Effective time planning requires you to follow a sequential process:
Let's look at the sequence in more detail.
Have the requirements of the work or task been fully communicated?
Is there any confusion or ambiguity which must be cleared up?
Do I have a measurable and realistic method of accomplishing the task?
Have I established an achievable and agreed deadline?
How should I approach the task?
What resources are available to me?
What is likely or possible to interfere with my plan (eg. interruptions) and how can I avoid them or minimise their effects?
Thinking time is essential to effective planning, but invariably gets cut out during periods of stress (caused by urgent "panics"), much to the detriment of task achievement.
What sources are available to assist me in the completion of the task?
What skills or knowledge do others (eg. subordinates or colleagues) have which would help task completion?
What other resources (eg. computer systems) are available?
With major tasks, there is a need to breakdown completion of the task into more manageable units.
Which specific things (eg. initiating actions of others) need to be done first, to ensure the task deadline is achieved?
Which specific things can I do during shorter periods of time available?
How am I performing against my plan?
Can I recover time which has been lost through interruptions and work not anticipated?
What additional skills and resources do I now need?
What generally went wrong with my Time Planning (so that I can avoid it in the future)?
What generally went right with my Time Planning (so that I can repeat it in the future)?