Get More Done With Time Buckets

Helping you focus on the most important tasks

Time management is a perennial topic with my clients. The pace of modern business practically dictates that there are more tasks to do than time to do them, and this doesn’t begin to include personal responsibilities. Although technology theoretically helps, in many cases it only increases the burden.
 
Myriad time management techniques, tools, and tactics are out there, all designed to help people get a handle on things. My advice is to try several to see what works for you—your personality, your lifestyle, your patience, and your attention span. The best system is the one that you will actually use!
 

One method that has worked well for many clients is the concept of time buckets (in conjunction with whatever calendar system you use). This is a method to allocate your time based on the different roles in your life. The goal is to help you identify, prioritize and accommodate everything you need to do in a given week based on roles.
 
Think about the number of times you go through a week and don’t have time for your family. Or getting some exercise. Or doing a priority project at work. You get the idea: We get swept up in the wave of whatever is happening without regard to taking control of what’s important in various aspects of our lives.
 

The Process

It’s simple to create your own personal time bucket system; it just takes some thought and evaluation. Start by making a list of your top 7-10 roles that require action. Responsibilities like manager, employee, caregiver, spouse, mother/father, sister/brother, board member, volunteer, etc. If you have more than 10 roles, you may need to reevaluate your commitments and whether you are able to give your best with so many demands on your plate. 
 
Then identify the 2-3 most important actions you need to accomplish for each role in the week ahead. Not all of your roles will be critical or require action in a given week. For example, “volunteer” might not always be in your top 10. Also know that all things will not be equal—one role may have a 5% weight and another may have a 25% weight, depending on the week. You need to be realistic about the number of items you can accomplish. If you go beyond three, it’s easy to lose control of your schedule.
 
If you have a hard time identifying what needs to get done, try asking people what is most important. We tend to know our priorities on the job, but may not know what’s top of mind for family, for example. Ask your spouse what is important to her in a given week. If you’re jammed at work, you can even explain your busy week to your children and ask them what they want you to participate in during the week. Make this commitment sacrosanct, though, regardless of what’s going on at work.
 
Of course, asking your boss or your employees is a great way to get feedback: “I’m planning on prioritizing X, Y and Z this week, and my goal is to get them finished. Is there anything else you know of that might take priority or need my attention instead?” This is a great way to subtly involve others in your planning, by valuing their opinion, but also letting them know what to expect as far as your availability.
 
Time buckets help you look at your time strategically instead of tactically. When you focus on what’s important and commit to getting just two things done for each bucket each week, by Saturday you will have accomplished not only 20 actions, but the most important 20 actions. And you will reduce the time you waste each week swimming in the entirety of your comprehensive list.
 
I recommend setting your time buckets every Sunday evening. This way you enter the week prepared, and set the tone for the next seven days. Put your roles and actions in your calendar, and do your best to keep them in tact. Obviously, there will be times when you’llneed to be flexible;most people don’t have complete control over their calendar, and other priorities may slip in.
 
One of my clients was overloaded with way too many roles ranging from owner of a printing company (with multiple management roles), the president of a trade association, an organizer of fund raisers for his church, a high school hockey coach, a father of three, a husband, and a caregiving son.
 
He was always running out of time, and was never on top of things because he had too much on his plate. It wasn’t until he started using time buckets that he realized why. He was able to delegate some of his roles (especially the work he was doing as a business owner), shift his priorities, and even set expectations for his volunteer roles, until he finally got his life back into balance.
 
If you’re like this client (and a lot of us are), time buckets can be a great tool. Like any new time management system, setting it up takes some focus, and often starts with some trial and error, but the awareness it brings can be invaluable. The reality is that you can’t do everything, but time buckets help you focus on the most important tasks you need to do.

Author Bio

Dr. Lisa M. Aldisert is a NYC-based business advisor, trend expert, speaker and author. She is president of Pharos Alliance Inc., an executive advisory firm specializing in strategic planning, organizational and leadership development for entrepreneurial organizations. Dr. Aldisert’s most recent book is Leadership Reflections. Visit www.lisaaldisert.com Follow @LisaAldisert Connect Dr. Lisa Aldisert