In my opinion, one of the most critical points to consider when assessing a Time and Task management workflow is the 3 constraints within the How or Self portion of the workflow.  The first constraint is the volume of how much we can review.  With practice, we can increase our capacity to review information, but the most effective solution is to eliminate, reduce, or streamline what must be reviewed in the first place.  The second constraint is the volume of work that each of us can do.  Likewise, with practice, we can become more efficient at our tasks, but at the end of the day, regardless of our efficiency, we can only do so much.  The third constraint is how much we can produce.  What’s worth mentioning here is the flexibility in what we produce.  Meaning, with unlimited time and money, we could produce a near-perfect something.  However, most of us are limited in the amount of time and money we can spend.  That said, in most cases, we do our best, or maybe something less than our best, with the idea that we must move on to the next priority on the list.   

For me personally, as my personal and professional roles and responsibilities increase, I found it increasingly challenging to do everything I thought needed to be done to the level and quality standards I set for myself.  The fact that I wasn’t meeting the goals I set for myself really bothered me and led to an unhealthy level of stress in my life, which wasn’t good for me, my family, or my colleagues.  I knew something needed to change.

I began my time and task management journey by learning how to effectively utilize the Eisenhower Matrix, teaching myself to quickly determine what was important and urgent, when compared to important and not urgent, had the single most significant impact on my daily routine.  I was relentless in teaching myself to quickly sort through my responsibilities to determine what might be important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, and not important and not urgent.  For what it’s worth, my Eisenhower Matrix included both personal and professional tasks, events, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. 

After the Eisenhower Matrix became automatic for me, I added a daily and weekly task list system.  The combination of the Eisenhower Matrix, daily and weekly task lists, and my calendar really helped me become less stressed and feel more in control of everything life threw at me, to the point that I added quarterly, annual, and two-year task lists.  Admittedly, the quarterly, annual, and two-year task lists were a product of my work environment.  That said, it’s hard for me to communicate just how much my stress levels decreased when I settled into my time and task management system, which allowed me to see and prioritize essentially everything happening from now to two years into the future.  

An unintended benefit of having a 24-month detailed time and task management system was that it allowed me to more clearly and effectively communicate competing priorities with my supervisor.  It wasn’t uncommon for me to sit with my supervisor and reprioritize tasks.  We might agree to adjust the suspense or shift resources, neither of which would have been possible had I not had a clear and detailed task management system in place. 

Teaching yourself how to prioritize your time is the first step in being able to feel like you have some level of control over your time.  Without the appropriate priorities, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the not important, not urgent, which means you risk missing the important and urgent.

Learning this system early in my career helped me feel comfortable and empowered to approach my boss and ask for help in deciding which item belongs in each of the four quadrants.  I think it’s important to highlight two key points.  1) As I reflect on the early days of my career, I need to give credit to my senior managers who helped teach me what went into each of the four quadrants.  Because what I thought was important wasn’t necessarily what they thought was important.  It was their mentorship that taught me to understand what was important and urgent.  2) Also, it is critical to appreciate that what is considered important and urgent will evolve over time and change from one organization or situation to the next. 

It took me several years to fully implement the above-mentioned task and time management systems; however, once I did, I was able to effectively work on and oversee hundreds of large and complex initiatives with minimal levels of stress.  It’s important to mention two critical points here.  1) The number of tasks someone can or should manage will largely depend on the complexity and resource constraints of the initiatives themselves.  2) The number and complexity of tasks and initiatives being managed by a single person will be primarily driven by their effective and efficient use of time and task management tools, systems, and processes.

1. P/F _____ Are you comfortable with your system of sorting through everything life throws at you? Being able to quickly sort through everything life throws at you is the second step in regaining control of your time.
2. P/F _____ Are you comfortable with your system for determining what you will and will not do? One of the hardest things to do is say no, I’m not going to do that, but it can also be the most freeing feeling.   
3. P/F _____ Are you comfortable with how much you’re doing? As the saying goes, perfection is the enemy of progress.  Sometimes good enough is just that…good enough.

_____: Assessment Grade

RuReady Resources:

1. RuReady.fyi To Do List Worksheet

 Amazon Books:

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, Jim Collins, and Sean Covey. This has long been one of my favorite books.  I have used many of the lessons taught in this book throughout my career.
2. How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, by Alan Lakein, is a concise, energizing guide that turns time‑management into something practical and genuinely empowering. It’s one of those rare books that leaves you feeling clearer, more focused, and ready to take action.
3. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport, is a sharp, motivating call to reclaim your attention and produce work that actually matters. It’s one of those rare books that doesn’t just inspire you, it gives you a blueprint for transforming how you think, create, and succeed.
4. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown, is a refreshing reminder that doing less, on purpose, can lead to far greater impact. It’s a clear, uplifting guide that helps you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.
5. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen and James Fallows, is a game‑changer for anyone who wants clarity, focus, and a calmer approach to productivity. It transforms everyday chaos into a simple, reliable system that helps you breathe easier while getting more done.
6. Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson. I found this book to be an inspiring and thought-provoking offering, a simple yet profound lesson on embracing change.
7. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith. This is a great book, which makes us reflect on habits that may hold us back from reaching our full potential.

YouTube Resources:

1. The Eisenhower Matrix: How to manage your tasks with EISENHOWER, Andreas, founder of Eisenhower.me I think this is a great 2-minute video explaining the concept and application of the Eisenhower Matrix.
2. Franklin Covey: Big Rocks.  This is a great 4-minute video that demonstrates how, by prioritizing your time effectively, you can bring balance into your life.