Time Management

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We can’t manufacture it, but we can make it, we never seem to have enough of it, yet we
are always wasting it. Poor time management is one of the greatest causes of stress in our
business and personal lives. Often we seem to be controlled by time rather than being
able to control it. One real way to reduce stress is to learn to manage your own time and
decrease the number of distractions and time wasters. Taking control of time is about
finding out how you use your time now and using the lessons learned to organize yourself
more productively.

Time is Life. With enough time, you can do almost anything. Without time you are
finished. To spend your time is to spend your life. To waste your time is to waste your
life. Time passes only once, yet many people live their lives as if this was the practice for
the next time.

The 80:20 Rule

Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little because
they're not concentrating their effort on the things that matter the most.

This is neatly summed up in the Pareto Principle, or the '80:20 Rule'. This says that
typically 80% of unfocussed effort generates only 20% of results. The remaining 80% of
results are achieved with only 20% of the effort. While the ratio is not always 80:20, this
broad pattern of a small proportion of activity generating non-scalar returns recurs so
frequently that it is the norm in many situations.

Time Management Tools:

Good time management means defining priorities and scheduling activities.

People’s attitudes towards time are complex and variable. To use your time efficiently be
aware of the current habits and attitudes that shape your use of time. Few of us will
readily admit that large parts of our working day are wasted. The only way for you to
make better use of your time is to analyze how you use it now, and then to consider ways
in which you can reallocate it in a more effective way.

By applying the time management tips and skills in this section you can optimize your
effort to ensure that you concentrate as much of your time and energy as possible on the
high payoff tasks. This ensures that you achieve the greatest benefit possible with the
limited amount of time available to you.

 Finding out how you really spend your time - Activity Logs
 Tackling the right tasks first - Prioritized To Do Lists
 Deciding what your personal priorities should be - Personal Goal Setting
 Planning to make the best use of your time - Effective Scheduling
 Manage time. Get things done - Beating Procrastination

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  Activity Logs
Finding Out How You Really Spend Your Time

Using a time log is the key to finding out how you really use your time, not how you
think you use it. Keep a time log for a working week by recording what you do, the
specific times and any interruptions. Keeping an Activity Log for several days helps you
to understand how you spend your time, and when you perform at your best. Without
modifying your behavior any further than you have to, note down the things you do as
you do them. Every time you change activities, whether opening mail, working, making
coffee, gossiping with colleagues or whatever, note down the time of the change.

As well as recording activities, note how you feel, whether alert, flat, tired, energetic, etc.
Do this periodically throughout the day

Learning from Your Log

Once you have logged your time for a few days, analyze your daily activity log. You may
be alarmed to see the amount of time you spend doing low value jobs!

You may also see that you are energetic in some parts of the day, and flat in other parts.
A lot of this can depend on the rest breaks you take, the times and amounts you eat, and
quality of your nutrition. The activity log gives you some basis for experimenting with
these variables.

To do that ask yourself for each task:

 Did I need that task at all?

 Do I avoid major tasks in favor of more important ones?

Some other important questions for you to answer to help your time management are:

1. What are you in your job for/what is your main purpose?

2. How do you spend your day and what control have you really got?
3. What do you do that really gets results?
4. What are your activities and key results areas?
5. How do you deal with interruptions?
6. How often do you say NO and how do you say it?
7. How else could you do some of the things you do?
8. What is the difference between effectiveness and efficiency?
9. What is the difference between urgent and important?
10. What changes do you need to ensure the best use of your time?

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Benefit of Activity Logs

Your analysis should help you to free up extra time in your day by applying one of the
following actions to most activities:

 Eliminate tasks that you shouldn't be doing. These may include tasks that
someone else should be doing, or personal activities in the time of work or study.
 Schedule your most challenging tasks for the times of day when your energy is
highest. That way your work will be better and it should take you less time.
 Try to minimize the number of times a day you switch between types of task. For
example, read and reply to e-mails in blocks once in the morning and once in the
afternoon only.

Time wasters

By analyzing your activity log you will be able to identify and eliminate time-wasting or
low-yield jobs. You will also know the times of day at which you are most effective, so
that you can carry out your most important tasks during these times.

