|
|
| Time Management Information |
|
|
|
|
Time Management
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time in the day? Are you always rushing? Do you feel stressed at the end of the day? Do you believe that you are not accomplishing what you hoped? Better time management may be the answer. Dr. Respect at http://marcusgentry.blogspot.com says we must "protect, organize and prioritize our time". If you are having any of the above listed difficulties, then my guess is you are missing at least one of those elements. Protecting our time is important. We all have the same amount of time in a day. It's what we do with it that is critical. Do you find yourself doing things you really don't want to do or spending time with people who take more than they give? These are examples of not protecting your time. Your time is your gift to spend, as you will. You can spend it wisely or you can waste it. It's your choice. However, one thing you can't do is get it back to do over again. Sometimes we all do things that we don't really want to be doing but when we do, it should be in furtherance of a bigger goal that we have. Maybe we don't want to be going to work today but we want to collect our paycheck at the end of the week, so it's something we choose to do to get to the bigger payoff. However, there are things that we do that just aren't important, don't lead to anything and waste our time. Can you think of any activities that fall into that category for you? Do you know that the average American watches on average three hours of television each day? How is that for a time waster? I know when I first got my computer, one of the things I unwisely spent my time on was computer games. I don't mean an occasional game here or there. I'm talking about an addiction, an obsession---playing solitaire until 2 AM. If I didn't get that under control, I would have not only been wasting my time, but I would have been wasting my life. I have three general categories for which I like to protect my time. One is for making progress toward my work/life goals. These are the things I do to move me forward in life. These are generally geared toward helping people in some way, generating more clientele, and increasing my revenue streams. In this category, it is my sincere hope that one day I will have enough income to hire out all those necessary jobs that I don't love to do so that I can focus all my time on the things that are my passion but until that time, there are still things I do to move myself forward that I don't totally love. However, I try to get them done as quickly and as painlessly as possible. The second category would be spending time with people I care about---those people who nurture me. I protect time for the special man in my life, my sons, my extended family and my friends. There are some people whom I avoid when I am protecting my time. They are the ones who generally take more than they give. Do you have people like that in your life? If they can't be totally eliminated, at least minimize the time you give to these people. The third category would be simply things that bring me pleasure or joy. There are things I do that I can do alone or with others when I need relaxation. I like to read a good book, watch a good movie, horseback ride, canoe, ski, walk in the woods and something I got to do this weekend---swim. Protect your time so that you get to do the things that bring you joy. Organizing your time has to do with having a good time management system. Don't wait until something is due tomorrow to start on it. Have a good plan and systems in place so you are in charge of your time instead of your schedule being in charge of you. Learn more about time management systems in our Time Management teleclass. Another aspect of organizing one's time is maintaining laser-like focus. Did you know that the average person's mind wanders around seven to eight times a minute? Developing good work habits that include staying focused until the job is done is critical to organization. Prioritizing your time has to do with deciding what's most important. I said I have three categories---goal-oriented actions, time with important people and time doing enjoyable activities. They don't necessarily prioritize in that order. There must be a balance. I know that when I spend too much time working, I start to feel on edge and tense. This is generally a strong indicator that I need to switch my focus to one of the other areas. A person cannot be in control of their time if all they do is goal-oriented activity. A healthy balance is necessary for good time management and a healthy lifestyle. To learn about stress management, visit www.Coachingforexcellence.biz and schedule a time management workshop for your workplace or check our events calendar for upcoming teleclasses, chats and workshops. Kim Olver has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a graduate degree in counseling, is a National Certified Counselor and is a licensed professional counselor. Since 1987, Kim has extensively studied the work of Dr. William Glasser's Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management. She was certified in Reality Therapy in 1992 and continued her studies to become a certified instructor for the William Glasser Institute. She is an expert at empowering people to navigate the sometimes difficult course of life---teaching them how to get the most out of the circumstances life provides them. These are incredibly powerful ideas with equal application to one's work and personal lives. Kim can work with you to empower your staff and clients and propel your organization to the next level. To learn more about Kim and how she can help your organization, visit her website at http://www.Coachingforexcellence.biz
