Time Management Self Improvement

Time. There never seems to be enough.

There are relationship, career, personal interest, family and social demands all screaming for attention in our life. Each of us has the same amount of time available to us as we begin a new day. Twenty-four hours to use or abuse as we see fit.

This is not an article about time management. Time management is a misnomer. You can’t manage time. Time passes oblivious to your needs, desires, problems, goals, expectations and dreams. You can only manage a variety of activities and attitudes within a framework of passing time. Well, if we can’t manage time, what can we manage. We can manage our resources, decisions, thoughts, expectations, problems, people, failures, activities, successes, risks, feelings, goals, money, emotions and a whole host of attitudes.

Let’s get to the heart of the issue. Many people live with daily frustration unable to manage some or all of the items on the previous list effectively. They are anxious, troubled and often angry at the relentless passage of time that is insensitive to their wishes, demands, frustrations and goals.

Many of these people feel stuck, have given up, or have settled, thinking, this is just the way it is, and has to be. They see themselves as a pawn to the demands and expectations to one or more areas of their life therefore, robbing themselves of the pleasure and happiness that is available to everyone who have learned to live with balance.

These people are out of balance, and they know it. They are puppets on a string waiting for the next tug that pulls them this way or that. They feel like their life is out of control. They feel stuck. They see themselves with very few options. They don’t realize that the choices they make, or have made in the past, determine their next options. Poor choices in the present, equal limited better future options. Yes, we all, always have choices, but if these choices are made with a narrow vision of what can be, an unclear picture of reality, or clouded perceptions and interpretations of people and circumstances, they will always be made with limited resources and understanding.

These people remain stuck. Some have moved on in some area of their life, but they still feel unable to shed the feelings of anxiety that there is more to do, more to become, more to have, and more to learn, and not enough time to do it.

There are several major areas in a persons life that demand a portion of their available time. They are: family, career or business, social, personal development, spiritual development, physical development, personal interests or hobbies, friends, misc.. social activities, and let’s not forget time to sleep and eat.

Is it possible to live a balanced life? Is it possible to satisfy the expectations either from ourselves our or world, on how we should be using our time? Is it possible to have it all? Become it all? Do it all? See it all? Learn it all? Read it all? No, it’s not that kind of world.

So we are back to choosing. How each of us chooses to use or spend our time is a very individual matter. Juggling the expectations of a boss, customers, a spouse, children, parents, friends, siblings, and the world in general is a difficult and delicate task at best. No one has an answer, or easy formula to this very difficult life issue. You will not find an answer in this article. What I hope you will find, however is some insight or self-discovery as to why you are feeling as you are and the courage to modify any behavior or attitudes that are sabotaging one or several areas of your life.

You may have noticed that when one area of your life is out of harmony or balance that it impacts every other areas as well. When you are devoting too much time (and only you know what is too much) to your career, every other aspect of your life is impacted. Every aspect of your life is intricately entwined with every other area. If you choose to devote no time to your personal growth, you will lack skill, understanding or wisdom that could contribute positively to some other aspect of your life. By the same token, if you spend time regularly relaxing or meditating, it could help you find the patience or calmness that you will bring to your career or family issues.

Why do people get out of balance?

There are a number of causes that include but are not limited to:

unrealistic goals or a lack of goals, lack of planning, a need for approval and/or acceptance, inadequate personal growth, over estimation of abilities or skills, the inability to say no, the desire to please, lack of discipline, arrogance, greed, insensitivity, lack of spiritual development, un-managed ambition, the need for power, un-checked egos, lack of commitment and a lack of congruence or integrity. Hefty list. I would guess that everyone who is out of balance in their life is guilty of several of these. However, it only takes one.

Being out of balance in life doesn’t feel good. We often feel like the special people in our lives are being cheated. What you might not realize is that you may from time to time cheat your children, friends or a spouse, but you are always cheating yourself when no matter where you are, who you are with or what you are doing, you wish you were with someone else or doing something else.

Life is lived in the present, one moment at a time. It is not lived yesterday or tomorrow, but now. Every time you make a decision to spend time in a certain way, like passing time reading this article, you have eliminated all other choices of time use now. Once you decide to go to a movie, you have eliminated the options of dinner, dancing, golf and so on. Once you decide to work late you have chosen to sacrifice something else. I don’t mean to be funny, but you can’t be in two places at once. You can’t be on vacation and at work too, although many people try. Once you choose one restaurant for dinner you have eliminated all others for that meal.

People need to understand that they have choices, and that the choices they make, and the consequences that come with them are a part of the bargain. Frustration sometimes sneaks into people’s lives when they believe it is possible to break the rules and have it all, do it all or become it all.

You chose your career and life path. You chose your current relationship. You chose your current circumstances by the previous choices you have made. You made them for you. Even if you are in a career that was chosen for you by your parents (and that happens less and less today, than years ago) you have chosen to stay in it even if you are unhappy. You have given the power in your life over to someone else.

If you rationalize that you have to work eighty hours a week and weekends because your boss or organization expects it, you have given up your power to someone else. Then you might say, but I need this job or career. I need the money. No, you have chosen to need it. You could have chosen a different more modest lifestyle that would have required less income. You may feel like you are stuck in a relationship emotionally, physically or financially. Again I doubt that anyone forced you into it. You may have gone into it with closed eyes, but you chose to keep your eyes closed. Like it or not in every situation in life you are where you are because of your choices. Want a better life? Make different choices.

I would like to share fifteen ideas with you that may help you put balance back into your life, so that you can find time for the people and goals in your life that are possibly being shortchanged, including yourself.

One- Spend some quiet time reflecting on the quality of your life in general. Not just a single area, but consider every aspect, and the relationship of each to your overall life.

Two- Make a list of all the areas or people in your life that are coming up short and why.

Three- Determine which area of your life is getting most of your time and energy, and which is getting the least. Ask yourself why. Is the gain in one area worth paying the price of a loss in another area? Only you can answer that question, and only you will pay the price or enjoy the rewards.

Four- Write a letter to yourself about how you would like your life to look like six months from now. Describe in detail how you spend your time, and what proportions of time are dedicated to the various activities and people in your life.

Five- Give yourself at least thirty minutes a day for thirty days to reflect on your overall life goals and your progress toward them.

Six- Write a personal mission statement. Include your life philosophy, guiding principals, desired outcomes and overall direction you want your life to take.

Seven- Move ahead mentally to age 70. What have you accomplished, what do your relationships look like, who have you become and what is important to you. Now work backwards. What do you need to change now to get where you say you want to be. Remember, you change the quality of your future in the present.

Eight- Ask several people who know you well, and will be honest and non judgmental, to offer some feedback on your life and its direction. Listen and learn with an open and receptive attitude. You may not change because of the feedback they give you, but the insight you gain can give you some ideas that could be life changing.

Nine- Take a few days off from your job, career and/or current relationships. Spend time in a place that you are at peace and alone. It could be the beach, the mountains or anywhere where you can spend quality time with yourself evaluating your life without the distractions and expectations of others. Go with no agenda other than self-discovery.

Ten- If you do not keep a journal of your thoughts, lessons learned, life progress, feelings, interests, or observations, start one today. Take a few minutes at the end of each day recording whatever you feel in some way contributed to who you are, how you feel, and who you are becoming.

Eleven- Develop an action plan to begin to re-allocate your time and energy to those people or activities that are important to you.

Twelve- It isn’t necessary to sell your business, quit your job or end a relationship to find better balance in your life. It requires a conscious awareness of what your life is really like, a desire to modify it in some way, the courage to change, the necessary skills and the commitment to stick with it.

Thirteen- Learn to detach from other people’s emotional and or physical hold over you. It will not be easy. There will be people who use blame, guilt, manipulation or any number of emotional or physical techniques to keep you stuck in past behavior or thought patterns. They will know how to push your buttons hoping to control you in some way. When you permit others to manipulate you in any way, you give them power over your life. Detachment means letting go of the hold other people have over you. You can still love them and want to be with them, but you no longer have to be a slave to their “stuff.”

Fourteen- Don’t try and change everything over-night. It takes time to change attitudes and behavior that have developed over the years. Be patient and loving with yourself. But you must also hold yourself accountable. Letting yourself off the hook or making excuses will not put you on the road back to a balanced life.

Fifteen- reward your successes. Treat yourself when you achieve a “worked for” result. Make it something symbolic or significant, but whatever it is make sure you take time to bask in the sunshine of success. Then begin again. Don’t spend too much time basking, or you may fall back into your old habits. Change, permanent change requires vigilance and persistence. You can’t let up until you have achieved total and permanent success. It will always be possible to fall back, so even though you have reached your goal, don’t become too casual or relaxed. There will be new people and circumstances lurking in the shadows for a vulnerable moment. Be watchful.

