Time Management Tips
Did you know that time management is a myth
There is still only 24 hours in a day. No matter how well organised we are, time doesn't change, all we can actually manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have.
Create time management goals
Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors, not changing time. A good place to start is by eliminating your personal time-wasters.
Look where you're wasting time
Many of us are prey to time-wasters that steal time we could be using much more productively. What are your time-bandits? Do you spend too much time 'Net surfing, reading email, or making personal calls?
Implement a time management plan
You need to not only set your specific goals, but track them over time. See whether or not you're accomplishing them, the objective is to change your behaviours over time to achieve whatever general goal you've set for yourself.
Use time management tools
Using your diary, the first step to physically managing your time is to know where it's going now and planning how you're going to spend your time in the future.
Prioritise Prioritise!
You should start each day with a time management session prioritising the tasks for that day. If you have 30 tasks for a given day, how many of them do you truly need to accomplish?
Learn to delegate and/or outsource
No matter how small your business is, there's no need for you to be a one-person show. For effective time management, you need to let other people carry some of the load.
Establish routines and keep to them as best as you can
While crises will arise, you'll be much more productive if you can follow routines most of the time.
Set time limits for tasks
For instance, reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.
Be sure your systems are organised
Are you wasting a lot of time looking for files on your computer? Take the time to organise a file management system. Is your filing system slowing you down? Redo it, so it's organized to the point that you can quickly lay your hands on what you need.
Don't waste time waiting
From meetings to dentist appointments, it's impossible to avoid waiting for someone or something. But you don't need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs. Always take something to do with you, such as a study material you need to read.
