Time Management 201: Staying One Second Ahead of Time

I'm sure most people are at least familiar with time management 101 - stay organized, rate your priorities, don't take on too much, etc. We've got those; implementing them may be another story. So how do you take time management to the next level? When you've gotten organized, when you have your priorities in place, and when you have just the right amount of workload, and when you think you have it all together. How do you stay one second ahead of time?

Tip #1 - Leave 15 minutes earlier for non-essential functions, 30 minutes earlier for the essential ones.

When you think you're on time, you're probably late. You must consider the incidentals. For example: a road you normally take may have extra traffic for any number of reasons, the expressway you normally take may be terribly congested due to an accident, you forgot something at home and have to turn around to get it because it is important. Will you catch everything? Of course not. There will be that one time though that you'll be glad you left a little earlier than normal.

Tip #2 - Know the seasons.

In the summertime, for example, children are out of school which means parents may not be on the roads as much, which means traffic will be a bit lighter. After Labor Day, the roads will get more traffic during those rush hour times because of children in school, some people who had the summer off from work will be back to work, etc. If you're approaching a holiday, everything is ten times worst. People are going to the grocery stores, people are going to entertainment venues, and people are driving out of town and around town to see family and friends. Take all of these things into consideration, but don't be paranoid about any of them.

Tip #3 - Create backups of everything.

Important files, important photos, whatever it is, have backups of them. If you have a safe in your home I'd recommend housing it there. Make printouts of your important documents and presentations if necessary. Your computer is not subject to last forever. Flash drives are a great way to compartmentalize your important files. You can carry them with you in your pocket and pull it out if you need to. Having a small binder or journal in hand is great for remembering events and ideas.

Tip #4 - Keep snacks available in your bag and/or in your car.

There are times when you may get hungry en route to a specific event but you may not always have time to find the nearest fast food place, or you may be on a diet and know you don't have enough discipline to just get a small version of everything. Keep some light snacks and bottled water in the car so that you can keep your pace going without losing time for non-essentials. Most of the times when you buy food out you get something you don't need, and then you're mad you got it, and that frustrates you and just messes up other things to follow.

Tip #5 - Keep a change of clothes (including accessories) in your car.

Having a spare set of clothes in your car does two things: first, it gives you an option to change into in case you're at a place and you're not dressed appropriately; second, accidents do happen, especially if you have children. They don't mean anything by it usually; it's just a part of life. You could have had the accident yourself - drinking dark-colored beverages that stain easily, eating food while driving knowing that it's messy, not paying attention to anything, or water backsplash on a rainy day - any number of events can warrant a change in clothes.

Tip #6 - Have a spare cell phone charger handy. Get one for your car also... and a charger for your earpiece if you have one that requires it.

Cell phone batteries do not last forever. The longest they last is usually when you first get the phone. Having a charger in your car will allow you to change the battery whenever you are on the road. It's a task you can do without thinking about it. We're also in a world where Bluetooth is king. The only thing about Bluetooth earpieces is that they're wireless and need to be charged from time to time, usually more frequently than the phone does. Charge your earpiece everyday if you can, or at least every other day to prevent being caught in an unfavorable situation without a hands-free device available for use.

Tip #7 - Check any and all messages before leaving the house or work.

Plans can change in an instant. Hearing and checking your messages might save you a world of time. You may arrive at a venue only to find out that the event has been cancelled. You may get to the store and find out that you needed to pick up two of something instead of one. Those things may be prevented if you remember to check your messages before leaving home or work.

Tip #8 - Have at least $20 (not one solid bill) and some spare change on you at all times.

My parents used to always tell me to have some spare change in case I needed to catch a cab, get on the bus, use a pay phone, or any number of things. Now I'm passing this sage advice on to you. I know I'm notorious for not having any kind of cash on me, but I'm growing and growing and doing better as I go. In a world where cash can get you almost anything, having a little spare cash for non-essential purposes is key. I also recommend spare change for parking meters, items that don't require bills, etc. Quarters in this day and age are your friend.

Tip #9 - Go to the airport at least 2 hours in advance, 3 hours for international flights.

I made a mistake once of being late for an international flight back home. I will never do that again. I wasn't even late, I just wasn't on time. I wasn't aware we needed to be at the checkout at least one hour prior to departure. We arrived perhaps 50 minutes before departure. This cost me one night's stay at a hotel and fees for changing my flight schedule. Fortunately I didn't have to be at work the next day because I was thousands of miles away from home. So my advice to you, get to the airport two hours in advance for domestic flights, three hours in advance for international flights. Give yourself time to get through security, get something to eat before getting on the plane... before all of that give yourself time to get to the airport. Most people don't live ten or fifteen minutes from the airport, but usually it's about a half-hour plus and then you have to maneuver through expressways to get there.

Tip #10 - Get out of bed the first time. The snooze button is your enemy.

I can't think of how many times I've been late to an event because I tried to get an extra ten minutes of sleep (that usually turned into 30 or more minutes). For you alarm-clock setters, get up the first time your alarm kicks in. If you actually depend on your internal clock, go to bed at a decent time so that you're not exhausted when you get up. I'm a witness that your day goes so much smoother when you're not rushing from the beginning of the day.