Simple Time Management: Get More Done With the WADE Formula

*This post was updated September 10, 2015.

Raise your hand if you have lots to do and suffer from “not-enough-time-in-the-day” syndrome. Even if you just have one finger in the air, you should take a peek at the WADE formula. 

This formula or strategy has four simple and logical steps which means it will likely be easy for you to implement. I can’t take credit for this strategy, though. It comes courtesy of Julie Morgenstern, author of Time Management from the Inside Out (affiliate link). As you might have guessed, WADE stands for particular actions you need to take to gain control of your time so that you can accomplish more.
Here is the WADE formula in a nutshell:
Write it Down – This step is very straight forward. Simply put – get it all out of your head! Put all your to do’s on paper or in your smart phone.
Add it up – How long will it take you to finish all the tasks on your list?
Decide – This is often the step that can trip you up. You have to figure out which things you will actually work on. Julie says that if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can use one of the four D’s:  (1) Delete, (2) Delay, (3) Delegate, or (4) Diminish your to do’s into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Execute Your Plan – Get to work! Cut out all distractions and kick procrastination to the curb so you can get stuff done.
If you have Julie’s book and want more details, flip to page 62.  Are you already using the WADE formula or another time management technique? Leave a comment with how it’s working for you.
 
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