Time Management for System Administrators

Summary

A good routine saves you work and reduces the amount of time you spend making decisions.

Routines give you a way to "think once, do many."

Develop the routine of always recording your appointments and to do items in your organizer and always having your organizer with you.

The more routines we develop, the less brainpower we have to put into small matters, and the more brain power we have to focus on the fun and creative parts of being a system administrator. Throughout your day, look for opportunities to create your own routines. Red flags for such opportunities include:

Repeated events that aren't scheduled

Maintenance tasks

Relationships and career networking

When procrastinating takes longer than the task

Things you forget often

Inconsequential or low-priority tasks that can be skipped occasionally but shouldn't be

Developing new skills

Keeping up-to-date

Schedule Reading Time

Never get caught up reading all those computer-industry magazines that come to your mailbox? Schedule a one-hour reading time each week. Find a place to hide, and read as much as you can. Throw out what you weren't able to read, which keeps your reading material fresh.