There are internal and external time wasters:

Internal time wasters

 Lack of objectives, priorities, deadlines and daily plan.

 Indecision and procrastination.
 Inability to say “NO”.
 Lack of self-discipline.
 Cluttered desk and personal disorganization.
 Ineffective delegation and involvement in details.
 Leaving tasks unfinished.
 Attempting too much and unrealistic estimates.
 Stress

External time wasters

 Meetings (scheduled – unscheduled).

 Telephone interruptions.
 Drop-in visitors.
 Unclear communications and instructions
 Inadequate, inaccurate or delayed information
 Confused responsibility and authority

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  Action Priority Matrix

The essence of best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single
phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.

The priority matrix is a time management tool that that helps you choose which activities
to prioritize (and which ones you should drop) if you want to make the most of your time
and opportunities.

It’s useful because most of us have many more activities on our “wish lists” – whether
these are bright ideas to pursue, exciting opportunities or interesting possibilities – than
we have time available. By choosing activities intelligently, you can make the very most
of your time and opportunities.

However by choosing badly, you can quickly bog yourself down in low-yield, time-
consuming projects that close down opportunities and stop you moving forwards.

URGENT NOT URGENT

I. Activities II. Activities:

Planning, Relationship,
IMPORTANT Crises, Deadline, driven building, Training
projects, Pressing
Problems These too are results which
really make a difference for
your company or your
department.
These are results which
make a difference for your What distinguishes results
company or your in this quadrant is that we
department. These results have time to think about
bring in revenue, hire the them, to plan, to
right people, reduce waste collaborate, to imagine and
and meet certification confer to avoid crisis. Big
requirements. In any job purchases, big moves,
these important things are important hires all demand
basically why one is hired. a longer term, measured
approach.
What distinguishes results
found in this quadrant is B priority = time to think

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 that they must be done very
and plan.
soon.

A priority=crisis!
III. Activities
IV. Activities:
Interruptions, some
calls, Some meetings, Trivia, Some Mail,
Popular activities Time wasting
colleagues
C priorities are not very
important to our success or D priorities are maintenance
NOT IMPORTANT wealth, but they are items: return calls, answer
vibrating in neon orange in email, respond to routine
front of our face. C’s cause inquiry, filing, desk and
the most calendar maintenance. Not
urgent, not important but
interruptions but render must be done or they will
turn into A’s
the least valuable results.

Basically we spend our time in one of four ways. The two factors that define an activity
are urgent and important. Urgent means it requires immediate attention. Importance is
about getting results and contributing to your high priority goals.

To be more effective you should stay out of Quadrants III and IV because, urgent or
not, they are not important. Also you need to shrink Quadrant I down to size by
spending more time in Quadrant II.

Quadrant II is the heart of effective personal management. It deals with things that are
not urgent, but are important. It deals with things like building relationships, long range
planning, preparation, preventive maintenance — all of those things that we know we
need to do but somehow seldom get around to doing, because they are not urgent.

With the time management matrix in mind, take a moment now and consider how you
answered the questions at the beginning of this section. What quadrant did they fit in?
Are they important or are they urgent? It is likely that they probably fit into Quadrant
II. They are obviously important, but not urgent and because they are not urgent you do
not do them. By focusing on relationships and results rather than time and methods you
can achieve dramatic results.

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The only place to get time for Quadrant II in the beginning is from Quadrants III and IV.
You can’t ignore the urgent and important activities of Quadrant I, although it will shrink
in size as you spend more time with prevention and preparation in Quadrant II. You have
to take the initiative and work on Quadrant II because Quadrants I and III work on you.
You have to learn to say no to other activities, sometimes apparently urgent things. You
have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the determination to say no —
pleasantly and with a smile!

 Prioritized To-Do list

The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities.

Stephen R. Covey

One simple method to manage your time more effectively is to sit down at the end of
each day and write down the six most important things you can do the next day. This can
have an enormous effect on your productivity. It is a system that works well, makes you
think and focuses your mind on tomorrow, at a time when you have a moment to plan the
next day.

