The fine art of getting things done while being happy :)

1. Time Management
The fine art of being happy
while getting your job done

2. • I suppose that achieving what you
want to achieve will make you
happy
• You need tools to focus on
important, do more, reduce stress
• You are ready to work hard to
make it happen
• I will give you opportunity to learn
how to achieve your goals
In scope:

3. Agenda:
• Learning basic principles of productivity
• Finding out your roles & defining scenario
for being successful in each one
• Identifying what you are trying to
accomplish
• Setting 1st portion of goals
• Figuring out reserves we can use to
achieve more
• Forming action plan: in MyLifeOrganized
or ClearContext

4. Out of scope:
• “I don’t have motivation!”
• “I’m not disciplined
enough for any
approach!”
• “World is imperfect &
unfair, you must admit!”

5. Rules of engagement
• No laptops, phones & tablets:
do handwriting
• Don’t be late: if you missed 10
minutes you missed the logic
• Ask questions: the only stupid
question is question not
asked
• No trolling: respect colleagues

6. The Clarity
Few words on the origins of stress

7. The Core Concept
That’s official :)

9. “Wheel of life”
FamilyBusiness
WealthHealth

10. Pattern 1: Epic Fail
HealthHealth
Business
Wealth
Familyess
W

11. HealthHealth
Pattern 2: Skewness
Business Wealth Family

12. Health
How will you feel
driving?
FamilyBusiness Wealth

13. is about
being unable to do things
which are important
to you...

14. Homework: Check #1
• Please write tags from
highest to lowest priority
• Now sort tags by total time
• Does 2 lists match?
Health
Family
Work Health: 5
Family:
10
Work: 85

15. is about
being unable to do things
which are important
to you...
or doing them wrong

16. Homework: Check #2
• Calculate total
time
• Calculate total
shitty time
• Take % shitty time
as of total time

18. “Discipline”
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...
I will not spend time on meaningless stuff...And write that
1000 times!

19. Discipline
is remembering
what you
WANT
David Campbell

20. Core Concept: The
Battery
• There is a battery inside you,
and its more like NiMh than
LiIon
• You draw your battery by taking
any action
• You short-circuit your battery by
doing things wrong
• It recharges when you rest

21. Important: Cycle energy
0.1 mA
Working...
Done!

22. Wasting cycles
0.1 mA
Working...
Done!
What
should i
do now?
I should
immediate
ly google
that
book!..
Erm...
Where did
i left it last
time?

23. The Operating
System:

29. Even here:
“Some of my colleagues
have featured very strong
projects, accompanied
with nice children, cozy
homes & good mood.
Under these feats you
will always find some sort
of organization - some
form of planning &
executing procedures.”

30. There are 3 “time managements”
Dispatcher Creator Manager

31. DISPATCHING
How to handle that incoming stream of tasks

33. Anybody who’s primary job function
is to handle errands or requests
of other people is
DISPATCHER

34. Where dispatching
happens:Head of
Dept
Subordinate Subordinate
Support Unit
Manager
Subordinate Subordinate
Deputy

35. Success criteria:
① Errands requests not lost
② Response time is
predictable
③ Deadlines are met
④ Quality is acceptable

37. How

39. 4 core components:
The Inbox
The Task List
The Procedure
The Effort

40. Take cycles to
remember:

41. GTD Processing:
“We call these people
successful not
because they
managed to complete
all the tasks in their
task list.
They are successful
because they know
what needs to be
done right here right
now.”

43. Procedure:
Make it a ritual:
• Print a guideline
• Every working day
• At the same time
• Cut enough time
(approx. 30 min for
starters)
• Follow it carefully
• Takes approx. 1 month
to adopt

44. Unload it:

46. Ideas for delegating:

47. Task (or ToDo) List:

48. Eisenhower matrix
Important
and not
urgent
Important
& Urgent
Not
important
& not
urgent
Urgent
but not
important

49. Urgency scale:

50. Importance scale scale:

51. Cannot start?
Tasks which I hate! Why I hate it? What I can do to change that?
I hate requesting servers from
admin because every single time It
takes MONTHS to get it!
Because I like writing code and
drinking beer, not writing long
emails!!!
Can having beer with admins be fun
and actually speed up server
approval?..

52. Hint (always works)

53. Stay focused!
• Choose task
• Close Facebook,
Skype etc.
• Set timer for 25 mins
• Focus on the task
• Focus on the task –
no chats, sms etc.

54. Software can help:

55. Hint: 3 MITs
Important task
Important task
Important task
Important task
Important task
Important task
Important task
Important task
These 3 things are absolutely
realistic to complete today. I
know why I’m doing that. Not
doing them means being lazy &
dumb. I will not end like this. I
will not end this end until I finish
these 3 Most Important Things…

56. Typical day:
Clear inbox
Update policy
Discuss policy
Finalize policy
Train team in TM
Lunch
PPT for board meeting
Next chapter in my book
Complete report for boss
Do report for
boss
As you planned it
Clear inbox
Update policy
Discuss policy
Finalize policy
Train team in TM
Lunch
PPT for board meeting
Next chapter in my book
Pick kids after school
Do report for
boss
The reality
Publish policy
Write 1 chapter
Complete report for boss
Publish policy
Write 1 chapter

57. Mistake:
overcommitment

58. Finding time:
• Travel time
• Moving in pick times
• Communicating offline
• “Optional” meetings
• Stupid non-automated
tasks
• Flight & train times

