This is the cornerstone of effective time management. Your time belongs to you. It\u2019s a finite resource you need to manage effectively. Don\u2019t let others dictate how you spend it.<\/p>\n
This is often easier said than done, especially when your boss or client expects things done yesterday. However, setting expectations and being consistent will give you greater control over your day-to-day and your life in general. Respect your time and others will respect it as well.<\/p>\n
Turn off your email notifications. Seriously, do it right now. Next, close all those tabs on your browser. Lastly, set your phone to vibrate or better yet, turn it off.<\/p>\n
Between email, cell phones and social media, there are more ways to connect to people than ever. The problem is, all of these connections can be a huge distraction if you don\u2019t control them.<\/p>\n
For starters, try checking your email twice a day \u2013 once at noontime and again at 4pm. Email is a great communication tool but it\u2019s all too easy to react to email as it comes in to your inbox instead of focusing on the work that needs to get done.<\/p>\n
Multitasking is a hard habit to break. I do it more\u00a0than I should, and I know better.\u00a0A good way to break the habit is to limit your distractions (as stated in #2 above). The fewer distractions you have, the more likely you are to complete your task.<\/p>\n
The problem is that our digital tools are great at providing distractions. Between the Internet, email and social media, there are all kinds of things\u00a0begging for your attention. That\u2019s why there\u2019s a burgeoning field\u00a0of single-purpose digital tools, such as the Hemingwrite.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure the hand-drafters of old were great single-taskers. With just a pencil, t-square and sheet of paper, there was little to distract you from getting your work done. What we need is a Hemingwrite for\u00a0BIM.<\/p>\n
Ever realize it\u2019s Friday and wonder where the week went? Try keeping a time log.<\/p>\n
For one week, keep track of everything you do during the work day. You might already track your time in a time\u00a0sheet but the time log should account for everything you do. And I do mean everything. Spend 10 minutes checking email? Mark it in the log. Talk with a co-worker for 5 minutes in the kitchen? Mark it in the log. Go to the bathroom? Yup, that goes in the log too.<\/p>\n
Yes, logging every minute is tedious but I assure you, you\u2019ll have\u00a0a much better picture of what you actually<\/em>\u00a0do versus what you think you do.\u00a0With this data in hand, you can objectively analyse your week and understand where you\u2019re spending your time. The results might be surprising.<\/p>\n We design things at all scales, from the master plan down to the door knob. We might even do some graphic and web design. Why shouldn\u2019t we design our ideal week as well?<\/p>\n At its essence, time management is just a design problem. There are only 168 hours in a week and it\u2019s up to you to get everything to fit. Yes, you\u2019ll need to make trade-offs but that helps you prioritize what\u2019s important to you.<\/p>\n To get started, make a list of all the things you need to do as well as the things you want to do over the course of a typical week. Get really specific with your list. Include things you typically do at work or school as well as things you do in your own time. Be sure to include breaks and down-time (both in and outside of work). This list is essentially your program\u00a0document.<\/p>\n Make sure you keep up with us at\u00a0Architect-US<\/a>,\u00a0<\/b>and make full use of all of the\u00a0information and insight we have for you for free<\/strong>. Do NOT forget that we have\u00a0helpful services for you ranging from\u00a0Portfolio Plans to Career Advice<\/a><\/strong>.\ud83d\udc4c Our Selection Committee of architects and designers with 10+ years of experience\u00a0<\/strong>love to help architects and designers at any point of their career to push the industry forward together!<\/p>\n5. Design Your Week<\/h2>\n