Everyone complains they do not have enough time. Everyone wants more time. But did you ever notice that while there is never enough time to do everything, there is always enough time to do the important things?
Good Time Management then is not getting it “all done”.
None of us has enough time to get it “all done”; we all have too much to do.
Rather, it is getting the most important things done.
So, what is important in your life, your career?
What is important for just today to make you feel that you’ve had a productive, successful day?
In my view, successfully managing your most precious resource, depends on the following four principles:
• Applying self-discipline
Getting out of bed on time and a punctual arrival at your destination are the first steps to a making time work for you. This is also a principle of being emotionally intelligent. Being a slave of procrastination causes delays, frustrations, a sense of guilt and missed deadlines. A “just-do”- it approach is worth gold! Everything has to be done eventually, you may just as well get up and do it. Another task completed on the to-do-list – it gives me a great sense of achievement to make that magical tick on the list!
• Being organised
What does your personal space, your desk, you electronic filing, your in-box or even your wardrobe look like? Do you put things where they belong? Do you put your keys in the same spot every day? Do you continuously manage your electronic files and data? Being organised is the habit of ongoing sorting, clearing spaces and sticking to your systems.
• Being efficient
This means achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense. Efficiency is the efficient processing of information. Doing things right the first time, on time, each time
• Protecting your time by being assertive
Do you have to say “yes” to everything, especially unreasonable requests and favours that put you in a difficult position? I often ask myself the question that if I say “yes” to a request, what am I then saying “no” to?
I cannot do my best if I say “yes” to every request. Remember, scarce commodities are worth a lot more than what is freely available. And there is only one of you – be selective and five your best!
If you are interested in managing your life better and to meet your objectives this year, be on the lookout for the next article on the top 10 time wasters that could be detrimental to your career, relationships, personal happiness and your overall sense of achievement.
If you want to know more about becoming more productive, or applying powerful management skills to increase productivity, contact me using the form below for powerful Training and Development interventions.
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You have put these so clearly: I love these principles of working well.
Looking forward to more blogs!