Time is like money. If you know how to use it, you can create a productive and profitable working environment. If you don’t, you can spend your working life always being busy, but not getting the important things done.
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don’t start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.
Some ways in which time can be utilised effectively are:
Complete most important tasks first.
This is the golden rule of time management. Each day, identify the two or three tasks that are the most crucial to complete, and do those first. Once you’re done, the day has already been a success. You can move on to other things, or you can let them wait until tomorrow. You’ve finished the essential.
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Keeping a to-do List
Carry a pen and paper or organizer wherever you go. A daily list of tasks that need to be done is an essential part of action planning. Update your list daily, crossing off completed tasks and adding new tasks that need to be done. You have a record of what you’ve done, so you always have something to work on.
Prioritising
It’s important to list the tasks you have and to sort these in order of priority, and then to devote most time to the most important tasks. When you know where you want to go, you can manage your priorities, time, and resources to get there. This avoids the natural tendency to concentrate on the simple, easy tasks and to allow too many interruptions to your work.
Set Personal Goals
Setting personal goals is essential to manage your time well, because goals give you a destination and vision to work towards. Goals also help you decide what’s worth spending your time on, and what’s just a distraction.
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Commit to your plan
Don’t flake on your own plan to do something! Be resolute. Be committed. Be professional about it, and follow through.
Organising your time
Identify areas of your life where you are wasting time and try to reduce these. Develop a regular work routine. Keep your work space tidy so that you can work efficiently – it’s hard to do this if things you need to find are buried under a pile of paper! Work to schedule so that you meet deadlines – don’t leave everything until the last minute.
Enjoyment should always be the goal. Work can be play
The goal should be to arrange your commitments in a way that you’re happy living out the details of your daily life, even while you’re working.
Sleep at least 7-8 hours
Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep for their bodies and minds to function optimally. You know if you’re getting enough. Listen to your body, and don’t underestimate the value of sleep.
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