***5 Tips to Find Time with the Times 2 Rule

Do you feel like you are always running behind and then playing catch-up with yourself? Every time you attempt a new task, do you end up feeling frustrated and overwhelmed while the clock just keeps ticking? Can you feel yourself getting anxious, even just reading this?

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way for you. But the thing is, there’s no magic wand that you can wave to find yourself more time. Instead, what is required is that you learn more effective planning skills.

So let’s look at a better way of allocating your time. Have you heard of the Times 2 Rule?

Basically, what it advises is that when you are looking at your To-Do List, you always plan for things to take more time than you expect. In other words, when you plan your time using the Times 2 Rule, you make your best estimate of the time that you think a project or task will take and then you DOUBLE that time!

That might sound extravagant to you, but people are prone to regularly underestimate how long things are going to take. Add in unexpected glitches, and you can easily see how doubling the anticipated time is pretty reasonable.
But don’t just take my word for it. Give it a test run for a week. I predict that utilizing this rule along with the following 5 Timely Tips will help you prepare schedules that are far more effective. As a result, your confidence in planning and coordinating projects will grow by leaps and bounds!

5 Timely Tips for Effective Time Planning:
1. Automatically double the time you expect a project to take, no matter what your imagination tells you! If you complete it before it's due, don't worry - you'll have plenty of other activities to fit in. Or you might even give yourself a mini-vacation with the ‘left-over” time!

2. Build in extra time for those who may need to assist you. That eases stress all around – so you’ll be easier to work with, and cooperation from others will be more readily available, too. Whenever possible, alert others in advance to your needs. Reduced urgency also leads to fewer mistakes – and that means MORE saved time.

3. When planning your time, envision the end point and then work backwards. You are far more likely to anticipate each step, and accurately predict the time needed when you use this approach.

4. When faced with a time conflict between two commitments, take a deep breath and make a choice. Rather than short-change either project, re-assign one of them to a different time slot or a different priority. If someone wants both within a limited time frame, ask what their priorities are: Which task would they rather have you complete first?

5. If you find that you never complete all your projects within your time frame, prioritize their importance. Start with the most important item and work down, as your time allows. Also consider simplifying your agenda – and always remember the Times 2 Rule.

Utilizing the Times 2 Rule is an important way to ensure that your peace of mind is factored into the effectiveness equation. Never forget your assertive right to claim the time you need to get the job done. In the long run, you’ll see that your efficiency and your effectiveness both improve exponentially.

So, how can you increase your control of your time, and where will you find the guidance to do that? The good news, as we noted earlier, is that finding time isn’t a matter of magic – it’s a matter of building skills and of priority management.

And to take your next step toward your Heart-Based Time Success, sign up for our free gift, the Finding Time Success Kit which includes "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" Using a workbook format, this powerful and practical time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration and discover that 24 hours really are enough!

Offered by Paula Eder, Ph.D. The Time Finder Expert.