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Use Your Time Wisely! When I was small, I have never considered the importance of time.I would just laze around, watch TV, lie in bed, and play videogames.� As I grew older, I thought about the things that I haveachieved.� To my surprise, I haven't accomplished a lot.� Discover Your Procrastination Personality Determine Your Procrastination Personality Put a Couple of Elephants on Your Plate How do you eat two elephants? The same way you would eat one; one bite at a time. Monstrous tasks often appear to be complex and overwhelming. That's why it's so very important to isolate the parts from the whole. Break your elephant-sized project into several smaller tasks. Identify one area and cut it down to size. Lather, rinse, and eat. The key is to begin! It doesn't matter if you have or elephants on your agenda. Put one of them on your plate today. Target one part, and start! Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs Time is money in your online business, just as in the offline business world. New Adventures - in Four Hours a Day "Can you find four extra hours in your day?" a voice came over the speaker on my office phone, first telemarketer call of the day. I chuckled and answered, "Not this week." Oh, My Goodness! Where Has the Time Gone? It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to go. I have a TO DO list that will keep me busy all day. My goal is to accomplish all of the things on my list before I go to bed tonight. 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. You will then be able to do the things you love to do. Thinking about goals is a crucial step in striking balance for our busy lives. Vilfredo Paretos Principle: The 80-20 Rule: 80% of Results are Produced from 20% of Efforts Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly known as the 80-20 rule. It suggests that a ratio of approximately 20% to 80% can be found as an effective measure for most things in life. Whether revenues generated per customer or value for hours worked, it usually can be found that 80% of all of our results in business and in life come from only 20% of our efforts! Too Many Unfinished Projects? Q. I have several projects going at once -- but I never seem to finish them! I'm pulled in so many different directions -- and I end up with nothing to show for my efforts! 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. 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. 5 Time Savers You (Probably) Havent Tried Yet 1. Do tasks less frequently What Are You Thinking? What would be your reaction if someone said to you "In the next 24 hours you will be given $10,000 for every chair you sell like the one you are sitting on right now?" Top Ten Motivators Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with them over the long run can be a major challenge! Some people think that motivation requires will-power and dedication. Actually, staying motivated is all about setting up an environment that is conducive to you accomplishing your goals. Here are ten "tricks" for giving your goals staying power past January 31st: Have You Got a Minute? Such an innocuous little phrase, yet when you are hard at work, really focused and engrossed in what you are doing this seemingly harmless request can be a nightmare distraction. Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life By Gene Griessman, PhD � ����������� Many of us have an image of personal balance as a set of scales in perfect balance every day. But that's an unrealistic goal. You are in for a lot of frustration if you try to allocate within every day a predetermined portion of time for work, family and your social life.� An illness may upset all your plans. A business project may demand peaks of intense work, followed by valleys of slow time. ����������� Balance requires continual adjustments, like an acrobat on a high wire who constantly shifts his weight to the right and to the left. By focusing on four main areas of your life ? emotional/spiritual needs, relationships, intellectual needs and physical needs ? at work and away from� work, you can begin to walk the high wire safely. ����������� Here, drawn from my conversations with many high successful Americans, are ten ideas for balancing all aspects of your life: 1.����� Make an appointment with yourself. Banish from your mind the idea that everyone takes precedence over you. Don't use your organizer or calendar just for appointments with others. Give yourself some prime time. Regularly� do something you enjoy. It will recharge your batteries. Once you've put yourself on your calendar, guard those appointments. Kay Koplovitz founder of the USA cable television network, which is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Koplovitz ran the daily operations of the network for 21 years. For more than two decades, there was always some potential claim on her time. Therefore she vigilantly protected a scheduled tennis match just as she would a business appointment. 2.����� Care for your body. Having a high energy level is a trait held by many highly successful people. No matter what your present level of energy, you can increase it by following these steps: Eat. Don't skip meals. Your physical and mental energy depend upon nourishment. Irregular eating patterns can cause a frayed temper, depression, lack of creativity and a nervous stomach. Exercise. Over and over again, highly successful people mention the benefit of exercise routines. Johnetta Cole, president of Bennett College for Women and former president of Spelman College, does a four-mile walk each morning. She calls it her mobile meditation. The benefits of exercise are mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. If you are healthier and have more stamina, you can work better and longer. Rest. A psychologist who has studied creative people reports that they rest often and sleep a lot. 3.����� Cut some slack. You do not have to do everything. Just the right things. Publisher Steve Forbes taught me a lesson: "Don't be a slave to your in-box. Just because there's something there doesn't mean you have to do it." As a result, every evening, I extract from my long list to-do list just a few "musts" for the following day. If, but three o'clock the next day, I've crossed off all the "musts," I know that everything else I do that day will be icing on the cake. It is a great psychological plus for me. There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself hard, disciplining yourself to do what needs to be done when you hold yourself to the highest standards. That builds up stamina and turns you into a pro. At time, though, you must forgive yourself. You will never become 100 percent efficient, nor should you expect to be. After something does not work, ask yourself, "Did I do my best? If you did, accept the outcome. All you can do is all you can do. 4.����� Blur the boundaries. Some very successful people achieve balance by setting aside times or days for family, recreation, hobbies or the like. They create boundaries around certain activities and protect them. Other individuals who are just as successful do just the opposite. They blur the boundaries. Says consultant Alan Weiss, "I work out of my home. In the afternoon, I might be watching my kids play at the pool or be out with my wife. On Saturday, or at ten o'clock on a weeknight, I might be working. I do things when the spirit moves me, and when they're appropriate." Some jobs don't lend themselves to this strategy. But blurring the boundaries is possible more often than you may think. One way is to involve people you care about in what you do. For example, many companies encourage employees to bring their spouses to conferences and annual meetings. It's a good idea. If people who mean a great deal to you understand what you do, they can share more fully in your successes and failures. They also are more likely to be a good sounding board for your ideas. 