that you haven't had to refer back to this book in ages. Success!
Summary
Time management is particularly difficult for system administrators because we have unique problems (a mix of projects and interruptions), our technical mentors don't have good time management skills, and our nontechnical managers don't understand our work. One asset at our disposal is that we are highly technical people and can easily use technical solutions to manage our time.
External interruptions (customers) and self-imposed interruptions (Instant Messages, new email notifications, and so on) kill productivity. Returning from an interruption takes time and introduces errors into your work.
Poker Chips
Everyone has advice about how to avoid procrastination. Search Google for 'avoiding procrastination' and you'll get back over 19,000 links. You'll find work sheets from university counseling centers that help you get in touch with the sources of your procrastination. You'll find books and articles. You'll find top 10 lists of reasons why people procrastinate and how to counteract them. You'll find professional life coaches who will (in person or via phone) coach you through this and other life difficulties (for a fee). Feel free to try what appeals to you. In fact, do that right now.
I think the most important thing to remember is that procrastination is natural. It comes from fear and self-doubt. We all fear change. We all doubt our ability to succeed.
Instead of focusing on your self-doubt, focus on its opposite—your
When we have little self-esteem, we are more likely to give up or not even try. Without trying, we are never in the position to succeed. So, we don't. When we have high self-esteem, we're more willing to take risks and put ourselves in a position to have the opportunity to win.
Understand why self-esteem is like a big pile of poker chips?
Here's the magic: the poker chips of self-esteem only exist in your head, so you can create more!
In poker, the chips are real, physical objects. You can't just twinkle your nose and make poker chips appear. On the other hand, in life, you can do any kind of ritual to make more self-esteem chips appear magically. My 'Sooner is better than later' mantra gives me the chips I need to overcome procrastination. A hug from someone you love magically makes more chips appear. The quiet support of a friend helping you to sit down and read this book makes even more chips appear. Therapy is all about increasing your chips. If shouting out loud, 'Yes, I can!' makes more self-esteem chips, then shout all you want.
Pretty neat, eh?
Experts agree: buying this book automagically gives you a huge boost to the number of poker chips you have at your disposal. Turn the page and get to work.
Arrange a mutual interruption shield with coworkers so that someone else deflects interruptions when you need to get projects done.
Use one database for all time management information. Keeping everything in one place helps you stay organized.
Conserve brain power for what's important. Use your brain for the work on hand and an organizer to record to do items, dates, and notes.
Develop routines and stick with them. Rather than constantly reinventing the wheel or repeating decision-making processes, work things into routines.
Develop habits and mantras. They help remind you to reuse previous good decisions.
Maintain focus during 'project time.' You will work better when you focus on one thing at a time.
Manage your social life with the same tools you use for your work life. Your non-work life is important, and you should manage it with the same tools you use for your work life so that you don't miss out on the fun things either.
