Seven Suggestions for Effectively Managing Your Time

1. Be Organized

• Use time saving tools: appointment calendars, "to do" lists, e-mail, answering machines, file folders, etc.
• Have an organized workplace (don't waste time constantly looking for your work).
• Use your appointment calendar for everything, including listing study time.
• Use "to do" lists for both long-term and for each day/week.

2. Plan Ahead (Schedule it and it will happen!)

• Determine how long your tasks will take (do this before agreeing to take on a task!)
• Consider whether any activities can be combined.
• Determine if big tasks can be broken down into smaller tasks that may be easier to schedule (such as studying for exams and visiting the library as part of an assignment to write a term paper).

3. Prioritize Your Tasks

• Use an A-B-C rating system for items on your "to do" lists with A items being highest priority.
• Set goals for both the short term and long term as to what you want to accomplish.
• Look at all of your "to do"s to gauge the time requirement and whether additional resources will be needed to accomplish them (if yes, schedule time to obtain those resources). Don't postpone the small tasks (a sense of accomplishment is good and overlooked small tasks can become larger tasks.)

4. Avoid Overload

• Include time for rest, relaxation, sleep, eating, exercise, and socializing in your schedule.
• Take short breaks during study and work periods.
• Don't put everything off until the last minute (for example, don't cram for exams).
• Learn to say "no" when appropriate and to negotiate better deadlines when appropriate.

5. Practice Effective Study Techniques

• Have an appropriate study environment.
• Split large tasks into more manageable tasks.
• Read for comprehension, rather than just to get to the end of the chapter.
• Be prepared to ask questions as they come up during study, rather than waiting until just before an exam.
• Do the most difficult work first, perhaps breaking it up with some easier tasks.
• Don't wait until the last minute to complete your projects.
• Read the syllabus as soon as you get it and note all due dates (and "milestone" times) on your calendar.
• Be a model student! (be attentive and participative in class, and punctual, prepared, and eager to learn)

6. Be Able to be Flexible

• The unexpected happens (sickness, car troubles, etc.); you need to be able to fit it into your schedule.
• Know how to rearrange your schedule when necessary (so it doesn't manage you - you manage it).
• Know who to ask for help when needed.

7. Have a Vision (why are you doing all of this?)

• Don't forget the "big picture" - why are you doing the task - is it important to your long-term personal goals?
• Have and follow a personal mission statement (personal and career). (Are your activities ultimately helping you achieve your goals?)
• Know what is important to you. (What do you value most?)

Have a positive attitude!

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Time Management in the Workplace - Slow Down and Still Get More Done

Do you know what an overworked machine looks like? It functions at its optimum level right before it finally breaks down.

Has your life turned into one big race to beat the clock? Does it feel like no matter what you do, you can never seem to catch up?

Being on overdrive leads us to belief that we are being more productive. As a Result, Time Management in the Workplace Suffers.

Instead, step back and slow down. Slowing down allows you to plan so you can do more with less effort and time. Listed below are useful strategies for time management in the workplace, which you can use to ease yourself out of overdrive, yet still be as productive as you want to be.

Time Management Strategy #1 - Learn to delegate tasks. Whenever possible, delegate less important errands, especially repetitive tasks that can be done by a lower level staff member or assistant. Assigning minor tasks to others gives you extra time to take care of the more important projects and assignments, especially those that are critical for decision making and those that impact the bottom line.

Delegation not only saves you time, but money as well. The less time you waste on petty errands, the more time and money you can save by focusing on the bigger goals. Of course, there will always be tasks that require your attention and personal touch, so focus on those tasks yourself.

Time Management Strategy #2 - Brainstorm. Hold meetings with your staff to brainstorm better time management in the workplace techniques. Remember, heed smart ideas and give credit where it is due. Otherwise employees will be unwilling to share their ideas in the future.

Time Management Strategy #3 - Go for a Walk. Slowing down means clearing your mind from the cluttering effects of your office. By eliminating these distractions, your mind is freed up so you can focus better, be more creative, and hence, be more productive.

In the workplace, it is easy to find ourselves falling into a fast track routine. However, the fast track might not be the right track. Instead of the fast track, focus on the smart track.

The smart track is to slow down, relax, and plan ahead on ways you can save time.

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The Consequences of Inefficient Time Management on the Work of the Average Office Employee

The present days globalized high stakes society requires us to do a lot more. It requires us to generate continuously better overall results.

If you are to be able to deliver more you may either spend a longer time or maybe you could study time management skills and boost your effectiveness.

The Way I Doubled My Effectiveness

Several years ago I'd been granted the honor to start a new office for my employer.

I went from a common manager role to finding myself in charge of advertising, hiring, sales and all of the fun administrational duties that is included in it.

I know what you're thinking, delegate!

I started working my regular 8 to 5 but recognized I simply couldn't keep up.I had no choice but to work for longer and longer, very quickly I worked from 7:30 to 10 every single day (On weekends it was enough with 9-17).

