“To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life…” Alan Lakein
Do you buy the latest tool every year hoping it will improve your time management? Are you discouraged when you still don’t get things done and feel overwhelmed? The answer is probably not the tool but your philosophy and habits about time. Do you over-commit or let others manage your time for you? Do you procrastinate or get lost in emails and the Internet instead of doing the things that will accomplish your goals? Make your New Year’s resolution to start 2003 off with a Time Management Makeover:
Define Your Short and Long Range Goals: What do you want to accomplish for the future in your career, family life, personal development and retirement? Are you planning your day, week and month to accomplish your future goals?
Complete a Daily Time Log: Where is your time going now? The best way to find out is to pick a week and log your activities (yes all of them!) every half-hour. You will be surprised at where you are spending your time and can now analyze your log to change your habits.
Use a Planning Tool: Should I use a paper-based planner or a new Personal Computer Assistant? The answer is to purchase the tool that you will use. Remember it’s not the tool but your habits about time. My personal preference is a paper-based planner with a calendar, to-do list and place for notes.
Get Your Team Time Focused: The people around you can help or hinder your time management makeover. Discuss how you can help each other by meeting deadlines, controlling interruptions and improving meeting efficiency.
Conquer Procrastination: What are you waiting for? Take out a piece of paper and start your goals, pick a week to do your time log and commit to using your planner every day. You will start off the year feeling better about getting your most important things done.
As your are undergoing your Time Management Makeover, don’t become a “time nut”…remember to be ruthless with time but courteous with people and have a safe and happy holiday season.