To-Do Lists are prioritized lists of all the tasks that you need to carry out. They list
everything that you have to do, with the most important tasks at the top of the list, and the
least important tasks at the bottom. And starting to keep a To-Do List effectively is often
the first personal productivity/time management breakthrough that people make as they
start to make a success of their careers.

By keeping a To-Do List, you make sure that you capture all of the tasks you have to
complete in one place. This is essential if you're not going to forget things. And by
prioritizing work, you plan the order in which you'll do things, so you can tell what needs
your immediate attention, and what you can quietly forget about until much, much later.
This is essential if you're going to beat work overload. Without To-Do Lists, you'll seem
dizzy, unfocused and unreliable to the people around you. With To-Do Lists, you'll be
much better organized and much more reliable. This is very important!

Whilst To-Do Lists are very simple, they are also extremely powerful, both as a method
of organizing yourself and as a way of reducing stress. Often problems may seem
overwhelming or you may have a seemingly huge number of demands on your time. This
may leave you feeling out of control, and overburdened with work.

Preparing a To-Do List

Start by writing down the tasks that face you, and if they are large, break them down into
their component elements. If these still seem large, break them down again. Do this until
you have listed everything that you have to do, and until tasks are will take no more than
1 - 2 hours to complete.

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Once you have done this, run through these jobs allocating priorities from A (very
important) to F (unimportant). If too many tasks have a high priority, run through the list
again and demote the less important ones. Once you have done this, rewrite the list in
priority order.

You will then have a precise plan that you can use to eliminate the problems you face.
You will be able to tackle these in order of importance. This allows you to separate
important jobs from the many time-consuming trivial ones.

Setting Priorities tips

Here are six ideas that you can use, every day, to help you set priorities and to keep you working
at your best:

1. Take the time to be clear about your goals and objectives so that the priorities you
set are moving you in the direction of something that is of value to you.
Remember that many people scramble frantically to climb the ladder of success,
only to find that it is leaning against the wrong building.
2. Develop a long time perspective and work on those things in the present that can
have the greatest positive impact on your future. Maintain your balance in life by
setting priorities in the areas of your health, your personal relationships and your
financial goals.
3. Make the commitment to improve those aspects of your life that are most
important to you. If you’re in sales, learn how to be an excellent salesperson. If
you’re a parent, learn how to be an outstanding mother or father. The power is
always on the side of the person with the best practical knowledge.
4. Be sure to take the time to do your work right the first time. The fewer mistakes
you make, the less time you will waste going back and doing it over.
5. Remember that what counts is not the amount of time that you put in overall;
rather, it’s the amount of time that you spend working on high-priority tasks. You
will always be paid for the results that you obtain, not merely the hours that you
spend on the job.
6. Understand that the most important factor in setting priorities is your ability to
make wise choices. You are always free to choose to engage in one activity or
another. You may choose a higher-value activity or a lower-value activity, but
once you have chosen, you must accept the consequences of your choice.

Resolve today to set clear priorities in every area of your life, and always choose the activities
that will assure you the greatest health, happiness and prosperity in the long term. The long term
comes soon enough, and every sacrifice that you make today will be rewarded with compound
interest in the great future that lies ahead for you.

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  Personal Goal Setting
Find direction. Live your life your way.

The essence of effective time and life management is to organize and execute around
balanced priorities. If you were to fault yourself in one of three areas, which would it be:

I. The inability to priorities;

II. The inability or lack of desire to organize around these priorities; or
III. The lack of discipline to execute around them, to stay with your priorities and
organization?

Most people say their main fault is a lack of discipline. So you need an approach that
helps you make a big impact on your personal effectiveness and meets five important
criteria:

1- Balance:

Don’t neglect important areas in life like health, your family, personal development and
professional or work preparation.

2- Coherence:

Try to ensure you have more harmony between your roles and goals, your priorities and
plans and your desires and disciplines.

3- Focuses:

You need something to motivate you and the best way to do this is to organize your life
on a weekly basis. You can still adapt and priorities on a daily basis but the fundamental
thrust are organizing the week.

