3 Keys to Successful Time Management

In strenuous times we nonetheless have 24 hours a day. That might seem like a very natural statement, however think about it. In the good times everyone has a great deal of time to do what is profitable and what they get pleasure from. In tough times it becomes far harder to use your mind owing to procrastination along with trepidation. The one factor we need is confidence. When we are anxious, we are both paralyzed or frantic and sometimes unproductive. Either way, efficient time management loses its way.

So for myself I feel that time management is a misleading statement. Time is time. It cannot be extended or contracted. The proper label needs to be that time management is really self management managing myself inside dimension of time. Everyone gets 24 hours. You can not increase it or shrink it. So self management is actually what counts: how I deal with myself in the 24-hour period determines if I accomplish my objectives or not. Intentions never show up in diaries; actions do.

I on one occasion agreed to do an exercise where I kept a diary of every little thing that I did and listed in 15-minute segments for 2 weeks for every single day. Aside from being comprehensive and monotonous, it gave me insight into how I use my time and more significantly if I was in fact reaching my purpose. I then became a convert to maintaining a diary each day, which was linked to my goals and objectives, and this was 23 years ago, and I am nonetheless converted to this fact.

From this expertise I came up with a number of negotiables.

1. Always plan tomorrow five minutes before the end of today.

Why? Your day is fresh in your thoughts in order to grasp what you did and what must be passed over, therefore list these things which are carryovers for tomorrow. Secondly your mind must be freed up when you go home so as to relaxation and never lose sleep regarding that department presentation. Did you really sort it out or didn't' you? The brain needs rest.

2. Decide on your priorities according to your energy levels.

I list all of my activities for the day and split them into A's and C's. A's are the highest in priority that require concentration and dedicated time. C's are less necessary and want much less focus. At this point evaluate your energy levels. At what time through the day can you do your As and your Cs? Some clients I work with love to do their As from 8 to eleven during the morning and then take a rest close to lunch to do Cs and then do As later on during the afternoon. You might be completely different, but listen to your body when you're doing your diary management for tomorrow. Each day may vary, so set up your diary in line with your energy levels.

3. Your diary keeps you sincere.

Commit to do what the diary says, and only change in exceptional cases. I'm not advocating legalism, however this is your diary, and these are your plans which need to be achieved. The diary is simply a tool that makes this come true on a day by day basis. When you're doing your As, you get two types of priorities. An A that is overwhelming is one which requires time and energy to be dedicated to it. With this do what we call the Swiss cheese method. Swiss cheese is filled with holes, so do a small number of activities every day towards this, and slowly but surely it will all be eaten up. If it's disagreeable, this sort of A must be done immediately. As they say in the Nike advertisements, "Just do it." Otherwise it becomes overwhelming as well.

We all know the old adage that says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I do believe Confucius was smart in what he said. time management using a diary is your first step every single day to achieving your life goals. You may have goals and visions of what you desire to become, and these would possibly become quite emotional as you write them down, but I can assure you that they are only as good as what you are going to place in your diary tomorrow relating to that vision. One step after the other will take you to the peak of the highest mountain you might ever consider climbing.

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