Time Management and the Medical Transcriptionist

I am one of a number of transcriptionists that sets my own hours.  I have a minimum number of minutes that I have to put in for the week and get bonuses for quality, as well as producing over 750 minutes every 2 weeks.  I wish I could tell you all that I was the most motivated person in the world and I put in an 8 hour day and achieved my 800 minutes by the end of the 2 weeks. But sadly, I am not disciplined and I have not managed to develop good time management skills.  I am the scurrying squirrel looking for the last of the nuts as the snow falls to the ground.  Sunday night week two, I can guarantee that you will find me on the computer until 11: 59 trying to make up those last few minutes.  It is a race to the finish and somehow, I usually have good reports and some good luck.  I often look back at the first Monday or Tuesday of the pay week and think how I wasted my time chatting on IM, cyber shopping, facebooking or my personal favourite--sharing youtube links with Nici Essex, back and forth.  Sigh, what a waste of time.  I wish that the Time Management Fairy would grant me a wish or two, but still I procrastinate and let time slip away.  I can't even say I have done anything great with the time.  My TL can list 101 things that she has done in the day and still found time to type and edit and q.a.   My favourite phrase has become I am putzing at work.  Ugghhhh. 

So my dear followers -- I believe there is one or two (which in itself is a strange concept) -- my daily advice to those starting out is to really pay attention to time management and work on your organizational skills as you complete the course or look for work.  As you are busy learning all the new skills and there are a lot of things to absorb and learn. 

And for me, I am determined to prove that it is not to late for an old dog to learn a new trick.  I am determined to better use my time and then check my emails at the end of the time.  I will give myself more time to have a break at the end of the night, as being a putzer (not a Putz) I seem to be on the computer from morning to night.  This is a bad habit to get into and one that I do not endorse.  So my lesson for myself is to focus on one activity at a time which is a difficult thing for me to do.   A high degree of focus has to pay off, right?   

Time management and organizational skills are tools that some of us are not born with and they need to be honed to be successful as a MT.  So if you are like me keep this thought in mind.  Am I making good use of my time?  Can I do things differently to focus better on my work?  I think back on my report cards and the common running was always "Jody would do better if she would only apply herself".  If only I had listened.