None of these steps may be easy. Only you can decide if the potential outcome of more balance and inner peace are worth the price that must be paid. Don’t change because of guilt, other people’s expectations, or some casual or superficial whim. If you like working seventy hours a week and seeing your kids once a month for a few hours. Fine. If you want to change, that’s fine too. But do it for healthy emotional or physical reasons not ego-driven motives.

One final thought.

Total balance in life is an ideal. There will always be times when you may be temporarily out of balance devoting extra time to a new career, project, relationship or activity. This is healthy and normal, however be on the lookout that these times don’t stretch into years or decades. It is then that you may end up paying the heavy price of regret in one area of your life. Regret weighs tons, but the daily discipline of change weighs only ounces.

Which are you willing to pay?

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com.

Share This

Time and money are both very important in business. Yet, like me, many business people tend to give a lot more specific thought as to how to spend their money. Too often, how we spend our time is only thought of in terms of “What am I going to do today?” or “What should I do next?”

There are only 24 hours in your day, just the same as everybody else’s and you need to know how to use those 24 hours to your advantage.
There are so many simple ways to save time during our busy day that they are easily overlooked. Sometimes we just overlook the obvious. But being prepared with lists, notes, ongoing files, and systems will help you screen out those unwanted distractions and focus on the important matters at hand. So let’s get down to business!

Here are some tips to manage your time:

First and foremost, Set priorities. Determine what is most important. Everything’s not an earth-shattering emergency! Someone else’s perception of a priority does not mean it is so to you. Discern what needs your attention immediately, what can be delegated, and what can be addressed later. Remember, prioritizing is the key to mastering the use of time.
Regardless of how your priorities are defined, we could all use some extra time in the day. The following are some time management ideas that can help increase your productivity and improve the quality of your life. Try incorporating just a few of these ideas and see how it affects your life.

1. Plan your day the night before. List and prioritize the top five objectives you desire to accomplish when you get to the office. Start with the number one item on your list and stay with it until it is complete. Try to do the most difficult tasks first.

2. Get to the office early. You will never be successful in the sales profession if you get into the habit of coming to work at the “crack of noon.”

3. Use a diary or digital organizer. With so much to organise in your busy life you need to record your appointments, things to do and goals somewhere. Preferably in a paper diary or digital organiser that you can take everywhere. This is the most effective way to get things done, plan your work and your life.

4. Get in the habit of using a To Do list every day. At the end of each day, make a list of items to complete the following day. This helps you put closure on the day so you don’t leave worried about forgetting the tasks that await you tomorrow.

5. Clean out the Clutter. You will save yourself heaps of time, energy and money if you clear out your work and home environmentpaperwork, books, old equipment etc. You’ll be able to find things, save money because you won’t have to buy what you already have hidden somewhere, plus you’ll be less stressed.

6. Use the Right Tools. It’s no good having the latest whiz-bang computer when the desk that you sit at is too small to accommodate it, or the chair has poor back support, or the lighting is dull causing you eyestrain and fatigue. All these factors heavily influence how you work. Invest or ask for a decent desk, purchase a desk lamp or request the light globes be changed. Don’t avoid the warning signs your body gives you. Take action now before you have eye, back or neck problems.

7. Resolve to do today what you wanted to do tomorrow. Make a catch-up list of tasks you have avoided or put on the “back-burner” and rank them from the most important to the least important. Resolve to do at least one task from this list each day.

8. Do your most difficult work when you are in your peak performance state. If you’re an early morning person, do that extra-effort-needed project first thing in the morning. If late evening hours are more your speed, save that high-energy project for that time.

9. Place your phone on voicemail mode at strategic times of the day.
Voicemail is wonderful for those times when you’re either feeling sluggish, want some quiet time, or just want to get a project done. You can access your messages later and return calls on a priority basis.

10. Learn to say NO once your priorities are set. Avoid interruptions. Set aside a period of the day as “off-limits” during which time you will not be interrupted. Use this time to work on your “A” or top priorities, or even as a designated time to handle your mail or return calls. One way to avoid interruption is to make it clear that when your door is closed you are not to be disturbed. Other way is to Let others in your home/office know when you don’t want to be disturbed.

