Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. Wikipedia
One of my skills is Time Management, I hear over and over again “Susie you’re so could a time management, how do you fit it all in?” – I am good at time management but unlike other skills it is something we can all achieve and get better at if we recognise that our time management could be a problem in the first place!
Mark yourself out of 1-10 with the following (10 being outstanding, 1 not good)
How do you feel you manage Time in General?
How effective are you at Meeting Deadlines?
How easily are you distracted from Daily Tasks?
A low score will indicate that you can manage your time more effectively!!
Now ask yourself this question – what’s worth more time or money?
“There is an oft-quoted saying that “time is money.” You can interpret this to mean that time is a valuable currency. In fact, each day another 24 hours is deposited into each of our “bank accounts.” We get a choice about how to spend these hours. We decide how much we spend right away, how much gets invested for the future, and how much we give away. The worst choice is to waste these hours by letting them slip away. ”
Tina Seelig. http://stvp.stanford.edu/blog/?p=1979
We can always earn more money but we can’t earn more time, we all get the same 24 hours; it’s the choices we make each day that determine how well we use our time!
Organisation can be learnt ! If you don’t start organising your time, then time will almost definitely manage you and your life!
To improve your time management you must accept that some change is going to have to happen, remember:
” If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Henry Ford (1863-1947)
6 Steps to executing any change in your Life
- Awareness – becoming conscious of the pattern or issue
- acknowledgement – admitting that you need to release the pattern
- Voice – actively selecting to release the pattern
- Strategy – creating a realistic plan
- Commitment – taking action, aided by external accountability
- Celebration – rewarding yourself for succeeding
As I said above the first step to implementing any change is an awareness of the problem, acknowledge that this is an area you would like to improve and become aware of your ‘voice’ your ‘self-talk’. What are you telling yourself every day? Physiology is the Foundation to all effective change.
We now have to build the words in our head to master our communication.
Affirmations…
Examples:-
“I am a Master at Managing my Time”
“Work flows effectively and easily every day”
The next step is developing a strategy or plan and sticking it to it!
Prioritising Work
All activities fall into one of these categories:
- Important and urgent
- Important but not urgent
- Not important but urgent
- Not important and not urgent
Time Rituals
The power of Chunking– what are Musts to do today, what could be done today- what could be done tomorrow?- A brain dump – 1st 5/10mins
Know your Disciplines– what’s the goals for today, this week, this month – Highlight 3 things that are important to you
Outcomes v Task– Get clear on what’s the outcome?
Rewardsand Consequences– we love to ‘beat ourselves up, but what do we achieve – effective or not?
Default Diary – Block out set times that are non-negotiable… Specific meetings/client calls time
Value of an Hour- What’s the actual time spent? reflection – what was my biggest ‘win ‘to day?
Productivity – increases when we focus on results not hours
Reduce Workplace clutter- desk/ organisation of paperwork, – we feel better when we do not see ‘lots’ to do.
It is far more efficient to fully focus for 90-120 minutes, take a true break, and then fully focus on the next activity!
| Please help me in 2013 and answer the following question in the comments below, I will be collecting your answers! |
| What phrases or quotes have you heard that has had an impact in your life? |
Dr Susie Mitchell 