Element E-Zine

     How Long Will It Take?

Welcome to Element E-Zine! This week we’ll be discussing the importance of accurately calculating and estimating your time, and how this can have an effect on your time management ability.

Always ask yourself: “How long will it take?” and make sure to build in time for hidden time costs. Every single ‘to-do’ or ‘task’ should have a time estimate, so that you are able to place it in your schedule in an appropriate time. For example:

To-Do:

• Finish Homework: 1 hour
• Clean house: 1 hour
• Ring John: 10 minutes
• Buy birthday present: 1.5 hours

Good time managers will make these calculations and build this time into their schedules. Give yourself ‘time-padding’ for the hidden time costs (which was discussed last week). Calculating your time is extremely important, because miscalculation usually results in you always taking on more than you can bear, and you feeling guilty at the end of the day when you haven’t achieved everything you set out to do.

Miscalculating can also lead to procrastination. If you think that a 15 minute task will take 1 hour, you will find it hard to get around to doing it. Likewise, if you think a 1 hour task will only take 15 minutes, you will feel bad about it when you take longer than what you expected to complete the task….or maybe you will leave it to the last minute and then realize you don’t have enough time to finish it. Plus, your schedule will be completely out of line as a result.

Honestly asking and answering the question “How long will this take?” about every single to-do or task that you need to complete is the most important time management tool.

Enjoy your week!

Regards from Marryam