4- People:

You need to deal with people not just schedules. While you can think in terms of
efficiency in dealing with time, you need to think in terms of effectiveness when dealing
with people.

5- Flexibility:

Your planning should be your servant not your master. Since it has to work for you it
should be tailored to your style and your needs in various ways.

Goal setting is a powerful process for personal planning. The process of setting goals
helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to

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achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot
the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.

More than this, properly-set goals can be incredibly motivating, and as you get into the
habit of setting and achieving goals, you'll find that your self-confidence builds fast.

Achieving More With Focus

Goal setting techniques are used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and
achievers in all fields. They give you long-term vision and short-term motivation. They
focus your acquisition of knowledge and help you to organize your time and your
resources so that you can make the very most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the
achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have
seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, you will also raise your self-confidence,
as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set.

Goals are set on a number of different levels:

First: you decide what you want to do with your life and what large-scale goals you want
to achieve.

Second: you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit so
that you reach your lifetime goals.

Finally: once you have your plan, you start working to achieve it.

Starting to Set Personal Goals

This section explains a simple technique for setting personal goals. It starts with your
lifetime goals, and then works through a series of lower level plans culminating in a daily
to-do list. By setting up this structure of plans you can break even the biggest life goal
down into a number of small tasks that you need to do each day to reach the lifetime
goals.

Your Lifetime Goals

The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your
lifetime, as setting Lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other
aspects of your decision making.

To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in
some these categories (or in categories of your own, where these are important to you):

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  Artistic:
Do you want to achieve any artistic goals? If so, what?

 Attitude:
Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that
you behave that upsets you? If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a
solution to the problem.

 Career:
What level do you want to reach in your career?

 Education:
Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and
skills will you need to achieve other goals?

 Family:
Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How
do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?

 Financial:
How much do you want to earn by what stage?

 Physical:
Are there any athletic goals you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep
into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?

 Pleasure:
How do you want to enjoy yourself? -You should ensure that some of your life is
for you!

 Public Service:
Do you want to make the world a better place by your existence? If so, how?

Once you have decided your goals in these categories, assign a priority to them from A to
F. Then review the goals and re-prioritize until you are satisfied that they reflect the
shape of the life that you want to lead. Also ensure that the goals that you have set are the
goals that you want to achieve, not what your parents, spouse, family, or employers want
them to be.

Staying on Course

Once you have decided your first set of plans, keep the process going by reviewing and
updating your to-do list on a daily basis. Periodically review the longer term plans, and
modify them to reflect your changing priorities and experience.

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Goal Setting Tips

The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective goals:

 State each goal as a positive statement: Express your goals positively - 'Execute
this technique well' is a much better goal than 'Don't make this stupid mistake'

 Be precise: Set a precise goal, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can
measure achievement. If you do this, you will know exactly when you have
achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.

 Set priorities: When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you
to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals, and helps to direct your
attention to the most important ones.

 Write goals down: this crystallizes them and gives them more force.

 Keep operational goals small: Keep the low-level goals you are working towards
small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not
making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more
opportunities for reward. Derive today's goals from larger ones.

 Set performance goals, not outcome goals: You should take care to set goals
over which you have as much control as possible. There is nothing more
dispiriting than failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control.
These could be bad business environments, poor judging, bad weather, injury, or
just plain bad luck. If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can
keep control over the achievement of your goals and draw satisfaction from them.

 Set realistic goals: It is important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of
people (parents, media, and society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will
often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions. Alternatively you
may be naïve in setting very high goals. You might not appreciate either the
obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to
achieve a particular level of performance.

 Do not set goals too low: Just as it is important not to set goals unrealistically
high, do not set them too low. People tend to do this where they are afraid of
failure or where they are lazy! You should set goals so that they are slightly out of
your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is no hope of achieving them. No
one will put serious effort into achieving a goal that they believe is unrealistic.
However, remember that your belief that a goal is unrealistic may be incorrect. If
this could be the case, you can to change this belief by using imagery effectively.

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Achieving Goals

When you have achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so.
Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress you have
made towards other goals. If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself
appropriately.

With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:

 If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goals harder
 If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goals a little
easier
 If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so
 If while achieving the goal you noticed a deficit in your skills, decide whether to
set goals to fix this.

Failure to meet goals does not matter as long as you learn from it. Feed lessons learned
back into your goal-setting program.

Remember too that your goals will change as you mature. Adjust them regularly to reflect
this growth in your personality. If goals do not hold any attraction any longer, then let
them go. Goal setting is your servant, not your master. It should bring you real pleasure,
satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

Example:

The best example of goal setting that you can have is to try setting your own goals. Set
aside two hours to think through your lifetime goals in each of the categories. Then work
back through the 25-year plan, 5-year plan, 1-year plan, 6-month plan, a 1-month plan.
Finally draw up a To Do List of jobs to do tomorrow to move towards your goals.

Tomorrow, do those jobs, and start to use goal-setting routinely!

 Effective Scheduling
Plan your time. Make time for yourself.

Scheduling is the process by which you look at the time available to you, and plan how
you will use it to achieve the goals you have identified. By using a schedule properly, you
can:

 Understand what you can realistically achieve with your time;

 Plan to make the best use of the time available;
 Leave enough time for things you absolutely must do;

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  Preserve contingency time to handle 'the unexpected'; and
 Minimize stress by avoiding over-commitment to yourself and others.

A well thought-through schedule allows you to manage your commitments, while still
leaving you time to do the things that are important to you. It is therefore you’re most
important weapon for beating work overload.

How to Use the Tool:

Scheduling is best done on a regular basis, for example at the start of every week or
month. Go through the following steps in preparing your schedule:

1. Start by identifying the time you want to make available for your work. This
will depend on the design of your job and on your personal goals in life.

2. Next, block in the actions you absolutely must take to do a good job. These
will often be the things you are assessed against.
For example, if you manage people, then you must make time available for
dealing with issues that arise, coaching, and supervision. Similarly, you must
allow time to communicate with your boss and key people around you. (While
people may let you get away with 'neglecting them' in the short-term, your
best time management efforts will surely be derailed if you do not set aside
time for those who are important in your life.)

3. Review your To Do List and schedule in the high-priority urgent activities, as

well as the essential maintenance tasks that cannot be delegated and cannot be
avoided.

4. Next, block in appropriate contingency time. You will learn how much of this
you need by experience. Normally, the more unpredictable your job, the more
contingency time you need. The reality of many people's work is of constant
interruption: Studies show some managers getting an average of as little as six
minutes uninterrupted work done at a time.
Obviously, you cannot tell when interruptions will occur. However, by
leaving space in your schedule, you give yourself the flexibility to rearrange
your schedule to react effectively to issues as they arise.

5. What you now have left is your "discretionary time": the time available to
deliver your priorities and achieve your goals. Review your Prioritized To Do
List and personal goals, evaluate the time needed to achieve these actions, and
schedule these in.

By the time you reach step 5, you may find that you have little or no discretionary time
available. If this is the case, then revisit the assumptions you used in the first four steps.
Question whether things are absolutely necessary, whether they can be delegated, or
whether they can be done in an abbreviated way.

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Remember that one of the most important ways people learn to achieve success is by
maximizing the 'leverage' they can achieve with their time. They increase the amount of
work they can manage by delegating work to other people, spending money outsourcing
key tasks, or using technology to automate as much of their work as possible. This frees
them up to achieve their goals.

Also, use this as an opportunity to review your To Do List and Personal Goals. Have you
set goals that just aren't achievable with the time you have available? Are you taking on
too many additional duties? Or are you treating things as being more important than they
really are?

If your discretionary time is still limited, then you may need to renegotiate your
workload. With a well-thought through schedule as evidence, you may find this
surprisingly easy.

 Overcoming Postponing
Manage your time. Get it all done.

If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not
alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree - but some are so chronically
affected by procrastination that it stops them achieving things they're capable of and
disrupts their careers.

