Time Management Tools

Are you an efficient manager of your time or does it manage you? Do you set goals for yourself in your professional as well as personal life? Do you have a plan of action in order to achieve those goals? Do you have an overall vision for your life? By vision I mean, do you have an idea where you would like to be in both your professional life as well as personal in the next five years, or the next ten years? Do you have a plan for what you would like to be doing in your retirement years? If you answered no to any of these questions, do not get discouraged- it is never too late to start!

We are all given 24 hours in a day, no more, no less; how are you spending your time? Are you productive, are you getting the things on your “To-Do List” checked off; or worse yet do you even have a “To-Do” list? Are you one of the people waiting for your ship to come in? Well if you are still on the dock, let me tell you something- if you want to get on the ship sometimes you have to swim out to the ship! What I mean is- do not sit around waiting for the right opportunities to fall into your lap, you are in control of your life and your destiny, and it is up to you to make it happen!  Effective time management is beneficial for everyone, whether you are the CEO of a major Fortune 500 company, or a mailroom clerk, or even a stay at-home mom.

As with anything in life, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. However, these are some of the typical results from successful time management:

•          Increased enthusiasm, drive and stamina
•          More confidence
•          Improved relationships, both personal and professional
•          Being successful in all areas
•          Increased productivity

You will learn practical ways you can take control of your life, by addressing three key components necessary to successful time management.  First establish a vision for your life; which is the direction you would like your life to take, what you want to be doing in ten years, and so one and ultimately what you have in mind for your retirement years. Second, create specific goals (both short and long term) that work towards achieving your life’s vision. Third, create a plan of action in order that will enable give you necessary steps to accomplish your goals.

Being organized is critical to successful time management, as well as recognizing your strong points and your weaknesses. First, let’s make a list of those strong and weak points; make two columns, listing all your strengths and positive aspects of your personality. Second, make a list of your weaknesses- be honest with yourself. Analyze your weak points; ask yourself do you have a staff member that this task would be suited for? If so, delegate the task to the appropriate person. Analyze all available resources that you have available for help through those weak areas. It may be helpful to make a list of your resources and keep it in front of you where you need it most. Resources can be anything from a dictionary if your weakness is spelling; or a to-do or task list if your weakness is keeping track of your projects. Resources can also be people, such as your supervisor, who is always there to help you- that is their job after all, not hand holding but pointing you in the right direction. You may also use co-workers or friends to proofread documents for you or to be a sounding board for you. Of course, the internet is a resource for just about anything from grammar to email etiquette, the possibilities there are endless.


Personal Values-
Before we get into what a Life Vision is, it is important to first think about and make a list of what your personal values are. What in life is important to you; what are the things you believe in and are passionate about; what really drives you? Your vision will be guided by your personal values, just as your vision will be driven by your goals; and consequently your goals will be driven by your plan of action. Are you seeing the pattern here? Your values along with your goals and plan of action should all intersect with your overall vision for your life.


Life Vision-
You may be thinking, it is all you can do to get through today much less worry about a vision for the rest of your life! However, you will find as you go through this process of learning to better manage your time, and having a vision for your life, with goals that work toward that vision and a plan of action to achieve those goals, you will be more focused, productive and in control of your life. Now on to that vision- this is the direction you want your life to take; the things you would like to accomplish and so forth- that is your vision.  In thinking about what you would like your vision to be, take a long look at where you are now both professionally and personally in life. Are you happy in general with the direction that your life is going? Do you need to make small adjustments to get on track to reach your desired destination, or do you need to make a complete turn around and go in another direction entirely? Once you are sure and happy you have a vision in mind write this down, but keep in mind that you should allow room for your vision to grow and change with you through the years. Being flexible is important, so give yourself permission to change your mind.

Right now think to yourself how would you be described when you leave this world by those your family, friends and co-workers?  Would they say you are you someone who lives life to the fullest; or is life just passing you by? Are you a caring and loving person? What would your co-workers say your biggest impact on them was; what would your friends say on how you touched the world. If you would like to have a more uplifting, and positive influence on those around you try this:  Imagine the kind of person you ultimately want to be, what kind of father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife and so on were you. What kind of legacy do you want to leave your children; what kind of impact would you like to have on your community? So you have this glowing mental image of your how your ideal life will be go out and live it!

Setting Goals-
Now just as important as having a vision for your life, you will need goals to help turn that vision into a reality.  Make a list of specific goals that you want to achieve, both professionally and personally; give yourself specific timeframes to achieve these goals, be realistic, but don’t procrastinate. You may have a goal to form your own business or to buy a home, list each goal and a date that you would like to have accomplished that goal. If a goal seems overwhelming, break it into smaller more manageable goals, which you can focus on one at a time. For instance, you may have a goal to loose 50 pounds; however, this may seem that is more than you can take on. Instead, make a goal to loose 2 to 5 pounds a week, whatever you are comfortable with; remember this is a personal commitment on your part. Focus on that small amount each week, without worrying about the total 50 pounds and before you know it you have reach your goal!