I spoke with my managers but the only thing they could do was offer some tips concerning how to work faster, I spoke with my friends who advised me to give up.

Luckily I got advice from one of my clients to read about time management.

I read books by Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy and David Allen. I began delivering better and better returns. I could start returning home earlier and earlier, in the beginning 9 pm then 8 pm, 7 and then finally at 5 pm like my associates.

The strategies listed below are those that rescued me. You could be using some right now, however, if you are not using all of them, test them out and you will start seeing an improvement in how much you can deliver.

Plan Your Weeks

Begin by writing down whatever you are aware of will have to be carried out throughout the week (this list can be stored, as the standard week looks largely the same), next, I plan it all out.

What do I do Monday, what Tuesday et cetera.

I have got a standard plan for what I do each day and can from there organize it to make me be as efficient as possible.

The ABC Method - Organizing Your Days

Prioritization is the bread and butter of time management. Choosing your most crucial job and staying with it until it is completely finished could help you save numerous of time.

There are 5 forms of jobs (in order of priority).

A - Tasks with severe long-term repercussions.

They're jobs that, if done, could have a great impact on your long run achievement.

B - Tasks with moderate long run consequences

C - Minor long-term consequences

D - Tasks that should be assigned to other people.

E - Tasks that must be eradicated.

They could actually have a damaging effect on your long term if completed.

Each morning check out the tasks you have planned for the day and allocate them a letter.

Begin with your most important task and work through the list

The Bottom line

You'll deliver better results which will help you progress forwards swiftly in your job.

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The Three Top Timely Tips to Improve Your Energy

It's fascinating to explore what captures people's imagination each year. These 3 topics received an overwhelmingly positive response:

3 Top Timely Tips

1. Mastering All 6 Essential Stages of Change Helps Maintain Effective Time Choices.

Understanding Prochaska's model about 6 stages of change can help prepare you to undergo profound changes in tumultuous times. Here are a few tips:

· Pay close attention to dissatisfaction - it may be your first signal that important changes need to be made.

· Let your understanding of what's needed evolve over time. Weighing pros and cons thoroughly helps you foresee long-term consequences and prepare accordingly.

· Never confuse initiating with maintaining change. And allocate enough time and energy to turn fresh choices into healthy habits.

2. Revitalize Your Productivity and Enthusiasm by Using "The 3 Gratitudes" Exercise.

"The 3 Gratitudes Exercise" demonstrates your profound power to transform your energy immediately. Each night, right before sleep, list at least 3 things you feel grateful for. These blessings can be anything you notice and appreciate. Review and learn from your lists. Your actual power in the here and now evolves in significant ways:

· You become more alive to the miracle of the moment.

· You discover what you appreciate, and what you routinely overlook.

· You build your capacity to express gratitude, which enriches relationships.

3. Establish Boundaries to Safeguard Your Time and Energy.

Boundaries are absolutely essential to enact effective time management skills. They hold your priorities and protect them from others' demands and distractions. And, you can learn to set and maintain effective boundaries through practice and repetition. Here are 3 reasons that this discipline is worth all the assertiveness and social skills it requires!

· Strong boundaries build confidence and focus. Saying no to distractions is saying yes to your priorities. Once you have firmly committed to your plans, you gain essential traction to move through your day.

· You shape your life through your boundaries. Assuming this level of responsibility for your time choices multiplies your chances for success! And you won't feel overextended.

· Setting boundaries can be a risk that clarifies important relationships. Clearly stating what you will and will not do can inspire others to be more straightforward, too. Notice how freeing it is to stop second-guessing what people really mean!

Understanding the dynamics of change, intensifying your awareness of what inspires your gratitude and learning how to say no are phenomenal energy boosters. Use them to build trust in yourself and in the world around you, as you become more congruent, more aware and more focused.

Now, what can you do today to transform your relationship with time?

Article Source: EzineArticles

Twenty One Ways to Manage Your Time Way More Effectively

With improved time management skills we can make the shift from reactive to pro-active; we can set goals and have the time to work towards them. It's no secret that those of us who can manage our time better, get more things done.

When one has the time to give priority to the issues in our daily business or private lives that need urgent attention, the stress levels drop & we're able to manage our resources in a more effective manner.

