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Effective Time Management
A Training Presentation by Henry Adesiji (Oct. 2007)

Introduction

Time management is a very important issue to be addressed if we would ever attain any point that tends toward the maximum capacity of our creativity and productivity both as an individual and as an organization working hard at making a significant difference in this information age.

 

Let us start off on this topic by addressing some key questions which will then lead us into the depth of how to effectively manage or maximize the only resource available universally, everywhere and yet people complain everywhere that what they need to make a difference is "ENOUGH TIME". Some people even attribute their failure in school, career, business or relationships to the unavailability of sufficient time. How true can all these excuses be? I belief that the answer to this and other crucial questions will unfold themselves as we continue in this eye-opening piece.

What is Time Management?

Time management can be simply defined as the ability to organize your tasks within your limited time based on the priority/urgency attached to each task.

 

It is the ability to define your cause of action so that tasks which matter most are not at the mercy of things which matter least.

 

It is the ability to maximize your time.

 

 

 

Advantages of Good Time Management

  1. It saves time.
  2. It enhances effectiveness and efficiency.
  3. It minimizes waste.
  4. It prevents stress and anxiety.
  5. It reduces avoidance.
  6. It leads to more balanced life (i.e. Work/Pleasure)

Organizing Yourself

The following are habits that must be imbibed in your activities daily for you to effectively manage your time:

 

  1. Set goals and assign a deadline to achieve each goal.
  2. Regularly create and work with daily to-do-lists
  3. Do not under-utilize your PDA/Mobile devices
  4. Always avoid �Time Wasters�
  5. Always avoid Procrastination
  6. Always remember to include time for relaxation/exercise in your daily schedule.

 

 

Goal Setting

Goal setting is very important in effective time management. It should be noted that your goals must be �SMART� for you to achieve your aim with them.

 

S � M � A � R � T means your goals must be�

 

Specific

 

Measurable

 

Action-oriented

 

Realistic

 

Time-and resource-constrained

 

 

To-do-lists

In effective time management, to-do-lists will help you to clarify what you need to accomplish, while the contents of to-do-lists also help you to accomplish them in their order of importance.

 

What�s in a to-do-list?

  1. List your activities for the day.
  2. Prioritise those activities.
  3. Check for activities that you can accomplish at the same time.
  4. Break larger tasks into smaller ones.
  5. Create a break time/time during which you can relax and evaluate your day half-way.
  6. Include your to-do list in your daily schedule.

 

Personal Digital Assistants-PDA

A PDA is a pocket organizer. PDA handhelds have a suite of applications that have made life easier. 

 

With PDAs you can create documents in Word, view PowerPoint presentations, edit datasheets, and create digital Photo albums.

 

You can even snap in a road atlas expansion card or add a portable keyboard to create documents on the road while you travel.

 

You can also receive wireless internet service among other things.

 

 

What can a PDA do?

With a PDA You can

  1. Send and receive files from other IR/Bluetooth enabled devices.
  2. Keep track of appointments, notes & deadlines.
  3. Store, then retrieve numbers, names, and addresses.
  4. Create your to-do lists and set alarms for each of them.
  5. Use the memo/notepad facility to jut down ideas for easy recall.
  6. Other tasks depending on the make and model of your device.

NOTE: Since all of us cannot afford to have a full-blown PDA for accomplishing these tasks, most of our mobile phones can also help out in many of these tasks, so inability to procure a PDA should not be an excuse to being ineffective.



Avoid 'Time Wasters'

 

What are �Time Wasters�?

Time wasters are activities, tasks or events that can be avoided but are mostly accommodated in ignorance.

 

There are many time wasters that will really eat into your time if you allow them to. To free up your time you need to identify those time wasters, decide what you want to do about them and then take action. I've identified some of the most common time wasters and briefly we shall explore them.

 

1.       Not enough time-off or time for yourself

You need to step back, evaluate and re-energise yourself in order to be effective. Many people 'try' to do more and more thinking they're using their time better. But in actual fact, this can often result in being less productive and not working on what's most important. You waste time when you keep working without enough time for just standing back and listening to your inner wisdom. (You can see one of our articles titled: �Power of Imagination�)

 

2.       Interruptions

This may be the telephone, people dropping into your office, unanticipated events or visitors, anything that stops what you're doing. Interruptions prevent you from being focused; they pull you away from important things at the moment, when you return to such tasks you will definitely need some time to build up to the point where you left.

 

3.       Lack of planning, prioritising and focus

Without these, you'll find yourself drifting and working in a scattered and disjointed way, and not spending time on what's most important to you. You'll end up working on activities that aren't moving you towards your vision and if this is so, it's not an effective way to spend your time. You'll feel directionless and your productivity will drop. When you're not fully focused in the moment, you hinder the momentum required to be effective and to get things done faster and more easily.

 

4.       Lack of delegation

It's a real waste of your time to think you need to do everything and no one ever does it as good as you. You'll end up doing too much and having insufficient time to focus only on what you're really good at, your gifts, strengths and ability.

 

5.       Meetings

Meetings can be a time waster if there isn't a specific reason, agenda and timeframe for holding them. It's too easy to fall into the habit of holding meetings without realising that some of that time could be spent more effectively.

 

6.       Telephone, chatting, email and Internet.

These can also be interruptions and as with meetings, it's easy to spend quite a bit of time on the telephone, yahoo messenger or internet without any real reason or intention. Time is wasted when you don't make the best use of the time, when you're unclear about what you want to get out of what you're doing and when you stray off the point and drift.

 

8.       Not saying 'No'

This is the most common time waster for �good� people. Taking on too much puts pressure on you and prevents you from working at your best. Not working at your best and most effective means everything takes longer and more of your time is stolen from you.

 

 

9.       Lack of Organization and Untidiness 

Untidiness zaps your energy and not only leaves you less able to work effectively, but wastes time as you try to sort through it. You may find yourself looking through the same litter of materials time and again. Clutter can be a distraction for you and anything that distracts doesn't allow for effective use of your time.

 

Finally on time wasters, I like to officially inform you that a deliberate action is required for things to change if you want to eliminate the time wasters that have been listed above (or even anyone you can think of).

 

Take a look at how your time is wasted, pick one at a time and define the specific action you're going to take today to plug the hole in your wasted time.

 

Procrastination

Procrastination is the most powerful enemy of effective time management that always slips away unnoticed.

 

It is can be simply defined as the act of postponing tasks to future time.

 

Why Procrastination?

This is a very important question that must be answered if procrastination is to be dealt with. Procrastination comes through five major sources

 

  1. Poor time management.
  2. Difficulty in concentrating.
  3. Fear and anxiety; fear of failure.
  4. Negative beliefs.
  5. Boredom.

 

The Antidote to Procrastination

As we have been able to identify five of the many causes of procrastination, I believe the following steps can be taken in other to cub the underground work of procrastination and be able to achieve more with our limited time. The steps include:

 

1. Recognizing your challenges.

 

2. Setting realistic goals (recall S.M.A.R.T.)

 

3. Prioritize your tasks.

 

4. Acting first. Don�t wait to be motivated.

 

5. Changing your environment.

 

 

Question Time

The following are questions, the answers to which I belief must shed some more lights to your time-wasting habits and what you can do to minimize or totally eliminate time-wasters from your daily routines.

 

  1. What time wasters do you personally encounter in your daily work or activities?
  2. What are your efforts at maintaining focus and concentration in the midst of distractions?
  3. How do you balance being a task manager and people person?
  4. If it must be done, must it be done your way? Or must you get it done by yourself?

Coming Soon...
In a short time from now, we shall bring you more resources such as:
1. Daily Quotable Quotes - Success, Motivational, etc
2. Character Study - Involving an overview of lives of people who had lived (or still living) to make a mark in their time.
3. Post a question - where you can post questions relating to resource maximization and productivity.
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