Time Management Tips

We are all so busy these days that it seems we are doing so many things and I for one realize that I’m not performing as well as I would like. Do you feel the same?

There are so many responsibilities on a day to day basis that I often wonder if I’m going to be able to accomplish all the tasks I have in front of me. Those feelings of overwhelm have become a familiar friend. With all the stress in my life I had to find a new way of working. A new plan that would help me not only stay on task but also be able to accomplish them in a timely manner.

The solution: a good time management system. Let’s face it there are tons of different time management systems out there. Some work for a while and some don’t ever work. If I’m going to use a time management system then I have to use one that I know will work for me.

The first step was to sit down and come up with a plan that would work for me on a day to day basis, but could be flexible with my busy life.

Here are the steps that I followed to put my plan in place:

1. Target: I first had to come up with a target regarding the tasks that needed to be completed and how much time I had in order to get them done. Some jobs are ongoing but other jobs have a completion date.
2. Planning: This part is very important because I had to decide how much time each job was going to take, when it needed to be completed, or if it was an ongoing job so I would schedule time to work on the task.
3. Prioritize: Another important part in figuring out my time management plan. Some of the tasks I perform are urgent or have a completion that has to be met. I know this is going to be an ongoing challenge as new tasks come up but if I keep my time management plan handy I can make changes as I go along.
4. Schedule: One of the benefits of having an effective time management plan is being able to schedule my time. One thing I started doing was to put in not only tasks for my job but also events that occur in my personal life. For instance, I now have a time slotted for when I go to the gym and when I have lunch or dinner with certain friends.

It turned out that putting together a time management plan wasn’t all that difficult once I sat down and took a look at all the task and events I have in my life. Everything is now in one place on a calendar that I put together on my computer. It can be changed as I go along and I can print it out to take with me so I have it in case I need to add something to the plan.

There are many tips and techniques available to help you manage your time more effectively. All you need is to find the ones that work for you. For more information check out http://bettertimemanagementblog.blogspot.com/