Time - that valuable commodity that is so rare in most of our lives that we feel the need to waste it by failing to understand how to maximize it. You can effectively manage your time, but it does require you to think about your day and the activities within it more carefully. Most people hate planning every single minute of the day.
We feel trapped by the seemingly endless list of things that have to be done. We worry about travel times, meetings, deadlines, car pool, sports activities, dance class, chores, phone calls to make, and bills needing paid. The day seems to race from one scheduled time slot to the next without pausing to allow you to catch your breath. But is that the reality? If you're to plan your schedule with more care, and a little less procrastination, couldn't you efficiently manage your time to allow a little breathing space?
In each day there will be times that are more or less cast in stone. These can't be moved for one reason or another - the train will go at that time, the meeting must take place there, dance class starts then, and so on. These set times are things where you aren't able to control the timing. Schedule these into a day planner - and pencil out how long each of these activities will take. Now look at the rest of the day.
This is your time to control. How will you manage it? Make a list of things you must do, and hope to do in the day. Next logically order them so that they fit in around the inflexible time commitments and enter them into designated time slots in your planner. For example, you can't do anything about the two hour train journey to a meeting, but use that two hours to do mobile tasks such as reading a report, drafting correspondence, or even just relaxing if you feel this is something you never get a chance to do.
On the return journey, sort out your notes into a draft report on the meeting ready to finalize and present once you go back to the office. Make use of car pool time to listen to what the youngsters are talking about to one another - this could provide you with invaluable insight into what's happening in your kids' life that they aren't telling you! If you're waiting whilst your child has a dance class or soccer practice, make use of the time to plan the next day, make a grocery list (or why not make use of the time to do the grocery shopping!), or just relax!
When you are at home, don't just sit in front of the television - and then complain that you don't have time to workout, or read, or garden. Watch programs you would like to watch specifically, and then turn the television off and go do one of these other activities. There are just 24 hours in every day. If you effectively manage your time, you may suddenly feel as if these hours increased!
We feel trapped by the seemingly endless list of things that have to be done. We worry about travel times, meetings, deadlines, car pool, sports activities, dance class, chores, phone calls to make, and bills needing paid. The day seems to race from one scheduled time slot to the next without pausing to allow you to catch your breath. But is that the reality? If you're to plan your schedule with more care, and a little less procrastination, couldn't you efficiently manage your time to allow a little breathing space?
In each day there will be times that are more or less cast in stone. These can't be moved for one reason or another - the train will go at that time, the meeting must take place there, dance class starts then, and so on. These set times are things where you aren't able to control the timing. Schedule these into a day planner - and pencil out how long each of these activities will take. Now look at the rest of the day.
This is your time to control. How will you manage it? Make a list of things you must do, and hope to do in the day. Next logically order them so that they fit in around the inflexible time commitments and enter them into designated time slots in your planner. For example, you can't do anything about the two hour train journey to a meeting, but use that two hours to do mobile tasks such as reading a report, drafting correspondence, or even just relaxing if you feel this is something you never get a chance to do.
On the return journey, sort out your notes into a draft report on the meeting ready to finalize and present once you go back to the office. Make use of car pool time to listen to what the youngsters are talking about to one another - this could provide you with invaluable insight into what's happening in your kids' life that they aren't telling you! If you're waiting whilst your child has a dance class or soccer practice, make use of the time to plan the next day, make a grocery list (or why not make use of the time to do the grocery shopping!), or just relax!
When you are at home, don't just sit in front of the television - and then complain that you don't have time to workout, or read, or garden. Watch programs you would like to watch specifically, and then turn the television off and go do one of these other activities. There are just 24 hours in every day. If you effectively manage your time, you may suddenly feel as if these hours increased!
About the Author:
James Malinchak, Featured on ABC's Hit TV Program Secret Millionaire, is considered by a lot of experts as the World's #1 Big Money Speaker Coach and Trainer. For Free Video Trainings concerning how to get paid to speak and ways to be a effective presentation skills, go to www.BigMoneySpeaker.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment