Learning Time Management Skills: Recreating Yourself

A simple rule of thumb when it comes to time management techniques is that concentration is the key to everything.

No matter how effectively you schedule your obligations, the schedule will mean nothing absent an ability to concentrate relentlessly on the task at hand.

Energy that is scattered across several tasks at once, or is easily distracted from the primary task, will necessarily produce less results. With good scheduling and hawk-like concentration, on the other hand, greater results can be produced with less expenditure of energy.

Writing things out is just the start of your time management activities.

Ranking items in terms of priority, time allocation, and compiling lists of daily tasks are unquestionably the first steps…

As you become more advanced, you’ll learn other aspects of strategic thinking—most importantly, you’ll learn how to make decisions that are strategically sound.

One of the greatest benefits of good time management techniques, however, is found away from the office. Most of us, after all, do work to live, instead of living to work. By balancing your professional and personal life, you’ll be able to give both the time they deserve. There’ll be no more wasting time at work inefficiently, to the detriment of your family or romantic life.

For those who are used to flying by the seat of their pants, even basic time management techniques can be intimidating. But the fact of the matter is that they are very simple; they don’t take a lot of time to carry out themselves, and, of course, they’ll save you countless quantities of time over the long run. All it takes is being methodical and disciplined in your application of these simple rules.

1. Know yourself. The ancient principle of Socrates is valid even in today’s business world. Build a time management system custom-tailored to match your own personality and work habits.

Only you know when you tend to work most effectively. Spend some time to analyze your work habits, and ask the right questions about how you work and when you work. Schedule your most pressing and most challenging tasks for your peak hours, and reserve the others for less important distractions—random appointments, errands, etc.

2. Congratulate yourself. Take note whenever your time management skills bring palpable results. Treat yourself.

3. Practice turning people down. One of the most important (and, for nice people like you, most difficult) parts of good time management is knowing how to tell others no. Don’t slam the door in their face, but don’t compromise your priorities just to accommodate their often unnecessary requests.

4. Reassess your goals at least twice a year. Always keep them in mind as you plan your weekly and monthly schedules, and prioritize in accordance with those important, overriding life goals.

5. Take a periodic look back at your past schedules. Reevaluate your scheduling system, and constantly look for ways to streamline it.

6. Keep a bright outlook on your future. There’s no better feeling than seeing real progress towards your major goals. Keep your feet on the ground, and place reasonable, achievable expectations. Chances are, you’ll exceed them.

Living life is much like creating a piece of art. It’s a creative act of self-expression. Learn from the techniques of others, but always trust your intuition. Adapt what you learn from other people’s experiences for the unique needs of the person you know best—yourself.

Photo By BigBlue- flickr.com