Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • August 2018 | Page 13

3 Time
Management
Systems to Try
by Steven Vargem,
Florida Community Bank
There are a million time
managements systems out
there, and there are people
who swear by every single
one. So how do you figure
out which systems work,
and decide which ones
to try out in your own life?
Here are a few popular time
management systems that
may be worth sampling.
The Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro means “tomato”
in Italian, named after the
tomato-shaped kitchen timer
that inspired the creator. This
system is extremely simple:
Using a timer, you work for
25-minute increments, taking
short, 3-5 minute breaks in
between each segment.
Every four segments, you
take a longer, 15-30 minute
break.
This technique is designed to
be simple, and to capitalize
on the natural rhythm of your
focus. Plus, the pomodoro
technique helps prevent
distractions by keeping you
focused on each task for a set
period.
The Eisenhower Principle
This technique is named
after President Dwight D.
Eisenhower, who was once
quoted as saying “I have two
kinds of problems: the urgent
and the important. The urgent
are not important, and the
important are never urgent.”
After categorizing each task
as urgent, important, or both,
you order them according
to the prescribed order of
the Eisenhower principle:
Important and urgent first,
important but not urgent
second, and then not
important but urgent. Any
task that is neither important
nor urgent should usually just
be discarded.
By using this principle to
organize your to-do list, you
can avoid wasting time on
tasks that are urgent, but not
important, and instead learn
to prioritize the tasks that are
important — even if they’re
not urgent.
Eat a Frog
This system is based on a
quote popularly attributed
to Mark Twain: “If it’s your job
to eat a frog, it’s best to do
it first thing in the morning.”
But don’t worry, you don’t
have to eat any amphibians!
Instead, this technique
encourages you to tackle
the biggest, most difficult
or most important task first
thing in the morning. Not only
does this guarantee that you
complete your most crucial
task each day, but it also
ensures that you use up your
mental energy on the most
worthy items. Once your first
task is complete, the rest of
your day only gets easier.
Everyone needs something
different from a time
management system. To
figure out which system
works best for you, you
may need to try out a few
options. These three popular
techniques are a great place
to start!
• • •
AUGUST 2018 • DITCHMEN
13