Constant interruptions are annoying and distracting; they are also time-zappers. Letting people know when it’s ok to interrupt and when it’s not is crucial to time management.

11. Schedule your phone calls around your peak performance levels. You want to give your customers/clients your very best attention and this requires energy and enthusiasm.

12. Avoid Unnecessary Meetings. Before agreeing to attend a meeting, check if you really need to be there. Maybe a phone call or email will be just as effective.

13. When you need a swift response, send an Email or make a phone call whenever possible to avoid time delays in receiving an answer.

14. Do What You Do Best and Delegate the Rest. At work see if there are ways you can delegate tasks which would suit someone else’s talents. Many office and home based workers are spending heaps of time on mundane secretarial tasks which would take a person who is trained in that area a quarter of the time to undertake. Assign tasks to another or others to give you more time to handle the tasks which only you can do. Effectively multiplying your time is the ultimate time management technique. Remember, everything that needs to be done does not have to be done by you. Delegating to another person can save you a lot of time in mundane tasking. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Avoid the temptation of doing administrative duties and paperwork. Salespeople historically tend to hide behind their paperwork. Focus your efforts on the things that you are licensed or hired to do and consider employing someone else to handle your paperwork. If you have any doubt, ask yourself “What is the best use of my time right now?”

15. Instead of a to-do list, create a goal for the day. Throw out the to-do list that never gets done, causes you stress and frustration, and makes you feel like a failure. Instead, set yourself a single goal for the day.

16. Schedule free time. Find at least one day each week during which you do no work or business at all. You will get a better perspective on your work after you have time away from it.

17. Look After Yourself First. Exercise regularly, eat healthily and be around positive people. Feed your mind by attending personal development courses. Read self-help and motivational books, listen to tapes. Do the right thing by yourself and you’ll have heaps of energy, be motivated which in turn will help you be more productive.

Time management really can be easy. A fact! You are in control of your time.
If you take away one time management tip, remember that good time management is about knowing what’s most important and doing that the most.
Don’t forget the most important time management tip- make time for yourself. You’re no good to anyone if you’re sleep deprived and miserable. We all deserve a little downtime, even if that means you have to schedule some time for yourself into your calendar each day. Your business, family and relationships will all benefit when your priorities are in order and you have balance in your life.

By following these simple yet very effective ideas you will have more control over your work and your life, experience less stress and be more proactive. All of these factors affect your general well-being, confidence and results.

Yes, these strategies are simple and you probably already knew what you need to do, you just haven’t done it yet.
Isn’t it time you took action?

Guy Mendelson

guyef@walla.com

http://www.great-money.net

http://www.business-oppurtunity.com

Free e-course, send blank email to networkingcourse@FreeAutobot.com

Share This

Time is of the essence. And in business, time is money. We all agree to that, but what do we seem to have the least of? And what can we do about it….

If you only had half the hours in your week, what work would you feel took priority? How would you be able to do just those things and still have time left to get on with other priorities?

This week the challenge is to let go of some to the ’stuff’ that gets in your way. And better, to stop doing much of what you do - especially if it is someone else’s agenda.

Time to pass the buck that has been so handily passed to you, back to the giver - with thanks!

Work is all about behaviours. Over time, our own behaviours take on a life of their own. They are not who we truly want to be (nor where we perform our best) and we get all uncomfortable with how those behaviours dictate our time. It truly is like forcing a square peg into a round hole - can you feel that pressure?

To get round this you need to take a look at all the things that are getting in the way of doing and effective and efficient job.

Sometimes this means getting out of the nice-to-do-but-a-bit-of-a-waste-of-time things - your ‘comfort-blanket’ things that keep you busy, if unproductive. Time to get real about where you best add value at the level you are at.

Couple of examples? Sure!

• What about that member of your team who needs following up on all the time - how much is that wasting your time?

• What about that boss you have who is always dropping extra work on you that you haven’t planned time for?

• And then there is the time you spend chasing after new recruits, because you are losing people way too often.

To dump some of this waste, it’s time to get deep down and honest with yourself and decide what is not serving you best and dump it - tough though it might be.

Time to assess where those wasted hours go and lose them, one by one, to the benefit of you, your job and the rest of the people in your team.

So, take a look at the job you do and get together that wish list that would free up half of your time in the next week.

What are the jobs that waste your time - look hard and if you can’t find much, have the balls to look more closely at you, yourself because that’s the place to start - and finish!

© 2005-6 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.

Share This