E F F E C T I V E T I M E M A N A G E M E N T
WHAT IS TIME?
Time is the
one thing that we all given in equal amounts but often misused. It has been
said that, ‘your time is your life’. If you waste time you waste life.
There are lots of misconceptions about time. We think that time flies, that we
can save time & that we can make up time. Contrary to this, time moves at a
predetermined rate all the time!
TIME WASTER IS TIME ROBBER: -
A time
waster is anything that prohibits us from reaching our objectives most
effectively.
1. Major Time Wasters: - Problems with our
Attitude, Social Networking, Objectives Priorities etc.
2. Minor Time Wasters: - Interruption we face
during the day, extended meetings of minor importance, needless reports, extended
telephone calls, unexpected visitors etc.
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT
A. Focusing
on Goals: -
“Always
look ahead …… Focus on your Goals & Plan”
Many
people discover that the main reason for waste of time is lack of important
goals. Goals reflect our purpose in life & have wide-spread impact on our
lives.
“If you don’t
stand for something …… you will fall for anything”
Goals
have the following criteria: -
1)
Personal 2)
Practical 3) Positive 4) Time Bound, 5) Flexible.
B. Establishing Priorities: -
“Establish your priorities and stick to them”
If you are not absolutely sure of your priorities, you
may find you have been doing time-consuming things which have not contributed
very much to your effectiveness. Make sure you know where your priorities lie
& stick to them.
C. Delegating:
-
“Don’t try to do everything yourself ……… share and delegate”
If you are still doing everything yourself, perhaps
you are not using other people’s talent to best effect. Others can be of
considerable help in allowing you to use your time better. If you take a little
time to delegate to team properly, you can also help them to develop their own
skills and thus save your time in future.
D. Personal
Organisation: -
“Use only the techniques that help you ……… personally”
If you can’t find things
& are personally disorganized, it may be that you need to change your
habits. Changing a routine is not easy, but if you take time to examine your
work & home life, you will inevitably find a number of ways you can save time.
E. Schedule
in Fun: -
“Don’t forget to schedule quality line for yourself, friends and family”
If you find
that work keeps getting on top of you, & you lack energy to cope, you need
to consider whether you are taking enough time to unwind from work. Scheduling
leisure time for yourself to regain energy allows you to work hard & play
hard.
IDENTIFY THE TIME YOU CONTROL:
-
No Matter
how busy your schedule, no matter how overwhelmed you are by your many tasks, you
have some control over how you spend your time. Certainly, your life is constrained
by outside demands. You probably plan your hours around school, work or family
schedules. Yet within these time structures, you usually have the option of
assigning priorities and deciding when some task might be done.
ANALYSE YOUR USE OF TIME: -
One way to get control of your time
is to see where it’s going. Too often we simply attack the task at hand,
without looking ahead to see how we might plan our lives more efficiently. Keep
a time log of where each hour in your day is spent, so you can get a clear
picture of where you are being a good time manager, & where you can make
improvements.
YOUR ENERGY CYCLES: -
Are you a
morning person, or a night owl? Different people have times of the day when
they’re capable of their best work. Schedule your easy task for when your
energy is lower, & save your most difficult work for when your energy is
greatest. Also, don’t neglect the energy cycles of the team members on a
project. However, a good time manager evaluates which tasks need to be tackled
regardless of the hour, & which tasks might wait for peak performance. But
don’t let working around your energy cycles become an excuse to procrastinate!
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