Here's 21 Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Time Management Skills

1. Be decisive

2. Set clear goals & objectives

3. Set a daily work plan, the night before

4. Prioritise tasks using A - B - C - D then re-prioritise A tasks using 1 - 2 - 3 to identify the most urgent

5. Separate the urgent from the important

6. Use the law of enforced efficiency, what is the highest value use of your time?

7. Use the 80/20 rule to improve your time management skills by identifying the tasks that will have the greatest benefit & do those first

8. Develop stamina & high energy through regular exercise & diet

9. Develop single-handling skills to concentrate on one task at a time

10. Eat the ugly toad first, do the hardest thing first up

11. Organize your workspace by using the acronym TRAF: Toss - Refer - Action - File

12. Use travel time to listen to educational CD's & prepare work schedules

13. Develop expertise in key tasks through practice & repetition

14. Work in real time, at a fast tempo & develop an ongoing sense of urgency

15. Time management skills generally improve automatically when you learn to make decisions quickly, with no ifs or buts

16. Re-engineer work processes, map them out & identify what needs to be done and works towards reducing the number of steps by 30%

17. Reinvent yourself once a year. Identify what you need to do to become more productive because the only constant in life is change

18. Ask yourself the following on a regular basis - knowing what I know right now, would I do things the same way

19. Set priorities; identify what tasks you can procrastinate on, that is, the lower priorities can wait. The 80% of tasks that have less value and only contribute 20% of the productivity

20. Decide to work to live, not live to work. This means working towards a balanced life. It's the quantity of time on downtime and the quality of time at work to aim for

21. Be intensely action orientated. It's acting & executing that generates results

There you have it, 21 ways to improve YOUR time management skills. Implement just a few and you'll be way ahead of the pack.

Article Source: EzineArticles

Are You Tired of Making Excuses Yet

Contrary to disbelief, time management skills can be learned and is open to everybody. With good time management, an individual can maximize his time more fully, creatively, and productively thus giving better control in life and in using time

Time management skills refer to the ability of an individual to address personal time management issues, solving them at the fastest and least time possible. Time management skills also refer to the ability of a person to recognize these problems related to time management.

Decisions Making

An essential part in time management falls under decision making. Making good decisions are vital in accomplishing goals. People often use this skill to reduce conflicts and solve problems. Decision making is also considered as the focal component of time management.

Good decision making techniques can be summarized in the following outlines:

a. Recognizing the goal or purpose of the decision. Identify what exactly are the problems that require immediate action, and which problem can be less prioritized. 
b. Problem related concerns. Try to visualize the scale of the problem, and the other issues involved.
c. Recognizing principles before creating alternatives. Not all problems sharing the same issue can be solved using similar solutions. Sometimes, problems differ in principles. So it's always best to identify first the principle that surrounds an issue before making any alternative fixes to avoid unprecedented and unnecessary errors. 
d. Brainstorm and write a list of valid choices. An effective way to fully exercise your available options is by brainstorming and by making a long list of valid solutions. 
e. Evaluate these choices base on their pro's and con's. Base your choice using your standards and evaluate each option by weighing their pros versus their cons.

Procrastination

Procrastination happens when a persons starts to develop a habit of marking or putting important tasks off for unreasonable excuses.

Many people procrastinate. Some suffer chronically while others suffer mildly. Procrastination is time management's best enemy.

STEP 1: Accepting Procrastination

There's literally no point in denying this issue.

STEP 2: Dealing with Procrastination

To effectively deal with the issue, the following suggested issues should be addressed first in order to move forward.

• Unpleasant Task - One common reason why people procrastinate is because they find the task very unpleasant so they try to avoid it as much as possible.

• Disorganized - It's no surprise how organize people tend to finish off tasks quickly than those who are disorganized in their work.

Article Source: EzineArticles

Five Time Wasters That Your Boss Never Tell You When Started Work

By minimize these time wasters, you can at least save some your daily working time and enjoy your working life too. Below are the 5 time wasters.

1. Temptation to React to Interruptions

Every day in your work, you receive all kinds of interruptions ie. phone calls, walk-in customers, e-mails, urgent meetings and extra. Herbet Bayard Swope, first recipient of the Pulitzer Prize once said "I can't give you a surefire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time".

2. Always Say Yes

If are new to your job or like to please your boss, you tend to accept whatever requests from your boss without checking on your limit that you can handle. Another possible reason is you may be scare to decline the request. This is will increase your workload, working long hours and stress to yourself. The quality of your work may drop as you are overworked and tired. Therefore, learn to say "NO".

3. Unorganized Workspace and Uncomfortable Working Environment

Highly productive workers work from clean and organized desk. Research shows thirty percent of the time is been wasted looking for something that is been misplaced at somewhere. Uncomfortable chair, obstruction and glare from your computer monitor will increase stress to your work. Working long hour using non-ergonometric chair can cause stress and back pain to you. You always have the right to ask for more comfortable furniture and equipment to improve your working productivity.

4. Meeting

You may just attend meeting when you are requested to. However, have you checked what the agenda of the meeting are? Do you think there is something that you can contribute to the meeting? Otherwise, just politely excuse yourself from attending the meeting.

5. Indecision and Poor Decision Making.

One of the greatest time wasters in workplace is in making decision. Indecision and poor decision making will not just waste your time but others as well. Generally, 80% of decisions should be made the first time they come up. Decision Making requires courage as every decision has certain amount of risk of failure. The reward for mastering decision making skill is great as all successful corporate leaders today are firm decision makers.

"You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour." - Jim Rohn

Article Source: EzineArticles