| |
| |
|
Time Management Information |
|
|
|
Time Management: Setting up your Schedule for Success
Would you describe yourself as extremely busy? Do you often feel tired and stressed out? Sometimes our ambition is our worst enemy. Many of us with big goals try to do way too much. We spread ourselves a mile wide and an inch deep. We are involved in many different things, but aren't excelling at any one thing. Beware of mediocrity. Most of us want greatness. If that describes you, then you must prioritize your endeavors and adjust your schedule accordingly. Assess your current schedule. Make a list of everything in your life that takes time. This includes school, work, extracurricular activities, sleeping, eating, studying, exercising, talking on the phone, hanging out with friends, chores, bathing, etc. List EVERYTHING. Then note how many hours per week you need for each item to do it well. Add up the hours. While there are only 168 hours in a week, many of us need two or three times that to accommodate our schedule. This is where stress and mediocrity come from. Make your list again, but this time, find a way to limit yourself to 168 hours. There are only two ways to do this: reduce the number of weekly hours per item, or reduce the number of items. I recommend the latter. Cutting activities you enjoy out of your life can be painful, but it's necessary. Then, to work more efficiently, try some of the following tips: 1. Make a daily to-do list. This will help you organize your day and prevent you from forgetting important tasks. 2. Prioritize your to-do items. Some tasks are not as critical as others. Assign each task an A, B or C rating. A items are important tasks that must get done right away. B items are important, but not as important as A items. C items are things that need to get done at some point, but there's no rush. Once you've assigned a rating to each task, re-write your to-do list with all the A items on top (in order of importance), then the B and C items. Complete the A items first. This may seem obvious, but think about how many times you've put off an important (sometimes unpleasant) task so you could call a friend, clean your room or do something else that really didn't need to happen at that time. Stick to what's important. 3. Group similar activities together. Make all your phone calls at once. Run all your errands at once. Transitioning from one type of activity to another takes time, so group like to-do items together and complete them at the same time. 4. Overlap. Sometimes you can do two things at once. For example, you can read while you do the laundry. You can write a letter while you're on the bus. Be careful about doing multiple tasks if one of them requires your focus. 5. Identify and avoid time wasters. We all have them. I like to check my email. Some people like to take unnecessary naps. Some people look for things to clean and organize as an excuse not to work. See what you do that wastes your time and stop doing it. 6. Identify and avoid distractions. My cat likes to jump onto my lap when I work. Some people work with music on, but then start singing. Maybe your phone rings a lot and you always answer. Eliminate these distractions when you need to get stuff done. 7. Find a good place to work. See where you're most productive and focused. 8. Organize your workspace. 9. Keep flat surfaces clean. 10.Use an effective filing system. Make sure you know where everything is. 11.Take pit stops. Sometimes taking a 5 minute snack break or a 60-second breathing break can re-energize you and improve your efficiency. 12.Do more during your most productive hours. Some of us are morning people while others are night owls. Work during your best time. Many people think they must work harder to be successful. In most cases, they just need to work smarter. Take time to manage time. Otherwise, it will manage you. Motivational speaker Scott Greenberg gives live presentations and workshops all over America. For more information on Jump Start Performance programs and leadership books, visit www.scottgreenberg.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Time-Management - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Time Management Basics "At my back I always hear time's winged chariot hurrying near."Time management begins with the realization that without some thought and planning, we are likely to waste a great deal of time in the future and have already wasted a huge amount of our life span in the past. Writing a Thank You Letter for Meeting I have a habit of sending a thank you letter for meeting after any meeting I attend. People often tell me it is not serious and out of contest but I believe a thank you letter for meeting is necessary for any decent business man. The Power of 90 Seconds You can use the Power of 90 Seconds to transform your life. This power will allow you to:=> Prevent countless problems. Hows YOUR Productivity? Microsoft wanted to know how individuals around the world were faring with their productivity. Microsoft seems the logical group to be asking this question since productivity generally follows technology. Organize Your Time Most people want to start a home-based business to make more money to supplement their income. The issue though, is finding the time to make this happen. If Only Your Brain Was the Size Of That Of an Ant You Could Easily Implement Habits A year and a half ago I was introduced to something called Swarming or Swarm intelligence.A big telecommunication company was actually mimicking ants to improve the performance of some of their products. How to Find More Time in Your Day-Balancing Career and Family Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of one's goals and priorities. This translates into sitting down in a quiet atmosphere and taking just a few minutes to think about "What are my priorities in life? What could I never live without?" When one is clear about the things that are important to them in life, it is easier to determine which errands, assignments, and projects to take time out to complete or to dump or delegate. Delegate or Drown Why waste your precious time working on tasks, which are definitely not your forte when you can delegate or invest your money on a product or service which will free up your time? You can then focus on the more important areas in your work and your life.Debbie's StoryDebbie was the Director of her own computer company, employing four staff. Career Redesign Tools For Work-Life Balance Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School, Thirdpath Institute, a non-profit whose mission is "To assist individuals and families in finding new ways to redesign work to create time for family, community and other life priorities," held a 2-day conference in May, 2004 for lawyers, entitled "Having a Life: Creating Work-Life Balance in the Law." I was part of a small team of career and work-life professionals who facilitated small group breakout sessions that were held throughout the conference. The Kaizen of Goal Setting There is an old way of goal setting and a new way of goal setting! The old way of goal-setting involved setting yor goals, preparing a list of sub-goals, and then carefully checking them off one after another (as and when they were being accomplished). Am I trying o pour cold water on the goal setting method many of us grw up on? Not necessarilyWhile I am not saying the step-by-step approach does not work, I am advocating a flexible-goal setting approach. Looking At Time With A Capital T I keep a fossil on my desk at all times. Whenever I feel rushed or find myself creating a sense of urgency, I pick up the fossil and caress its polished surface. Whats Keeping You At The Office (9 Tips To Get Home Quicker) "Work smarter, not harder" is a cliché that has darted in and out of the workplace for years. But it's still as true as ever. Quick Tips On Time Management Want to improve your time management?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster, offers the following advice. 7 Tips for Being Your Best Time Master It is not enough if you are busy. The question is, "What are you busy about?" - Henry David ThoreauWith our to-do lists ever-growing, assigning tasks to our calendars can be a simple way to manage time and reduce stress. It's Not The Same Old Routine We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around the house. This can cause major frustration because many of us don't do them efficiently, and most of us fail to complete our entire list of chores! You may take comfort in comment from a commiserating colleague: "A creative mind always has more ideas than the physical body is able to carry out. Spend Less Time at Work and Get More Done Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies show that after a certain amount of hours at work each week, the average worker hits diminishing returns for their labor.Here are a couple of reasons this is true. Get More Done at Your Office: Focus on These Eight Areas for Increased Productivity Your productivity depends on good tools and effective environments, and on using them both well. It can be overwhelming to get your office into shape and still get your work done. Your Most Important Appointment An appointment is simply a mutual agreement to meet with someone at a specific time.You set appointments with doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, contractors and hair stylists, just to name a few. Sharpen The Saw Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the middle of the night and said, 'Dayo, you know what? I feel neglected.' I was speechless. Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it? Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is the great equalizer of all us human beings.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
