Time Management System: Keys To Effective Time Management
There are a few basic principles which are necessary for effective time management. Without each one, you are going to be inefficient. So take a look at them.
Start With Motivation. Have you ever been to a time management seminar? If you have, you will remember how pumped up you were by the speakers. Do you think it was because they were teaching you some sort of new and improved time management system? Of course not. It is because they motivated the audience into action. Your motivating factor will be the pleasure of getting the things done so that you have the freedom to do what you want.
Make A To Do List. Ninety percent of the problems associated with any time management system stem from a failure to keep an accurate written record of tasks. The human mind is only capable of keeping three to five things in its short term memory at any given time. So, if you are not writing it down, you are forgetting it. If you are forgetting it, you are failing to utilize effective time management.
You Must Maintain Accountability. An aviator periodically checks his charts to determine whether or not his progress matches his flight plan. If he is not where he is supposed to be when he checks the chart, his task is find out why, make corrections and resume navigation. Accountability to your to do list works on the same principle. When you check your progress against the to do list and determine you are off course, you must figure out why. This is not an opportunity to beat yourself up. It is time management technique used to find problems with your time management plan and take corrective action.
Multitasking. If you closely examine the down times throughout your day, you will find a couple of hours of usable time lost while commuting, waiting for appointments, or watching TV. How do you find time to read a book or return a phone call? Well, you learn to use these dead times to more effectively manage your time. Instead of purchasing a book, get it on CD and listen to it while commuting to and from work. A book that would take two weeks to read, can be read in less than a week if on audio. You can make six five minute phone calls while waiting for the doctor.
Delegate. Everyone has the ability to delegate tasks to others in some form or fashion. Learn to delegate simple tasks to others even if you feel that you can do a better job. After all, most tasks do not have to be perfect. They need only be good enough. Place a value on your time. If you can pay someone to perform the task for a rate that is less than the value of your time, the economically rational solution is to pay to have the task performed. This might mean that the boy down the street mows your yard or the service station changes your oil. Your time is too valuable to waste.
Be More Assertive. You have to learn to say No when others make excessive demands on your time. In many ways, effective time management is a zero sum game. Literally, every hour you give away decreases your time by one hour while increasing the recipients by the same amount. The fact is that your time is as valuable, or more valuable than that of other people. It must be, otherwise, others would not ask you to give your time to them, right? Manage your time as you would any other scarce resource. Be assertive and say No.
Every time management system is a house with many rooms. You must learn what motivates you to action and use it to get things done. You must maintain a written record of that which you need to do and check back often to measure your progress. Learn to multitask and delegate so that you get more done each day in the same allotted time. Lastly, and most importantly, recognize that your time is valuable and should not be given away to others unless they really need and deserve it. After all, effective time management is a zero sum game and every minute you waste or give away is a minute lost forever.