59. Improving quality of
time:
5 - 30 mins
30+ mins

60. Typical Contexts:
No noise
Good light
Convenient place
No distractors
Right temperature
All tools
@ Quiet Room
@ Fast Internet
@ Servers Accessible
@ Out of office
@ Creative Mood
@ Cannot Think

61. Large tasks:

62. Iceberg tasks:
Buy tickets to vac!
• Choose date
• Confirm with wife
• Remind wife
• Confirm with manager
• Ping manager
• Ping manager again
• Research flights
• Discuss flights with
family
• Find somebody with MC
• Pay for tickets
Prepare new policy!
• Write outline
• Discuss outline
• Rewrite goals
• Discuss goals again
• Draw workflow
• Describe roles
• Add examples
• Add appendix
• Discuss again
• Make changes

64. Summary:
• Unload everything to Inbox
• Sort: file, do now, delegate, add to Task List
• Prioritize Task List
• Do I & U: focus
• Iceberg found: split into chunks
• Change Tasks which you don’t like
• Reclaim your time for achieving more

65. Congratulations, you
earned:

66. CREATING
Short guide into building your future

67. Anybody who works
TOWARD LONg-TERM
PLAN
is
CREATOR

68. Success Criteria:
① Your have your dreams & your plans
and
② [While reacting to external interrupts]
③ You still make this plans happen
④ Without burning out

69. Your
principles
purpose
Your lifestyle &
career
Long-term goals what
you want to be, do or
have
Your current “projects”
Your tasks & errands
50,000 Feet View
50,000
30,000
40,000
20,000
10,000

70. Visualizing your
ambition:
Business
Family
Mental
Physical
Travel
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Fun
Aug Sep Oct Nov
Open US Subsidiary
Earn MSGP cert
Adirondack & Appalachian
Mountains
Train for Woodland
championships
Finish boathouse
Replace ERP solution
Managing retail from
UGSC London
Woodland
Dec
Transfer manufacturing back to UK
Prepare for Jan
Austria
Vac after each of runs
Do something stupid and or funny every time you want it 
25M
per
Q
20K
run
compl.
!

71. Project:
• Result which will take
number of steps to be
achieved
• Each steps is actually
task
• Each task can be done
when you will find
appropriate to do it
Buy new
car
Write down reqs
Estimate budget
Research
market ->
shortlist
Shortlist:
discuss with
colleagues,
choose 3
Test drive 1-2-3
Pay for car
Register in
police
Buy New Car

72. 3 х 3 principle:
1. 3 projects simultaneously
2. 3 MITs for 3 projects each
week
3. 3 MIT tasks every day

73. Timeboxing:
Daily Tasks
Daily Tasks
Daily Tasks
Daily Tasks
Daily Tasks
Daily Tasks
Project C
Daily Tasks
Daily Tasks
Project A
Project A
Project A
Project B
Project B
Unexpected
Unpredictable
Useless

74. Hard task vs soft task:
Meet Sam at the airport (Mar 17, 14-
30) at take him to the office
Plz prepare me attrition breakdown by
level; I need it for meeting at Jan 20

75. Slicing:

76. The NEXT:

78. Habit:
Complete my
1st 5K Fun
Run
Train 3 times
per week
Run for 30
mins
Keep 6m per
KM pace
5Km
run
completed!

79. Same for revenue:
• We need 100K revenue from site!
• One of 100 visitors buys for 1K
• One of 10 impressions generates 1
visitor
• I work for 20 days per month
• How many impressions should I do
every day to generate 100K?

81. Typical mistake:
“I found myself trying
to fill every single
minute with activity.
Even when I was
sipping coffee at
mom’s kitchen I was
thinking ‘omg, during
these 15 minutes I
can do so much
useful things…’”

84. Typical Energy
Production:

85. Energy production tips:
Degrades:
• Insufficient sleep
• Irregular pace
• Lack of physical activity
• Alcohol
• Heavy food
• Monotonous work
• Pressure & “discipline”
Increases:
• Good rest
• Regular pace
• Trained body
• Healthy food
• Switching contexts & task
types
• Allowing yourself
“rebellions”

86. Work of same type:

87. Summary• Know your goals in each of the areas
• Prioritize & visualize them
• Do 1-3 projects at once
• Secure some time for them or slice them &
cram them into your daily run
• Install new habits which help you achieve your
goals (one at a time)
• Review your progress & make adjustments
• Follow this workflow, but from time to time
screw it completely and do whatever you want!


88. Congratulations, you
earned:

89. MANAGING
How to make most of your teams time

90. Anybody who
CLEARS THE PATH
for people
is
MANAGER

91. Success Criteria:
① Your team achieves results
② Because you make them to know
priorities
③ And you help them structure their time

92. Deliverables-
oriented:

93. Process-oriented:
“Score 30% better on next SAT”

94. Helpful dashboards:

95. Rule of thumb:
• Focus on 3 – you will get them
• Focus on 5-7 – you will get 3
• “Focus” on 10-15-20 – you will get
nothing

96. Summary
• Don't create chaos & rush
• Clearly set priorities
• Restructure team schedule to recover time
• Allow them to manage their time
• Help them define results & lead metrics
• Coach them how to not waste cycles
• Don’t ruin their schedule

97. Those who do are:

98. The Software

99. Choose whatever you want:
Has Inbox
Has Projects Goals & Tasks
Shows them on time line
And has good NEXT screen
Allows time estimates & contexts
Provides “review” capability
Allows at least 2-level task hierarchy
Has mobile client