten. Without periodically reviewing routine tasks, you will limit the level of success you can achieve. Managing your tasks (routine or not) will go a long way in ensuring your activities will be done on time and efficiently. Here is a simple way to begin the process of eliminating non-value task from you routine.

1. Define for your situation what a value added task is, all other tasks should be categorized as non-value for now. Be critical, this is a little tough at first.

2. Create two lists. One column heading – Value Added, the other Non-Value added. Start each list by thinking of your daily routine; identify five tasks for each category. Keep adding to your two lists as situations or tasks present themselves during each day for a week. Very soon you will be able to find out what tasks you are potentially wasting valuable time on.

3. After a week of doing this you will need to sit down and critically review both lists and determine if each tasks is essential or not. Eliminate the non essential tasks and continue through both lists. You may find some non value tasks are essential and must be kept. If this is the case, maybe this task can be replaced by technology or modified in some manner to add value.

4. Setting a periodic task review schedule for yourself will help to ensure that you do not migrate back to or add new non-value tasks. If you know your tasks for the day you should review each of them and the value gained in completing the activity. Keeping a record of your tasks will help you to keep track of what tasks you have already completed, and the tasks that you still need to get done.

5. Time management work-shops can be very helpful if you are looking to improve your task management skills. Chances are that you are not alone when it comes to needing to improve time management skills. You are the only on who can effectively manage your time, do it and success will follow.