Managing time and success for technical writers

Time is a constant given by nature and cannot be altered by human beings. We all have the same amount of time at our disposal. And even rich people cannot buy more time, which is totally fair, too. However, many technical writers feel that the pressure of deadlines that weighs on them is unfair: this is usually precipitated by impending market rollouts, poor groundwork by other technical departments or authoring processes that are not regulated precisely.

Text by Manfred Zimmermann

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Managing time and success for technical writers

How is it that some people claim to have “all the time in the world”, while others on the contrary grumble that they never have time? This probably has to do with how people handle time. Used properly, it leads to success and satisfaction. The wrong approach to handling time jeopardises success and goals that have been set will not be achieved. In such situations, some people even fall ill. Proper time management can prevent this. We learn to manage our time effectively and thereby ensure success, both professionally as well as in our personal lives. All technical writers who want to improve the way they are managing their time should start by implementing four basic tenets.

Basic tenet 1: Planning the day

Make a plan for the day. For a concrete plan of the day, all you need is five to ten minutes and a calendar. It does not matter whether you create it on paper or in electronic form. ...