The key to controlling and ultimately combating this destructive habit is to recognize
when you start procrastinating, understand why it happens (even to the best of us), and
take active steps to better manage your time and outcomes.

Why do we postpone?

In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on
right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more
comfortable doing.

Procrastinators work as many hours in the day as other people (and often work longer
hours) but they invest their time in the wrong tasks. Sometimes this is simply because
they don't understand the difference between urgent tasks and important tasks, and jump
straight into getting on with urgent tasks that aren't actually important.

They may feel that they're doing the right thing by reacting fast. Or they may not even
think about their approach and simply be driven by the person whose demands are
loudest. Either way, by doing this, they have little or no time left for the important tasks,
despite the unpleasant outcomes this may bring about.

Another common cause of procrastination is feeling overwhelmed by the task. You may
not know where to begin. Or you may doubt that you have the skills or resources you

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think you need. So you seek comfort in doing tasks you know you're capable of
completing. Unfortunately, the big task isn't going to go away - truly important tasks
rarely do.

Other causes of procrastination include:

 Waiting for the “right” mood or the “right” time to tackle the important task at
hand;
 A fear of failure or success;
 Underdeveloped decision making skills;
 Poor organizational skills; and
 Perfectionism ("I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly now,
so I won't do it at all.")

How to Overcome Procrastination:

Whatever the reason behind procrastination, it must be recognized, dealt with and
controlled before you miss opportunities or your career is derailed.

Step 1: Recognize that you're Procrastinating

If you're honest with yourself, you probably know when you're procrastinating.

But to be sure, you first need to make sure you know your priorities. Putting off an
unimportant task isn't procrastination, it's probably good prioritization. Use the Action
Priority Matrix to identify your priorities, and then work from a Prioritized To Do List on
a daily basis.

Some useful indicators which will help you pull yourself up as soon as you start
procrastinating include:

 Filling your day with low priority tasks from your To Do List;
 Reading an e-mail or request that you've noted in your notebook or on your To Do
List more than once, without starting work on it or deciding when you're going to
start work on it;
 Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to
make a cup of coffee or check your e-mails;
 Leaving an item on your To Do list for a long time, even though you know it's
important;
 Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling
your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on
your list.

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Step 2: Work Out WHY You’re Procrastinating

Why you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task. But it's important to
understand what the reasons for procrastination are for each situation, so that you can
select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going.

Common causes of procrastination are:

 You find the task unpleasant; or

 You find the task overwhelming

Step 3: Get over it!

If you are putting something off because you just don't want to do it, and you really can't
delegate the work to someone else, you need to find ways of motivating yourself to get
moving. The following approaches can be helpful here:

 Make up your own rewards. For example, promise yourself a piece of tasty
flapjack at lunchtime if you've completed a certain task
 Ask someone else to check up on you. Peer pressure works! This is the principle
behind slimming and other self-help groups, and it is widely recognized as a
highly effective approach.

 Identify the unpleasant consequences of NOT doing the task.

 Break the overwhelming projects into a set of smaller, more manageable tasks.
You may find it helpful to create an action plan.

 Start with some quick, small tasks if you can, even if these aren't the logical first
actions. You'll feel that you're achieving things, and so perhaps the whole project
won't be so overwhelming after all.

Final Word on Time Management

These are just some simple ideas that can save you time and help you work more
effectively. Please pass on these tips to any of your friends, family, or colleagues who
may find them useful.

1- Write things down

A common time management mistake is to try to use your memory to keep track of
too many details leading to information overload. Using a to-do list to write things
down is a great way to take control of your projects and tasks and keep yourself
organized.

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 2- Prioritize your list

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you focus and spend more of your time on the things
that really matter to you. Rate your tasks into categories using the ABCD
prioritization system described in the time management course.

3- Plan your week

Spend some time at the beginning of each week to plan your schedule. Taking the
extra time to do this will help increase your productivity and balance your important
long-term projects with your more urgent tasks. All you need is fifteen to thirty
minutes each week for your planning session.

4- Carry a notebook

You never know when you are going to have a great idea or brilliant insight. Carry a
small notebook with you wherever you go so you can capture your thoughts. If you
wait too long to write them down you could forget. Another option is to use a digital
recorder.

