HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TIME

 

 

                              KEEP YOURSELF FOCUSED

                     THE LAW OF FORCED EFFICIENCY SAYS, "THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO EVERYTHING , BUT THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.

                       HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF, TO HELP KEEP YOU FOCUSED AND WORKING ON YOUR TOP TASKS, ACTIVITIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

                     1. WHY AM I ON THE PAYROLL? EXACTLY WHAT HAVE I BEEN HIRED TO DO ? WHAT RESULTS ARE EXPECTED OF ME?

                          YOU MUST BE CLEAR ABOUT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. DISCUSS IT WITH OTHERS. ASK YOUR BOSS.

                      2. WHAT ARE MY KEY RESULT AREAS ? OF ALL THE THINGS I DO, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS THAT I AM EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE IN MY POSITION?

                       THERE ARE SELDOM MORE THAN FIVE TO SEVEN KEY RESULT AREAS IN ANY JOB. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU IDENTIFY YOURS AND THEN WORK IN THOSE AREAS ALL DAY LONG.

                   3. WHAT ARE MY HIGHEST VALUE ACTIVITIES ? OF ALL THE THINGS I DO, WHICH ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTE THE GREATEST VALUE TO MY COMPANY AND TO MYSELF?

                  YOU HAVE CORE COMPETENCIES THAT ENABLE HOU TO MAKE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION. WHAT ARE THEY?

                 4.WHAT CAN I - AND ONLY I - DO, IF DONE WELL, WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE?

                   THERE IS ONLY ONE ANWER TO THIS QUESTION AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU AND ONLY YOU CAN DO. IF YOU DONT DO IT, NO ONE ELSE WILL DO IT INSTEAD. BUT IF YOU DO IT - AND YOU DO IT WELL - IT CAN MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND WORK.

                5.  WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE USE OF MY TIME RIGHT NOW?

                  THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL QUESTION FOR SETTING PRIORITIES AND OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION. AT EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY, THERE IS AN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. YOUR ABILITY TO ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE AND TO SELECT YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS A KEY MEASURE OF YOUR INTELLIGENCE AND YOUR EFFECTIVENESS.

 

                                                            START TODAY

                    STARTING TODAY, YOU SHOULD APPLY THESE KEY TIME MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES TO EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE. APPLY THEM TO YOUR WORK, FAMILY, HEALTH, EXERCISE, ROUTINE, AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS AND ACTIVITIES. NO EXCUSES.

                  YOU REQUIRE TREMENDOUS DISCIPLINE TO SET PRIORITIES AND THEN STICK TO THOSE PRIORITIES. YOU REQUIRE THE CONTINUOUS EXERTION OF DISCIPLINE AND WILLPOWER TO OVERCOME THE PROCRASTINATION THAT HOLDS MOST PEOPLE BACK. HOWEVER, THE MORE YOU DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO USE YOUR TIME WELL, THE HAPPIER YOU WILL FEEL AND THE BETTER WILL BE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE IN EVERY AREA.

                WHAT STANDS BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOALS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES OF SOME KIND. YOUR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF DAILY LIFE CAN HAVE  AN ANORMOUS IMPACT ON YOUR RESULTS AND REWARDS. WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

                   ACTION EXERCISES :

                   1. MAKE A DECISION TODAY TO BECOME ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT AT TIME MANAGEMENT. WORK AT IT UNTIL BECOMES A HABIT.

                   2. BEFORE YOU BEGIN EACH DAY, MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO DO THAT DAY. AS NEW TASKS ARISE, WRITE THEM DOWN BEFORE YOU ACT ON THEM.

                 3. ORGANIZE YOUR WORK LIST BY PRIORITY BY USING THE A B C D METHOD OVER AND OVER UNTIL IT BECOMES A HABIT.

                 4. IDENTIFY YOUR A-1 TASK EACH DAY AND RESOLVE TO WORK SINGLEMINDEDLY ON THAT TASK UNTIL IT IS TOTALLY COMPLETE.

                 5. IDENTIFY THE ONE TASK THAT ONLY YOU CAN DO AND THAT, IF YOU DO IT WELL, CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFENRENCE.

                6. DETERMINE THE 20 PERCENT OF YOUR TASKS THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR 80 PERCENT OF YOUR RESULTS, AND THEN DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO WORK ON THEM MOST OF THE TIME.

               7. EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY, ASK YOURSELF, WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE USE OF MY TIME, RIGHT NOW? AND THEN DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO WORK ON ONLY THAT TASK UNTIL IT IS COMPLETE.