Zaxx.org.uk is committed to providing you with the best self improvement tips and advice that is available. Time management is key to better quality productivity for everyone. Brian Tracy and Steven Covey are leaders in this field
The following steps for effective time management can provide a guide for putting your intentions into action, lowering your stress, and helping you achieve your goals.
1. Identify and separate your personal and work-related priorities.
This is key to your long term success and the first step in the process. Many people think that they can happily mix the two because the work is critical to the income to satisfy the personal goals. This is plain wrong. Separate them and allocate your time accordingly to achieve the balance in your life. Work on personal goals in your own time, work goals in work time. Simply put, work at work. Think carefully about outcomes that are important to you. Write them down and be as specific as possible. Declare to yourself exactly what you want to accomplish and by when and why. If you have multi- priorities in the same area select the top 3 or four maximum (80/20 rule) and set them in order of priority Trying to work on too many at the same time will increase, rather than lower, your stress level.
2. Translate your priorities into concrete goals, with component activities.
Break each goal into its individual component parts (see zaxx.org.uk for help); identify and record exactly what steps you consider required to achieve the desired outcome. Identify the requirements and resources (items or skills) you may need related to each step. This helps you plan for success and clarifies what you need (such as co-operation or assistance of other people) to move the goal forward. Don’t get despondent if things work out different, just notice, adjust and keep moving onward. Motion is vital.
3. Identify deadlines and break them down to smaller activities – like stepping stones.
These could include mini-deadlines for goals (sign up to Gym by 1st December) or set times to receive required data to complete quarterly report. Write these actual tasks and the mini deadlines on your planner or diary; scheduling them gives you direction and re-affirms your commitment to follow through to the final outcome, step by step.
4. Consider your monthly diary or planning notebook as a timesaving device.
Too many people have one “at home” or “at the office”. You should keep it with you and use it to schedule not only important activities but everything that you are working on from due dates, deadlines, and appointments through to thoughts, ideas and changes of goals. Constant use of your calendar will provide you with a clear and thoroughly visual reminder to help you keep track of your commitments. Occasionally and regularly (weekly), review your diary or planner to assess your progress in accomplishing your goals. Use highlighter pens to show important dates; this will keep them visible and can serve as a trail or history of your steps towards your goals as they are attained.
5. Learn to say "No"
Saying "no" is an important safeguard and conservator of your time. If you can do so with courtesy and conviction will make it easier for you to say "yes" at a later date when you are able to take on the extra task. Saying no simultaneously affirms your commitment to yourself to follow through on your scheduled activities as well as letting the other person know your time is valuable, scheduled and booked. There are degrees of no and you don’t need to be uncooperative with it. Simply say “No, I can’t fit that in at the moment/today/this afternoon but I would be happy to look at it if I get some time between tasks later”. This could pay dividends in time as well as be seen as constructive.
6. Identify your own barriers to effective use of time.
If you tend to procrastinate (like us all at times), take on too much work yourself or "forget" to use a planner or diary, spend time to analysing why it happened. Uncovering the hidden motivation for your resistance toward time management may help assist you in understanding your behaviours. Is the task before you boring? Would you rather not do it? Do you feel too "tightly controlled" by your own use of a diary or planner? Considering your own thoughts and feelings about using time may help you discover areas that with a little work you may be able to overcome and catapult your performance. Too many barnacles on the ships hull will slow it down. Get rid of a few and the speed increases dramatically! For your own motivation, remember, unsuccessful people don’t do the same things that successful people do because they know they are necessary.
7. Strive for a balance between "doing" and "being".
Work hard play hard is an excellent way to approach life. Set aside some time for fun. With excellent (or just improved) time management strategies, you will be more productive, have better relationships, and enjoy more "good times" with hardly any anxiety and stress. Doing "more" is not the ultimate goal of any effective time management program. More is not necessarily better, and cramming your schedule full of "to do" items doesn’t necessarily lead to higher life satisfaction. Effective time management is a tool to help you to achieve outcomes more effectively, comprehensively and specifically.
Use the steps presented here as a guide to your own journey of meaningful accomplishment. If you have any further requirements on personal success or self development, please visit Zaxx.org.uk for more details and explanations.
Good luck!
Lee Werrell is CEO of Zaxx UK, Zaxx International and Zaxx Worldwide and has been serving the general public since 1991. zaxx.org.uk has now launched as the pre-eminent place for self development and web traffic
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ArticlePros.com and/or its partners.
