Time management
In a day we have 24 hours, 24 magical, magnificent moments that you can make the optimum use of. But how do most of us spend these 24 hours?
8-10 hours we spend in sleeping. Remaining 14 goes in doing our work and taking out time for ourselves. How much of these 14 -16 hours one uses? Do we get the maximum done out of this time given to one and all by the Almighty?
I don’t know about everyone, but few people most definitely do. That is the reason they have high posts, healthy life style, and amiable relationship with family and friends. How do they achieve everything, while some people work harder, but are unable to achieve the same results?
It is due to time management. They work with the principal of having maximum time to do all their work and enjoy themselves as well. People are happiest doing what they like the most, so the mantra here is to balance your work. When you work on your cherished project, then other projects will be easier to do. Why? Because doing what you like would have given you a positive mind frame. A sense of achievement. So everything else we do will be benefited as well.
Well we all know about the 80%-20% rule. This rule implies that you work smarter i.e. 80% smart work and 20% hard work. Well hard work does pay, no doubt, but only when put to the appropriate use. For eg. A drill machine will get your work done easier and quicker than a nail and hammer. So the mantra here is to work smarter and not harder. In simple terms, do only the job that no one else other than you can do. Delegating work will help give you results and also put that much extra time in your hands. For eg. Someone asked Bill Gates how he could create an empire with so little education he had. Bill gates replied that I have the knack of employing people who do know the job. In other words he delegated his work to get what he wanted.
When you delegate work make sure to write the persons name along with the work you have given him. That way you will keep tabs both on the work and the person.
Another reason successful people are on the top is because they can priorities their work. Prioritizing your work helps you to get the important and essential projects completed before time and in the process keeps you stress free. So how do you prioritize?
Well everyone have their own life to live and so the priority list will be different as well. However the main category is more or less same for all. It is as follows:
Home (includes your family life and house hold work)
Career (includes your professional life)
Personal time (this is where you compete with yourself to get a better you.)
We think that we have lots to complete in a day and every time that thought occurs you get stressed. So write down all the work that you want to finish taking care to put it in the three categories mentioned above. Once done, go to the main category and sub-divide it again into 3 parts long term, short term and today goals.
For eg.
Home category
Long term goals TR Short term goals TR Today goals TR
TR=time required
The time required field is important as you know exactly how much time you have to spend there and when you should let go. Sometimes we spend more than enough time on things that do not require that much attention and in the process lose both time and energy and the knowledge of the same makes us feel guilty later which affects our health. Writing down the goals is important because in that way you get a sense of direction and focus. When the thoughts are only in the mind, they seem to be never ending, but once in black and white, you find that they somehow look small and easier than before. Similarly do the same for the career and personal fields to. This way when you look up at the priority list first thing in the morning, you keep a tab on all your goals and also what needs to be done right away. Once you finish a particular job, put a small sign against it in a different pen, this will give you a sense of accomplishment as you keep on with your work and also acts like a booster to your spirits. In all the categories mention the work delegated to various individuals along with their progress. This way you will maintain only one list which will minimize your work. The process looks long, but in actuality it is very easily done and the benefits are many as you will soon find out.
Another thing that we come across is the “I am very busy” or "I dont have time" syndrome. Here the person will never find enough time as he has already given a command to his sub-conscious to keep him busy. Something or the other will keep cropping up at every instance for such a person due to which he will feel irritated, forgetful, lose his sleep, attention have head aches and worse feel depressed. So what s the solution??
Really simple you know, even if you have loads of work, you say, “I shall get back to you in --- time as my work will be completed by then.” This way you make three goals, one to complete your work, time in which to complete and third of meeting up with the person. It is much better than the above sentence for two reasons, one I have mentioned and the second is that the person who hears such a thing will not like it. “I am busy” signifies telling the other person that there is something else more important than you. Every person has their own dignity, if you were in their position would you like it? Then why say it?
Time management is to mange your time in such a way that you achieve all that you want to and enjoy the process immensely. To do a big job, divide it into small parts and completing those parts will finish your big job in no time.
Wake up one hour earlier. It will add up in the long run because one hour is 60 mins in a day, but in a year you will get 365 additional hours just by waking up one hour earlier.
So mentioning the tips again:
1.Do what you like first
2.80-20 rule
3.Delegate your work
4.Prioritize the work by dividing it in different categories
5. Autosuggestion: I have lots of time and get everything completed and also have time available to do anything that I want.
6. Wake up one hour earlier
Regards,
Farida H B
Handwriting analyst and Grapho
analytical therapist
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