Why time management is important
Why Time Management Is Important
Priorities
When you feel responsibility pile up, it’s not the end of the world, we prioritise all our likes and dislikes. We have something majorly important we always find the time. However, when we have too much on our plate then panic can set in and you feel overwhelmed. Since doing my weekly to do list this has stopped for me. I start each morning what I call eating my ugly frog first thing in the morning, in other words doing jobs you don’t like first thing.
Not certain what to do, ask yourself what needs to be done first. Avoid, however, wasting time doing things that do not need to be done.
I find it works best to set an Alarm Clock, I will spend 30 minutes doing the first task, and it should be completed, then take a 5-minute break.
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Consolidate
The more confused and disconcerted your life is the more time you will waste. This is time you will never get back.
Have you an ocean of commitments, debts, jobs and feel like you are drowning? Now is the time to take stock, and bail yourself out, by focusing on the biggest problems in your life. Maybe find yourself a good coach that will help you to unload and think more clearly where you want to go in life.
Identify three outcomes
There are normally many possible outcomes to any situation but let us keep it simple and nail three.
Imagine what would happen if someone did the opposite to what you expected them to do.
What would happen if that project turned out better than you expected it to be?
What would happen if things fell to pieces completely?
Would you be able to handle it / fix it / let it go?
And what would happen if the worst scenario happened?
Focusing on the negative outcomes is counterproductive, so always keep the balance by focusing on two positives and one less perfect scenario, so you can find the solution.
Leverage Technology
Use technology to save time and money.
During Covid 19 this has certainly come into its own with companies and individuals having to meet online.
I have certainly saved both time and money – no more sitting in traffic jams or going to client meetings; giving me more time to connect with and help others all over the world.
Embrace the new technology that will grow and benefit you in ways you could not imagine.
There is a saying, “you have not seen nothing yet” and relatively speaking this is only the start.
Go Paperless
Paper I believe will always be part of my life, but time can be saved by reducing the amount of paper around you. Making time to scan documents on to your computer will also reduce clutter.
I only print off paperwork that is important to me that I need to read.
So, remember save trees and go paperless.
Use the right tool for the job
A plumber comes to the house to fix a leaking tap. The job is finished in less than five minutes and you’re invoiced £100.00. You think to yourself this calls for a career change, so you ask the plumber why the bill is so expensive.
With a smile on his face, he says well £10.00 for the part £90 for knowing what the problem is and knowing what tool to use to put it right.
You can save time and money by renting, borrowing, or buying the right tools, remember you would not use a kitchen fork to weed the garden, would you?
Make a to-do list on post-it-notes
The less you must do the less you will be plagued by tension headaches.
What I like about post-it notes is nothing too big can be put on a post-it note and you never put too much detail on it as there is no room.
Post-it notes can be a godsend in getting jobs done and being organized.
Having portable sticky notes, there is less chance of losing them. This will repay you by keeping you focused on your mission, should you wish to implement it into your life.
Study best Practice
Ask yourself what is the best practice to solve this problem?
Who are the successful people in your industry, what are they doing that you are not doing?
If they have a similar problem to you what are they doing to solve it?
How are others in your industry cracking the code to become successful?
If you are looking for the information, it is out there for your industry – you must find it and implement it.
And as my late parents used to say, “if you fail at first change one thing and redo”. Eventually, with all the actions you are doing people will start taking notice, and success will be yours for the taking.
Study the top people in your industry, find and implement the most effective policies and procedures that they use.
Single Task or multitasking
People exaggerate how great they are at multitasking, but the latest experts say it is nothing to be proud of.
People in the know say we are not meant to multitask.
OK, things get done but at what level and at what cost?
If you are distracted you are not concentrating on the task at hand. What does work, however, is the philosophy of self-tasking. This means focusing your attention and resources on one project/ place/ person /thing at a time, so you can really get a sense of what’s going on and thus achieve better results. If a project or hobby or other pursuit is meaningful to you – why not give it your full attention? even just 30 minutes a day!
Remember to focus on one thing at a time.
Learn to delegate.
I have lots of business owners say “if only I could have done that myself.”
I also hear a lot of mums saying that too. If you could allow yourself, what would you do differently?
What would you focus on, what tasks could you delegate to your teenage children? Why not get them working on your business or even doing some chores around the house? – both my boys can cook a three-course meal and do their own washing and ironing and know how to clean a house – now that did save me time!
When I am busy with clients you can also delegate computer work etc. to other members of your family who can do it a lot quicker than you.
Your burden is someone else’s passion so recruit others to do the job you do not like doing so you can focus on what you do best.
Remember get others to do your dirty work.
Start Getting Results Today!
Get in touch today and find out how Karen can help you to start achieving the results you want.
Who Is Karen Baughan?
Karen Baughan is an NLP Master Practitioner based in Bromsgrove, UK. Having used NLP to affect her own personal transformation, she now helps clients, from around the world, to transform their lives and achieve their dreams.