One of the biggest challenges that I am facing these days is
to find time to do all the things I would like to do every day. Ok, I don’t want to say that I never had this
problem before, but for some reason, it has been particularly obvious during
the last days. Although I get up every
morning at 5:30 am and I am usually in bed by 11:00 pm, I am still unable to
complete half of the things that are included in my to-do list.
If you are like me, you must feel that everyday demands or
chores appear to engulf the day, leaving only little time to pursue those
things we enjoy or want to explore. Of
course, I keep dreaming about the things that I would like to do if I could have
1-2 extra hours daily. I envy all those
people who only work part-time or have jobs that don’t require bringing work at
home. There are days that I just accept
the fact, and simply tell myself that this is my life, and that there is
nothing that I can do about it.
But, the truth is that most of the time, we do have choices about
how we spend or use our time. I know
that if I would be a little bit more organized both at work and at home, I may
be able to find that extra time to do other things. If I just know how to use my time efficiently,
life would be so different!
I am a firm believer that balancing what we “need to do”
with what we “want to do” should lead to more satisfaction, and potentially
both happiness and success. All we need to
do is become a master of how we use our time.
After doing some reading and examining many different lists, I have
identified 7 tips that I believe can
significantly improve time management. I
chose these tips because they are simple and easy to implement in personal
schedules.
7 TIPS TO
SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE YOUR TIME
1. Make a
list of what should be done – In other words, maintain your to-do list up
to date. Most people also suggest that
we should always keep the list all the time with us. Although you can always use a daily agenda or
small notebook, I strongly suggest you consider using a service for electronic
devices. If you have a cell phone or a
tablet, you probably already know that there are several good services that can
help manage lists and tasks, including Ta-da
list, WorkHack, RememberTheMilk,
Nozbe, Evernote and Mojonote. If you are not familiar with these services,
I suggest you check this website (http://gigaom.com/2007/01/07/20-different-ways-to-manage-your-to-dos/)
that provides an excellent review of some of the best online/electronic ways to
manage lists and tasks. Several of these
services are free.
2. Rank your
priorities daily – Apparently, prioritizing daily tasks is fundamental to
successful time management. When you
prioritize, you make sure you accomplish the most important tasks first.
3. Do not
distract your attention – One thing that I have learned over the years is
that sometimes is really necessary to close your door if you want to accomplish
some work. If your problem is not people
but procrastination or computer-related distractions, there are applications that
can help you get disconnected from the internet and social media (e.g., Cold
Turkey, Training Wheels, Get Concentrating), so you can only focus on your tasks
and be more productive (http://mashable.com/2012/01/03/block-internet-distractions-apps/).
4.
Set a
strict time limit on meetings – Not always easy, but apparently one of the
best ways to manage our time is to set time limits for meetings. Three things that we can do to achieve this:
have an agenda, invite as few people as possible and keep it short!
5.
Find your
prime time -- Everyone’s
energy timetable is different. Some are morning people. Others do better in the evening. One key to
better time management is to find your high-energy periods and schedule complex
tasks when you are likely to be at your best.
6.
Use
technology to your advantage – Technology is supposed to save us time and
make our lives easier if properly use. Find
the ways that technology can help you and not the opposite.
7.
Learn
from others – Find the most
efficient person (people) you know and watch what they do and how they do it.
What kind of planning system do they use? How do they schedule their time? How
do they combine tasks? How do they balance? See how can you integrate or use this
information in your own time management.
Let me know what you think about these tips. Also, if you have other useful tips, write me
a comment.
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