Time management is something that we all find challenging because we feel as though we don’t have enough time in the day to get the things we need to have accomplished done. Some would say that it’s not time management that we have a problem with, it’s task management. In my opinion they go hand in hand because if you can’t effectively manage the amount of time it takes to complete a task then you will struggle with managing both your time and task because all the tasks that need to be completed on a certain day won’t be completed due to you not being able to effectively manage how much time to spend on each one.
The major keys to effective time management is to identify the task, write the plan of action, commit to the plan of action and then complete the plan of action. List what needs to be completed, the time it takes to complete the task, and when the task need to be completed. Then prioritize them in order of importance. You have to be sure your plan is realistic or else you will not accomplish your tasks. For example, I wrote down a few things to complete yesterday and guess what I didn’t complete it because it really wasn’t realistic. I could have completed my task however I didn’t allocate enough time to get it done. I was rushing to finish because my timing was just off. So this time I will see how I can break that task up in to smaller tasks and then write a plan to tackle the smaller tasks so that I can complete the entire task in a timely manner.
Effective time management is all about planning and executing. It is indeed a learned behavior that you can conquer. Here are a few steps that I follow daily to effectively manage my time and tasks.
1. Write down your normal daily activities and be very specific with the times. For example, you wake up and perform your morning ritual from 5 am – 6:30 am, you leave the house at 6:35 am and drop kids off at 7 am and so on and so forth.
2. Write down everything you have to do in order of importance.
3. Now pick 3 things that has to get done today
4. Place those 3 things somewhere in your schedule.
5. Commit to getting those 3 things done that day and scratch them off as you accomplish them
6. Plan your next day by following these same steps.
The ultimate goal is to complete your tasks one step at a time. If you take the time to list them out by priority and set deadlines, you can then plan your day accordingly and fit in some time for yourself, which is something we think we can’t do because we think we don’t have enough time. Once you master this technique you will have mastered the art of Effective Time Management.
Your challenge is to list 3 things you must get completed tomorrow and prioritize them. Once you have identified those 3 tasks, you need to devise a plan on how you’re going to accomplish each task. Next, write your schedule for tomorrow to include the 3 tasks you identified. For me I need to complete some personal development training and it’s a 6 hour course. My goal for tomorrow is to complete an hour worth of training before going to bed. I can break this down by doing it in two 30 minute increments or all at once. I will repeat this process until the 6 hours has been completed.
Once you’ve completed your schedule for tomorrow, execute your plan. Let me know how you did with following your plan and how you felt by leaving a comment. If you’re not comfortable with sharing online then feel free to email me at info@jovitanmiller.com. I would love to hear about your success!
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