SEVEN VARIABLES GUARANTEED TO TURN YOU INTO AN EXCELLENT TIME MANAGER!!!!!

In order for us to draw the relevance of time in personal success, we need to:

·         Recognize time as a measurable non-renewable resource.

·         Appreciate time as a factor of production.

·         Develop skills that will enable us to use time in the most profitable way.

Here are a few tips that I think will help you learn how to manage your time, they have worked for me and I am sure that you will find them useful.

(i)      Have a daily plan

            One of the ways in which we can be able to keep tabs on our valuable seconds in life is ensuring that we have a clear plan of things we need done before the day ends. This is very simple; every morning after waking up, make a list of things to do.

Arrange them in order of priority and allocate time for each activity in your plan, include time to relax and time for interruption. Jumping headfirst into a heap of tasks is the easiest way to get overwhelmed. So, plan, for ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’

(ii)    Do the most important tasks first

              On your to-do list, you have activities that you have marked as most important and those that you have marked as less important. When you settle down to start working, begin with the tasks on top of your list and the rest can follow in the order of their priority. The trick here is to make sure that you have an easy afternoon so that you can deal with easier tasks.

(iii)  Minimize or eliminate interruptions

Interruptions are unforeseen events or additional responsibilities that have not been captured in your to-do list. It is almost impossible to avoid interruption unless if you live alone in this world. The key to avoiding interruptions is to learn how to gently turn down unplanned appointments and saying no to additional responsibilities especially if they do not help you to achieve your goals.

(iv)   Delegate some responsibilities

This is specially advice to those of us in leadership positions. You need to realize that you cannot be in all places at the same time and sometimes you can’t do everything by yourself.

Even if you could, it would take you longer to get things done.

The beauty of delegation is that you can get multiple tasks completed at the same time. This way, things get done faster. Caution should however be exercised when delegating responsibilities.

(v)     Avoid unfinished business

If you start a task, see it to completion before moving on to the next one. The hazard of jumping from one task to another is that in no time you will have a long trail of incomplete tasks that will make your life even more difficult.

Please remember before any work goes to the out tray, make sure that it’s complete.

(vi)   Get rid of time wasters

Things like electronic gadgets, televisions, radio, I-pods, newspapers and magazines are supposed to provide us with information and entertainment, however when not properly used they can turn into serious time guzzlers. To keep them under check, include them in your to-do list and allocate them specific time. Other time wasters like office gossip and staff chats can be eliminated completely.

(vii)  Do not procrastinate

Do not put off things that you can do today till tomorrow. Identify things that you can do now which move you closer to your goal and start working on them right away. Any time is good to start and no time is best to start. Device words like ‘just do it!’ and ‘start now!’ as slogans whenever you want to start working on a new project.