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| Image by Destiny Obiakoeze |
Running behind time is soooooooo easy.
One minute you have all the time in the world and the next you
realize you barely have an hour or more to the moment you have been waiting
for.
It’s kind of frustrating to be late or not meet up.
Especially, when it’s something very important. On top of that, imagine knowing
that you are going to be late on your project or even a presentation. That
would be some hell of a big deal. Add to that the fact that a lot of people do
not take it lightly to let you be the deciding factor on time, more so at those
vital big budget projects or executive meetings and you have a picture in your
mind’s eye that brings a scowl on your face. Now imagine if that were a
reality. Of course that will be way below par with the picture you would love.
There is something about poor time management that rubs us
all the wrong way. For one, it makes you feel like a looser. I have not yet met
anyone who is comfortable to know that they are turning up late at an extremely
important schedule that does not feel horrible. In fact, in most cases,
‘horrible’ will be an understatement.
So how about we discuss s how to manage your time better?
Here we go. Let us find out some ways to meet up with your time:
Have a draft:
What do you want to do? Sit down and start drafting. Have an
outline that guides you. Summarize in a small short form the structure of what
you wish to do. If you itemize them like this, it will make it easier for you
to highlight fully or expatiate later. Usually it is a way of trying to get you and
your mind to start working. Instead of just living in your imagination, by
doing a short draft you have successfully moved your Project into reality. You
must note that this is different from having an action plan.
Have
an action plan:
Use a calendar to plan
a chart. What do you want to do at a specific point and when. State how long it
should last and allot a time frame on it. This will guide you towards how and
when each target should be implemented. I personally use this a lot and it
helps me a great deal. You might prefer to use a post it. They are very
colourful. Colours have a way of calling your attention. Especially, when they
contrast perfectly from the background. Strategically place it at a place you
will always look or go to: In front of your computer or laptop; on your fridge;
on your bathroom door or door to your loo (That is if you live alone. Of course
you do know it will be crazy to plaster everyone’s faces with your activity
right?).
Keep a reminder:
Use your phone. It is called a mobile phone and usually you
take it everywhere you go. I love it when my phone beeps to remind me about
something I need to do in the next few minutes, next hour or so depending on
how I set it up. I would recommend that you give yourself at least thirty
minutes ahead of each agenda so that you have more time. Also, depending on
where you will be at a certain point in time you should be able to assess
whether your time could be extended further to accommodate a preparation. For
instance if what you need to do demands that you get home to pick up something
or change gears, you should set your alert for perhaps an hour to give you
enough room to do just that. It is a great asset for the work of an assistant
and you do not have to pay an assistant’s salary at all. Just log into the
calendar your reminder for when you want the alert and the rest is history.
Be disciplined:
It’s important that you understand how needful it should be
that you be disciplined. Take for instance the scenario that your phone starts
beeping; you take a look at it, read what its saying and stick it back into
your pocket without doing anything about it. Of course that would mean that you
are not disciplined enough to be committed to your own success. So yes, you
must be disciplined to ensure you work according to plan and push yourself to
follow through with what is necessary.
Find
the time you work best:
If you are wondering
how this can impact on your time management, consider the fact that you do more
work at those times that you find it easier and motivated enough to put in some
work. For instance if you prefer a serene atmosphere and find it more
pleasurable to work at night without much disturbances and distractions, you
will notice that the energy to do more at those times means that you get more
done. So reiteratively, the outcome is that whenever you work at night you
turnover more; than during the day. Maybe you might have a pile of work that
ends up disappearing after you put in a decent duration of night time. By all
means use that knowledge to your advantage and leverage on it. Finding the time
you work best and leveraging on it will save you tons of hours. By the time you
quantify the hours you have saved for yourself you will realize how far you
have come with effective time management. Clap for yourself later (don’t forget
me too…now am smiling).
Check up on yourself:
Implementing all of the above requires that you keep an eye
on yourself at every stage. What you feel are as important. The negative
emotions you feel when you fail or the positive emotions you feel when you are
succeeding are equally as important on this checker. Your emotion towards your
progress will be your touchstone every time you accomplish something in a
timely manner. Often, you will feel empowered and happier knowing you
succeeded. Keep in touch by rewarding yourself at the end of every completed
goal or achievement you are committed to. Keeping in touch with yourself is a
great way of keeping the motivation up. Aside from that, the quick deliveries
on your time line will add some zest to your purposeful living. Need I say you
will be living your own ideal?...*wink*.
You want to be that person who has everything planned
accordingly and implemented successfully and on time. I trust that this will go
a long way to making you that person. Obviously this list is not an exhaustive
one. Feel free to share your insights too. Good luck on becoming that pro with
time management
NB: This post is originally written for
Projectsxtra.com and published on
Linkedin. Take a look.
