Time Management Information

Time Management is Life Management


Many of the clients I work with in success coaching can relate to the following example.

If you have ever been to the circus, you have probably seen the side show in which a clown or juggler puts a plate on a stick and spins it. Then he puts another plate on a stick and spins that one, and another, and another, etc. A neat trick, but then he has to constantly run around to keep all the plates spinning.

Now there's a metaphor for modern life if I've ever heard one.

In order to talk in a useful way about time management, we need to call it what it really is, which is life management. Each of us is given twenty four hours each day in which to manage our lives. That's why I call my time/life management seminars "24 and No More."

In order to manage your time and therefore your life, well, a very important distinction needs to be made. Do you organize your life around work or do you organize your work around your life? A key distinction to be made is that if you are part of a family, your most important job is not at work, it's at home.

Having said all that, let's put some hands and feet onto this idea of time/life management, and provide you with some solutions you can take home.

Get organized. That's step one. So much time is spent and wasted looking for something or doing something over and over again, when a little organization can allow you to organize once and be done with it.

If you are at all like me and don't come by organization naturally, either hire or borrow someone who has the gift of organization. Or you could get lucky like me and marry someone with this gift.

Create systems. Creating systems for doing things is a great time saver. In fact, an acronym for system is:

Saves
You
Some
Time
Energy and
Money.

Prioritized To Do Lists. Remember, a to do list is a tool that you use to work for you, not you for it. A prioritized to do list is divided into three categories, A tasks, B tasks, and C tasks. A tasks are things that must be done today, B tasks are things you would like to get done today, and C tasks are things you can get done with any extra time. If you have items left over at the end of the day, simply put them behind you for the day and move them on to the next day's list.

"But what if all my tasks are A tasks?" That's a question I often hear. Here's a two part answer to the question. Part one is to go back through the list and ask this question, "What will happen if I don't get this task done today?" If you can live with the answer, it may not be an A task. Part two is, if all your tasks are really A tasks, then the key is to.......

Delegate. That's a fancy way of saying ask for help. It's amazing to me how willing most people are to help. Just about every time I've gotten over my pride and asked for help with something, I've been pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Block Scheduling. For those of us who have multiple projects and multiple daily demands, block scheduling can be a real life saver. Block scheduling simply means to set aside blocks of time on a daily, weekly, monthly basis in order to do certain tasks. Barring a true emergency, nothing is to interfere with the task scheduled for this time.

There are at least three clear benefits to block scheduling:

a time is set aside to accomplish key tasks
lower anxiety knowing there is time set aside
you get more done.

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.


MORE RESOURCES:

Time management improves quality of life
United Press International - Oct 10, 2008
The Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource advises not only does better time management help get more done but it improves the quality of life. ...


Time management key to SEW superintendent job
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA - Oct 8, 2008
The key to doing both jobs has been time management, Galvin said. He tried to spend 90 minutes after lunch each day in the superintendent’s office. ...


Change and the mature student
Jamaica Observer, Jamaica - 18 hours ago
Time management presents another challenge for such students. While most traditional students are able to focus on themselves and their academics, ...


Managing cash and time takes similar thought
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - Oct 10, 2008
I know more about time management than money management, but I have found that principles for the former can be applied to the latter. ...


Mac Casual Time Management Title Released
GamersDailyNews, TN - Oct 3, 2008
Viqua Games today announced the release of First Class Flurry for Mac OS X. First Class Flurry, a new time-management casual game, lets players experience ...


Healthy Decisions addresses finances, time management
Kansas State Collegian, KS - Oct 2, 2008
Financial planning and time management were just some of the issues students discussed during the first Healthy Decisions Student Speaker Series Wednesday ...


Acronym for Time Management
Officer.com - Sep 30, 2008
The time management acronym is TEASE, now let's do some planning. The T stands for time (either time-line or time application). If you have the operation ...


Email Time Management Tips
NBC5i.com, TX - Sep 29, 2008
*Learn how to use speed keys on your keyboard, so that you can learn to execute commands like copying, pasting and moving in one or two keystrokes. ...


Del Rosso of Pea Organizing Services Offers Time Management Tips ...
dBusinessNews Charlotte (press release), NC - Sep 26, 2008
... professional organizing and productivity consulting firm, is offering time management tips to help people maximize their time and conserve gas. ...


openPR (press release)

Christian Life Coach Launches Series of Monthly Teleclasses on ...
openPR (press release), Germany - Sep 23, 2008
The series, "Managing Your Time God's Way," will begin on October 20, 2008, at 7:00 pm, with her popular workshop "Time Management in 5 Simple Steps. ...

Time-Management - Google News

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