So with your life’s vision in mind, or at least some idea (your vision can still change and evolve and it most likely will as you grow), you now need to think about your goals that you would like to accomplish in your life. Writing your goals down may seem unnecessary, however this is a critical step, having a written list will free your mind to focus on your actions and how you are going to reach your goals. This is where most people get stumped, determining a practical and doable way of achieving their goals, and usually give up by convincing themselves that this is just too much work! Just remember that ‘anything worth having is worth working for’. But there is hope; you will need a plan of action (which we will call your ‘plan’) that states specifically what actions you will take and how those goals will be achieved. This may take a little research on your part; however focus on one goal at a time, listing the things you need to do in order to reach that goal. Depending on your goal, you may need to consider going back to school or furthering your education in some way. Keep your list handy and review it every day, make a point to do something every day that is on your plan of action. Small steps moving forward is to objective here, we don’t need leaps and bounds, just keep moving forward.


The Journey of Life-
Life is a journey, you should have an ultimate destination in mind, and we should all remember to enjoy the journey of life without loosing sight of our overall vision. As with any journey, to reach your desired destination you need a map to get you where you want to go, otherwise you may get lost, and your journey may not be a pleasant one. It is not only possible but important to take time to enjoy the small things in life, this will make you appreciate everything you have and even those challenges you face, knowing they will make you a stronger person in the end. Remember you want to be able to look back on your life and feel a sense of fulfillment, and be happy with your choices in life. Now that you have created a vision for your life, goals, and a plan of action, you have the necessary tools to keep you on track in reaching your final destination.
Keep updating your list; keep your goals in the forefront and what actions you will take to achieve those goals. Many people (most certainly the ones who have a life plan!) find it very beneficial to keep a personal planner of some type with them at all times. This is more than just a calendar, however you decide what works best for you; but having a calendar as well as a place to list your goals and your action plan is critical. This will be much more efficient than relying on you memory or using those little post-it notes that get lost and your thoughts with them!


Making a To-Do List -
There have been a multitude of articles and self-help books written on the subject of time management, how to maximize your day and get the most out of it, lets look at some practical, but proven techniques to achieve better time management. So you have taken the leap and actually written down in black and white your vision for your life and your specific goals. Now you are armed with your lists, and you tell yourself today is the day, you are not going to waste a minute of it! Now that you have taken control of your life back, how are you going to stay on track? A basic but critical factor is having an up-to-date “to-do” list. There are many people who begin their workday with a “to-do” list, which is a great start.  However creating a “to-do” list for your personal life as well as your business life will help keep your whole life on track, and will go a long way towards accomplishing your goals. When adding a task to your to-do list ask yourself does this task directly impacts your strategic plan or your personal objectives, if the answer to both is no, do you actually need to perform this task or can it be delegated and still be accomplished in a timely and professional manner.


While productivity is important, it is also important to stay focused and performing at your best. You know yourself best, what time of day do you find you are at your peak, and able to give your projects your complete attention? If you are a morning person, you should tackle your most difficult and highest priority tasks first thing, go ahead and get those off your list, then begin working on the smaller items. If you find yourself really dragging my mid-afternoon and are unable to remain focused on the task at hand, take a moment to take a break, get up walk around and stretch your legs, get some fresh air, or maybe take a power-nap. Give yourself the time you need to get refreshed and focused again. You may find the afternoon the best time for you to review you projects and do any preparation work that will make the actual job easier. Preparation is the key to remaining organized and focused, and therefore being productive.


Learn the Art of Saying No Tactfully-
It never fails- there will always be times that when you are interrupted by someone who has something that they feel should garner your immediate attention. However, their version of important and true importance in the ‘big picture’ could be worlds apart. In these situations take a moment to ask the person what the issue is, and can it wait until the next day? Explain that you are involved in a time sensitive project and will be happy to address their issue the next day when you are not rushed and can give it your full attention. This will accomplish two things: first you can stay on track with your current task; and second you give the individual the confidence that you will not forget their issue and will take time to put it on your to-do list and follow-through on it.

Schedule Time To Address Those Interruptions-
You may find it beneficial to schedule time in your day to address those inevitable interruptions that come up. Take a moment to determine what the issue is, who can best handle it, and if needed add to your to-do list in the appropriate priority position. Some issues can be addressed with an email. You should also make time each day to review your incoming emails, make it a habit to act upon the email immediately; some may not need a specific action, just read and delete; some may be handled by forwarding to another party for action; and some may need to be saved to dealt with in detail later; but don’t forget to add it to your to-do list.


Remember time is a gift which should be treasured, ask yourself what your time is worth. Once today is gone you will not get that time back, it is gone forever, if today was to be your last day on earth, are you going to be happy with what you chose to do? Fortunately, although tomorrow is not guaranteed, if you wake up to a new day tomorrow think of it as a second chance to get things done right - so make the most of your time.