Learn and practice. Know what IS working well for you and recognize and acknowledge what IS NOT. Stop blaming others. Take baby steps–one thing at a time and recognize when you make progress and reward yourself! Remember—it is the progress—not the perfection!
Leave time open. Having a few minutes in between appointments and tasks is a GOOD thing. It will allow you to make up for the unexpected and to actually breathe a little!
Understand why you are procrastinating! This may also be a habit! It is important to know the difference between delaying tasks or decisions for appropriate reasons—such as obtaining more information—and procrastinating. A few things to help you reform your habits:
Communicate. The greatest plan in the world will not be effective if it is not communicated to everyone involved!
Sharing your plan will help get others on board and let them help in the plan. You cannot do it ALL by yourself! No matter how hard you try! No matter how smart, how fast, how good you are. So, whether you communicate by using calendars, lists, notes, email—whatever—share the plan!
Plan. We’ve all heard the adage that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That may seem a little simple and a little harsh, but I would say that in most cases, it holds true.
Of course, there are some things that we can “wing it” with. But, for things we are serious about—things we really care for—our priorities, we must plan! It may be as simple as planning a menu for the week or as involved as planning for retirement!
Be very careful with multi-tasking. Although there may be some tasks you can overlap, such as doing dishes while you talk on the phone, there often is a negative pay-off for trying to do too many things at once. How many times have you let something over-cook on the stove because you left the room just to “grab one thing?” Or, how many conversations with a child have not really heard because you were really planning your next two hours or what was for dinner? Learn what things work well for multi-tasking and what things do not.
Be patient. This may seem like a strange term to use. Sometimes patience is mistaken for sloth. But, patient people are typically more effective time managers. This is because they generally think things through before they act and focus more on the results than the constant movement! Here are a few characteristics of patient people:
So, practice being patient! Drive a little slower, pause before your answer, let the dryer run the full cycle! Slow down. Change your routines. Take a break. And, realize that a lost minute does not lead to a lost life!
Know what matters most to you. What are your real priorities? If we do not know what our priorities are, it is very hard to know if we are using our time towards them! Just crossing items off a to-do list may show accomplishment, but are these items tasks that relate to caring for our priorities? When we do not schedule time for our own priorities, we are not serious about our priorities! Scheduling time to take care of what matters most to us is not selfishness. It is effectiveness. It is how we actually show that our choices REALLY are priorities for us.
Learn how to say “no” if it doesn’t meet with your priorities. When you say “yes” to anything, you are saying “no” to something else—maybe something more important!
Sometimes, in order to find a motivation for change, we have to talk about the COST of staying where we are. Consider some of the costs you have incurred due to a lack of using your time well. Perhaps you are always late for appointments and meetings. Maybe you find yourself putting in long hours on a project because of procrastination. Or, maybe your relationships are suffering because of disagreement over how time is spent and when tasks should be completed. Whatever the cost, you must feel enough “pain” from it to have a desire for change.
And this desire for change–the craving to eliminate the “pain” –may be just the motivation you need to commit to doing things differently. One of my favorite quotes is:
There is no pain in growth. There is no pain in change. There is only pain in resistance to growth and change.
So, why do YOU want to manage yourself better within your time? Find YOUR reason–and make it a good one!
Yes, it’s here! National Time Management Month (right before celebrating National Procrastination Week in March!) I’m going to be sharing for the next few days a tip-a-day in time management. And–just so you know–they probably are not what you’re expecting. They are a little out-of-the-ordinary. But, hopefully, you’ll find something that will help you better manage yourself within your time, since we can’t really manage time–only ourselves!
Here they are–in no particular order. I’ll be discussing one each day, so check back often for the latest and greatest!
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
(1) Find your motivation.
(2) Know your priorities.
(3) Be patient.
(4) Multi-task selectively.
(5) Focus.
(6) Plan.
(7) Communicate.
(8) Be respectful.
(9) Stop procrastinating.
(10) Learn and practice.
Planning ahead for a natural disaster may make the difference between your business being shut down for a few hours or for several months–or possibly even forever. Creating a plan NOW for your company will make the difference. Business disaster preparation should be a priority–not an afterthought!
IMPORTANT STEPS IN CREATING YOUR PREPARED PLAN
1. Create a flowchart showing the lines of authority and organizing communications
2. Define your unique hazards and risks:
3. Identify priorities for essential business operations.
4. Organize employees and resources
5. Plan for evacuation and shelter options
6. Build emergency supply kit(s)
7. Evaluate your insurance coverage. Being under-insured an lead to the greatest economic loss
8. Protect vital records and create a recovery system
9. Enjoy focusing on your work because you know you are prepared.
If you live along the Wasatch Front in Utah, you may be interested to learn more about a full-scale emergency earthquake drill that will be held in March of 2012 to test readiness in the area.
You can learn more at ksl.com.
You can also learn more about a great resource for organizing, managing and protecting your vital documents and business information.
Please visit efilecabinet.com for more information.
