Time Management for System Administrators

Summary

To achieve your long-term goals, you need to know what they are and work toward them.

If you don't write down your goals, you end up spinning your wheels or depending on luck.

Goals should be measurable: they need a tangible result or numeric measurement that, for example, someone else could check.

Goals should have deadlines: knowing when a goal should be achieved helps set the pace.

Begin by listing your one-month, one-year, and five-year goals for work and your life. Prioritize them. List steps required to achieve these goals. Sprinkle the next step of each goal into future to do lists. Once a month, review the goals and steps, reprioritize if needed, and sprinkle more "next steps" into your to do lists.

Work the next steps as part of your regular to do list management. Gradually, each goal will be achieved or managed.

Revisit your goals regularly. Add new ones and eliminate old ones. Revise the steps accordingly.