The ultimate time management tool

Since implementing this time management tool the following miracles have occurred:

• I tackle the big, hard jobs first instead of ignoring them until the end of the day.
• I cross things off my To Do list at twice the speed I used to (never before have I have experienced such productivity!)
• I am totally focussed. No more procrastinating by making cups of tea or rearranging my files.
• My To Do lists only contain things that are important. The days of unrealistically long and unachievable lists are over.

Does this sound like a time management tool you’d like to have? I will happily loan it to other business owners at a premium price. It’s called the Sleeping Child.

Yes, my ultimate time management tool is my child’s afternoon nap. There’s nothing like the uncertainty of a daytime sleep to spur me into productivity overdrive.

Will she sleep for one hour today, or three? Who knows? So I better get moving now and sink my teeth into the toughest jobs first while I’m guaranteed she’ll stay asleep. The smaller, easier tasks can wait til later so that if she wakes and I have to stop it won’t be a problem.

Want more articles like this? Check out the time management tips section.

The downside of this time management tool is the frenetic energy and pace at which I work. Perfect if her sleep only lasts an hour but on those blessed days where she sleeps for three I am utterly exhausted after two hours of working at such speed. Still, the productivity is amazing and would be worth millions if I could bottle it.

If you’re not interested in renting my child for a day or a week to help you conquer your To Do list, what other structures could you put in place to replicate the sense of urgency and time restriction created by a Sleeping Child?

Be creative. Have fun! For example, in this article on the law of forced efficiency, Mark Moore suggests halving the amount of time you allocate to each task, and then fearlessly making social commitments for the rest of your work day so that have no option but to knuckle down and get on with things.

Is this article complete? Good enough to submit? The Waking child is calling me, so it’s finished whether I like it or not.

If Sleeping Child is the cure for procrastination, perhaps Waking Child is my ultimate tool for conquering perfectionism.

What time management tools work for you?