Time Management

I have been trying to utilize my time more efficiently.
I saw a program on someone trying to map out ALL activities in a day.
I don't want to go this far....I would like to become more efficient on my time on computer, though.
Any helpful hints?
Also, if you have helpful hints outside of computer that would be interesting, too.
Thanks, weep.

A few things I think of are to (when I have a desktop unit in a "safe," stationary place) set a schedule for some tasks on my computer: back up x files in certain directories, to certain media.... scan disk for errors, defragment....any maintenance features that I don't want to sit through.
Are there some helpful suggestions as far as utilizing all of the maintenance features of a system(and incorporating the task scheduler)?

Yeah I think this would help me out too. I need to work on my time management =(

Set yourself up a little time sheet ... something like mine

7:00 wake up and get ready for work
7:45 drive to work
8:00 read emails and reply to forums
10:00 morning meeting
11:00 watch YouTube videos
12:00 start working on the day's tasks
16:00 read new emails and reply to more forum threads
17:00 go home
17:15 put laptop on charge and let virus scan and defrag run while browsing on home PC
17:30 go to friend's house and drink beer
23:00 go home and sleep

I have three tools I use.

1) I made a color coded timemap of 7 days a week, cut into 1 hour blocks. I then put different colors into the map on what I am allowed to do in each block. Work, fun, eat, shop for food, volunteer at the Rescue house for kittens, go dancing. Really, I just look at my map, and I am never late and never sitting around with nothing to do. For example, on Saturday from 8am to 2pm is all pink. Which is work on my personal website. Thursday evening I have 2 blue boxes for taking care of the kitties and food shopping.

The map is color coded to groups of activities, not individual activities. This way, then I am in a green block, I can choose between a list of either laundry, housework, clean, cook etc. A blue block is "fun", TV, starcraft, do anything I want. This is a great system since it allows for flexibility.

I put this timemap on my wall next to my whiteboard (where I also write tasks), so that I can see it anytime, and can move from task to task without having to pull up a list on the computer.

2) I make lists of everything I need to do. When I am doing task 1, and think that "oh yeah I should do that", I just shove it on my little list. When I come to the appropriate colored box, I look at my list and just jump in and do something. This way I am never idle, there is always something on my list that needs to be done without having to sit around and think about it.

3) I don't sleep much. Seriously. I wake up at 4am and start working. I am a certified work-aholic and I know it. I go to bed at 1am, and get up again at 4. The trouble is I don't know how to begin this routine, just that I am able to do it.

In the last 3 months, I started 2 new full time jobs, (one of which is contract work-from-home which makes it easier), volunteer at the rescue house, go out dancing 3 nights a week and have still had time to finish a full MySpace style social networking website just in time for Internext.

Next week I plan on dropping dead from exhaustion. It's on my list, and I have a colored box for it on my timemap.

JM

okay I am seriously impressed. way out of my organisational league.

I sleep full 8 hours a night whenever I can, and I just do things when it seems a good idea to do them. I allow myself to procrastinate if I know no deadline is in sight. if something needs doing by a certain time though, you can be sure it will be done.

no colored boxes. but it works for me.....

I have kids, time is of the essence. I always make sure I am organised when they are at school.. I do everything mostly by routine. Otherwise the kids go nuts.

Time management is not that hard. You just have to think about your day, and go from there. R_t's idea is good.

Thanks, righteous_trespasser and camperjohn.
I'll set up time charts and will try to map my patterns o'er the weeks to see where I can improve things.
If I had to limit my comp time, though, I don't know how to get the most use out of 30 minutes.
I want to find out more about the task manager....I am curious, though as I unplug my computer a lot(only when off, of course) because a thunderstorm could fry it when I'm away. A backup battery might work well...but perhaps not resistant to storms or wHatnots but hmm, I wonder how many hours I could find in a battery. My laptop's battery doesn't last more than 2 hours(at full performance, which is crucial) and I was also thinking that a backup battery might be good for this, too...though I am not sure how long or regularly the batteries would need to be charged/(and if necessary, discharged)..weep. thanks, again:D

I could definitely use some time management software.

Something simple and effective.

Calendars only ever serve as dynamic posters for my wall.

update:
I've incorporated a fortnight schedule.
I post 14 rectangles on my wall and can add sheets to them to renew the fortnight(2 weeks). When I have written stuff in an ongoing list it worked well for some time but once I got out of that routine I have the clutter of so many notes on too many papers...
I am thinking about something between an ~alphasmart(stores keyboard text in a notepad-like file) and a cross between an etch-a-scetch or tablet...virtual paper that would let me take something down in the dark, store it in memory, and sift through it and ponder it later...
I already have a similar device: a steno machine(I'll call it a stenogramer just for words parts sake^^) where I can write to memory and store it with the battery installed...later I must load my software, read its notes, and I have my notes. It could hold quite a bit. Then again, it's getting into the routine...which brings me to the memory issue: utilizing memory techniques to keep things in my mind(not rote!) would rid my environment of my clutter....but it would need the same attention to those ideas I write down....


I am thinking about representing calendar dates as a fraction over 365.25 ^^
24/365.25

Conclusion: pay more attention and concern to issues as they come up, prioritize, take action. When planning, elaborate, expound on ideas by using other senses, such as visuals(graphs, images) or any form of acting out the thought in a way that makes it more memorable.

I do usually get regular sleep. With this I am pleased.
I admire the flexible plan up above ^^