I don't know about you, but I find that this time of year the workload really piles up both at the office and at home. I thought it would be "timely" to provide some reminders about effective time management. I hope you enjoy part one of a two part series on time management, adapted from the Time Management processes from our friends at RAC.
The great dividing line between an individual's success and failure can be summed up in five words: "I did not have time." As a professional, your most precious commodity is time. Do you manage time or does it manage you? To a very large degree your success will depend on whether or not you master the art of effective time management.
Time is often viewed only as the passing minutes measured by the clock or as the stream of days marked by a calendar. If you look at time strictly from this standpoint, you will fall short of getting the full value of the future that is waiting for you. Time actually has two dimensions: hours and energy. By wasting one, we waste the other.
How are your time management skills? Answer these six questions:
- Are you usually running your life on schedule or running to catch up?
- During a typical day, are you primarily acting or reacting to situations?
- Do you constantly feel pulled and stressed by competing demands for your attention?
- Do you typically feel relaxed, or are you often tense and anxious?
- Do you feel in control or overwhelmed?
- Do you seem to be spending more time helping employees solve challenges than accomplishing your workload?
How did you do? Are you managing your time and your life well, or do you see room for improvement?
Good time management isn't simply about getting more done in less time. It is about getting the right things done at the right time. The right things for you are defined by your responsibilities and the goals within your team, as well as your personal goals.
COMMON ENEMIES OF TIME
Successful people are those who have formed the habit of doing it now, regardless of whether or not it is something you like to do. No matter whether you are a possibility thinker and take action quickly, or necessity thinker and function best when faced with a challenge, procrastination is your enemy and will derail your effort to effectively manage your time.
Next week, we will look at how to plan with a purpose, learn how to design a system that works for you, and identify action steps for making the most of your time.
Have a Great Week!
Jerry
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