5- Learn to say no

Many people become overloaded with too much work because they overcommit; they
say yes when they really should be saying no. Learn to say no to low priority requests
and you will free up time to spend on things that are more important.

6- Think before acting

How many times have you said yes to something you later regretted? Before
committing to a new task, stop to think about it before you give your answer. This
will prevent you from taking on too much work.

7- Continuously improve yourself

Make time in your schedule to learn new things and develop your natural talents and
abilities. For example, you could take a class, attend a training program, or read a
book. Continuously improving your knowledge and skills increases your
marketability, can help boost your career, and is the most reliable path to financial
independence.

8- Think about what you are giving up to do your regular activities

It is a good idea to evaluate regularly how you are spending your time. In some cases,
the best thing you can do is to stop doing an activity that is no longer serving you so

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you can spend the time doing something more valuable. Consider what you are giving
up in order to maintain your current activities.

9- Use a time management system

Using a time management system can help you keep track of everything that you need
to do, organize and prioritize your work, and develop sound plans to complete it. An
integrated system is like glue that holds all the best time management practices
together.

10- Identify bad habits

Make a list of bad habits that are stealing your time, sabotaging your goals, and
blocking your success. After you do, work on them one at a time and systematically
eliminate them from your life. Remember that the easiest way to eliminate a bad
habit, it to replace it with a better habit.

11- Don’t do other people’s work

Are you in the habit of doing other people’s work because or a ‘hero’ mentality?
Doing this takes up time that you may not have. Instead, focus on your own projects
and goals, learn to delegate effectively, and teach others how to do their own work.

12- Keep a goal journal

Schedule time to set and evaluate your goals. Start a journal and write down your
progress for each goal. Go through your goal journal each week to make sure you are
on the right track.

13- Don’t be a perfectionist

Some tasks don’t require your best effort. Sending a short email to a colleague, for
example, shouldn’t take any more than a few minutes. Learn to distinguish between
tasks that deserve to be done excellently and tasks that just need to be done.

14- Beware of “filler” tasks

When you have a to-do list filled with important tasks, be careful not to get distracted
by “filler” tasks. Things such as organizing your bookcase or filing papers can wait
until you tackle the items that have the highest priority.

15- Avoid “efficiency traps”

Being efficient doesn’t necessarily mean that you are being productive. Avoid taking
on tasks that you can do with efficiency that don’t need to be done at all. Just because

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 you are busy and getting things done doesn’t mean you are actually accomplishing
anything significant.

Time Management Tips For Student

As a student, there are some basic Principles of Time Management that you can apply.

1. Identify "Best Time" for Studying: Everyone has high and low periods of
attention and concentration. Are you a "morning person" or a "night person". Use
your power times to study; use the down times for routines such as laundry and
errands.
2. Study Difficult Subjects First: When you are fresh, you can process information
more quickly and save time as a result.
3. Use Distributed Learning and Practice: Study in shorter time blocks with short
breaks between. This keeps you from getting fatigued and "wasting time." This
type of studying is efficient because while you are taking a break, the brain is
still processing the information.
4. Make Sure the Surroundings are Conducive to Studying: This will allow you to
reduce distractions which can "waste time." If there are times in the residence
halls or your apartment when you know there will be noise and commotion, use
that time for mindless tasks.
5. Make Room for Entertainment and Relaxation: College is more than studying.
You need to have a social life, yet, you need to have a balance in your life.
6. Make Sure you Have Time to Sleep and Eat Properly: Sleep is often an activity
(or lack of activity) that students use as their time management "bank." When
they need a few extra hours for studying or socializing, they withdraw a few
hours of sleep. Doing this makes the time they spend studying less effective
because they will need a couple hours of clock time to get an hour of productive
time. This is not a good way to manage yourself in relation to time.
7. Try to Combine Activities: Use the "Twofer" concept. If you are spending time at
the Laundromat, bring your psychology notes to study. If you are waiting in line
for tickets to the REM concert, bring your biology flashcards to memorize.