5.����� Take a break. Many therapists believe that taking a break from a work routine can have major benefits for mental and physical health. Professional speaker and executive coach Barbara Pagano practices a kind of quick charge, by scheduling a day every few months with no agenda. For her, that means staying in her pajamas, unplugging the phone, watching old movie or reading a novel in bed. For that one day, nothing happens, except what she decides from hour to hour. Adds singer and composer Billy Joel, "There are times when you need to let the field lie fallow." Joel is describing what farmers often do: let a plot rest so the soil can replenish itself. 6.����� Take the road less traveled. Occasionally, get off the expressway and take a side road, literally and figuratively. That road may take you to the library or to the golf course. Do something out of the ordinary to avoid the well-worn grooves of your life. Try a new route to work, a different radio station or a different cereal. Break out of your old mold occasionally, with a new way to dress or a different hobby. The road less traveled can be a reward after a demanding event, a carrot that you reward your self with or it can be a good way to loosen up before a big event. Bobby Dodd, the legendary football coach at Georgia Tech, knew the power of this concept. While other coaches were putting their teams through brutal twice-a-day practices, Dodd's team did their drills and practices, but then took time to relax, play touch football and enjoy the bowl sites. Did the idea work? In six straight championships games! 7.����� Be still. Susan Taylor, editorial director of Essence, sees to it that she has quiet time every morning. She regards it as a time for centering ? for being still and listening. She keeps a paper and pen with her to jot down ideas that come to her. The way you use solitary time should match your values, beliefs and temperament. Some individuals devote a regular time each day to visualize themselves attaining their goals and dreams. Others read, pray, meditate, do yoga or just contemplate a sunrise or sunset. Whatever form it takes, time spent alone can have an enormous payoff. Achievers talk about an inner strength they find and how it helps them put competing demands into perspective. They feel more confident about their choices and more self-reliant. They discover a sense of balance, a centeredness. 8.����� Be a peacetime patriot. Joe Posner has achieved wealth and recognition selling life insurance. Several years ago, Posner helped form an organization in his hometown of Rochester, NY to prepare underprivileged children for school and life and, he hopes, break the poverty cycle. You may find some equally worthy way to give something back through your church, hospital, civic club, alumni association or by doing some pro bono work. Or you may help individuals privately, even anonymously. There are powerful rewards for balancing personal interests with the needs of the common good. One of the most wonderful is the sheer joy that can come from giving. Another� reward is the better world that you help create. 9.����� Do what you love to do. As a boy, Aaron Copeland spent hours listening to his sister practice the piano because he loved music. By following that love, he became America's most famous composer of classical must. When I asked him years later if he had even been disappointed by that choice Copeland replied, "My life has been enchanting." What a word to sum up a life. By itself, loving what you do does not ensure success. You need to be good at what you love. But if you love what you do, the time you spend becoming competent is less likely to be drudgery. 10.� Focus on strategy. As important as it is, how to save time for balancing your life is not the ultimate question. That question is, "What am I saving time for?" Strategy has to do with being successful ? but successful at what? If others pay your salary, being strategic generally means convincing them that you are spending your time in a way that benefits them. If there is a dispute over how you should use your time, either convince the people who can reward or punish you that your idea about using time is appropriate, or look for another job. The "what for?" question should also be asked about the life you live. It is truly a comprehensive question and gets at the question of wholeness. � So what makes for a successful balance life? I can think of no better definition than the one given by Ralph Waldo Emerson: ���� To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because I have lived. This is to have succeeded. � Making Headway on a Slow Day: 9 Ways to Turn Down-Time into Productivity Time If you work from home, you know the kind of day I mean. You made the calls. You revised those drafts. You sent out the emails. Where is everybody!? As much as you used to relish a slow day when you were corporate, it's a little different when you're playing boss to yourself. Your mind gets to wandering. Should I head out to the park? Should I hit the mall? Should I... file for unemployment? Living Life In A Time Starved World Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet: "Shorter deadlines, competing priorities, endless meetings, interruptions and even higher quality expectations are just some of today's time challenges. And yet the number of hours in the day remains the same." Controlling Family Chaos - Time Management for the Family Balancing a family's varying schedules can be near impossible. Soccer, hockey, dance, skating, Brownies, Scouts, skiing, swimming, school activities, homework, not to mention play and sleep time, fill our children's lives. Now add in the parental activities, including work, fitness, volunteering, and home maintenance � and well, 24 hours just doesn't seem to be enough. Time Management Tips - How to Have a Filing System That Works Recently I was working with a new client who had invested hundreds of dollars for a records management organisation to set up a filing system for his business.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |