If are you struggling to find enough time then read these best time
management tips for some help. Is your leisure and family time taking a
back seat to your professional life? Do you feel dissatisfied in your
professional or personal life?
If you do it is okay as most of us feel like this on a regular
basis. You may be under stress because you are not achieving enough in
your professional life. Or you could be feeling guilty because you are
not spending enough time at home with your family.
Don't worry,
it may not be as bad as you think. There is a solution to your problems.
Simply by changing the way you approach the use of your time you can
find the hours to do all the things you want to, and even have some time
left over. Not only will this help you manage your time more
effectively, it can help you to achieve the things you really want to in
life.
Best time management tips: Manage yourselfWe
have only so much time in each day. This is something that you have to
accept because it will not change. You can not manage time, but you can
manage yourself. This is where the answer to effective time management
lies. You must look at the things that are important to you in life and
devote your time to these. Forget about everything else.
Managing
your time effectively will bring about some dramatic improvements in
your life, but you must be prepared to make some fundamental changes.
However, there is no need to rush, you can make the necessary changes at
your own pace. It is best to go slowly, at least to begin with, as you
may not succeed if you try to do too much, too soon.
Best time management tips: Know yourselfTo
take the first step in effective time management you need to know
yourself. In modern society there are so many distractions we can easily
lose our focus on what we really want in our lives. For most people,
this is an unfortunate fact of life.
So this is the first step in
effective time management - finding out what you really want from life.
You need to get in touch with yourself and discover your vision.
Remember a time earlier in your life when you felt anything was
possible. What were your dreams and aims when you were that age? Your
dreams and goals at this time may help you get in touch with your
vision. It is likely that some of your priorities will have changed
since then, but many will have remained the same.
You should also
think about how you would like your life to be both in terms of your
professional life and your personal life. You should also think about
your capabilities and what is possible for you in life. We will call
this your vision.
Where are you now?By
now, you should have a reasonable idea of what you would like your life
to be like. The next step is tricky. I want you to compare this vision
of your ideal life to your life as it really is now. For most people,
the difference between the two can be quite daunting.
However, no
matter how wide the gap is between your ideal reality and how you live
your life now, it can be bridged. Many people think effective time
management is all about calendars and diaries. Not so. Effective time
management can transform your life on a much more fundamental level.
Living
your life and spending your time the way you want to will involve a few
changes - some big, some small. An example of a minor change would be
eating healthier. A major change could be quitting your job to travel
the world. However, if you put your mind to it you could achieve either
of these. You will have to take a close look at how your hours are spent
and make the necessary adjustments so you can achieve what you want to
achieve.
Planning your day.You should
start by picking two things you want to achieve, one big and one small.
Now, you want to think of one small step you can take towards achieving
these that you can incorporate into one day. If you can complete the one
step towards achieving each goal then you have made an excellent start.
In
truth, there is much more to it than this but this will show you that
it is far from impossible and can be very rewarding. However, doing this
effectively requires a lot of planning so that you complete all of the
tasks you need to do each day while ensuring that all of these tasks are
in line with your vision.
This is where a time plan comes in.
You need to have a very clear idea of what needs to be done, how long it
will take, and when it is going to be done. If it is your first time
using a time plan you may want to keep a time log for a week or two
first. A time log is a detailed record of how you spend your time each
day. This will show you exactly how long different tasks and activities
take. Then you can really plan your days accurately.
The 4 Ds of time managementTo
truly manage your time effectively you have to look at the tasks that
need doing and decide how to handle them. For this you will need the
four Ds of self-management. These are:
* Do it - This can not
wait and needs to be taken care of now. * Delegate it - Not the best use
of your time. Pass it on to someone else. * Dump it - Anything that is
unimportant now and in the future. Bin it. * Defer it - Something for
the 'to do' pile. Come back to it later.
Most, if not all, of the tasks and activities day can be put into these categories.
Try to identify the time wasters that are holding you back and eliminate them from your life.
These
were just a few tips to get you started. As a general rule, try to take
it step by step and as you make a change maintain it until it becomes a
natural part of your life. Each of these small steps will bring you
closer to your vision and leave you with time to do all of the things
you want each day.
Below are some more tips:
Set yourself specific and clearly defined goals, and make sure that these are
realistic
and achievable. To do this, you first need to examine your present situation and assess
what goals are important to you and what action you need to take to achieve your target.
Have
a contingency plan or alternative route to your goal in case you have to change
your plans, for example, taking a relevant postgraduate course if you can't get a job.
Prirotising
Efficiency and effectiveness are not the same. Someone who works hard
and is well organised but spends all their time on unimportant tasks may be efficient
but not effective. To be effective, you need to decide what tasks are urgent and important
and to focus on these. This is called
prioritising. It's important to
list the tasks you have and to sort these in order of priority, and then to devote most
time to the most important tasks. This avoids the natural tendency to concentrate on the
simple, easy tasks and to allow too many interruptions to your work.
Differentiate also
between urgent and important tasks: an urgent task may not necessarily be
important! When jobhunting, you won't be able to apply to every employer. You
will need to carefully prioritise those you wish to apply to, based upon factors such as
closing date, location, degree class required, and chances of getting in.
Procrastination is the scourge of action planning. It's important that you
manage 'Your
fear of doing things' you don't want to do and realise that the fear is often far worse
than any possible negative results. Try to take decisions immediately when possible and
when you don't need to gather more information pertinent to the decision. The best time to
do something is usually NOW.
Taking action generates the impetus for further action. Many
applications to prestigious employers now need to be made in the first term of your final
year and if you procrastinate you'll miss the deadlines.
Breaking down tasks
Break goals down into their components so that you can accomplish them one step at a
time. Write these steps down, and try to be as specific as you can when you do this. Try
to complete one task before you go on to the next.
Reward yourself for achieving these goals to maintain your
enthusiasm. For example, when you are invited to your first interview, treat yourself
to a good meal with friends. Regularly review your progress towards your
goals and revise plans as appropriate to take account of unforeseen changes.
Inevitably, things will not always run smoothly as you progress towards your
goals. When things are not working out, you need to persevere and
learn how
to take a positive attitude towards frustration and failure.
Mistakes are a
crucial part of any creative process and each is a lesson leading you towards
the right solution. Fear of making or admitting mistakes is a major handicap
to taking effective action. It is said that the
people who have achieved
the most have made the most mistakes! Try to be aware that
satisfaction
comes as much from pursuing goals as from achieving them.
Work at
effective strategies to deal with pressure - these can vary from taking
exercise, to relaxation techniques such as Yoga, to simply sharing problems with friends.
Breaking down tasks
Break goals down into their components so that you can accomplish them one step at a
time. Write these steps down, and try to be as specific as you can when you do this. Try
to complete one task before you go on to the next.
Reward yourself for achieving these goals to maintain your
enthusiasm. For example, when you are invited to your first interview, treat yourself
to a good meal with friends. Regularly review your progress towards your
goals and revise plans as appropriate to take account of unforeseen changes.
Inevitably, things will not always run smoothly as you progress towards your
goals. When things are not working out, you need to persevere and
learn how
to take a positive attitude towards frustration and failure.
Mistakes are a
crucial part of any creative process and each is a lesson leading you towards
the right solution. Fear of making or admitting mistakes is a major handicap
to taking effective action. It is said that the
people who have achieved
the most have made the most mistakes! Try to be aware that
satisfaction
comes as much from pursuing goals as from achieving them.
Work at
effective strategies to deal with pressure - these can vary from taking
exercise, to relaxation techniques such as Yoga, to simply sharing problems with friends.
Breaking down tasks
Break goals down into their components so that you can accomplish them one step at a
time. Write these steps down, and try to be as specific as you can when you do this. Try
to complete one task before you go on to the next.
Reward yourself for achieving these goals to maintain your
enthusiasm. For example, when you are invited to your first interview, treat yourself
to a good meal with friends. Regularly review your progress towards your
goals and revise plans as appropriate to take account of unforeseen changes.
Inevitably, things will not always run smoothly as you progress towards your
goals. When things are not working out, you need to persevere and
learn how
to take a positive attitude towards frustration and failure.
Mistakes are a
crucial part of any creative process and each is a lesson leading you towards
the right solution. Fear of making or admitting mistakes is a major handicap
to taking effective action. It is said that the
people who have achieved
the most have made the most mistakes! Try to be aware that
satisfaction
comes as much from pursuing goals as from achieving them.
Work at
effective strategies to deal with pressure - these can vary from taking
exercise, to relaxation techniques such as Yoga, to simply sharing problems with friends.Being assertive can also help here, for example, politely saying no to the demands of
others when you are pushed for time. Sharing tasks and problems with others will spread
the burden and will bring a fresh perspective to them.
Identify areas of your life where you are wasting time and try to reduce these. A good
way to do this is to log everything you do for a week in meticulous detail and then
examine your record to see how you use (or misuse!) your time.
Develop a regular work routine. Keep your work space tidy so that you can work
efficiently - it's hard to do this if things you need to find are buried under a pile of
paper! Work to schedule so that you meet deadlines in good time - don't leave everything
until the last minute. If you have a difficult essay to write, start by drafting out the
structure first- this will break the ice.
When applying for jobs keep copies of all the applications you have
made and keep a log of the date you applied, result, and a record of all your interviews,
plus you were questions asked. This will help you to keep track of your progress and spot
areas where you could improve.
USING A TIME LOG
Monday
- 8.30 Get up
- 9.00 Breakfast
- 9.30 Read newspaper
- 10.00 Lecture
- 11.00 Coffee with friends
- 11.30 Work in library
- 12.30 Lunch
- 1.30 Careers Information Room
- 2.00 Lecture
- 3.00 Seminar
- 4.00 Sports Centre
- 5.00 Dinner
- 6.00 Listening to music at home
- 7.00 Work on CV
- 7.30 Chatting with neighbour
- 8.30 Union Bar
- 11.00 Party at Abigails
- 2.00 Home and bed
|
One useful way to eliminate wasted time is to use a time log. First you need to make up
a chart for the next seven days divided into half hour intervals starting at the time you
get up and finishing at the time you go to bed. Write down what you did in each half
hour of the day for the next seven days. Choose a typical week. An example
for one day is given to the right.
At the end of the week examine your time log and ask yourself the following questions:
- Are there any periods that I could use more productively?
-
At what time of day do I do my most effective work? Some people are most alert in the
morning, whilst others concentrate best during the afternoon or evening. Schedule your
most important tasks for these times of day.
A time log can be particularly useful at times of pressure, for example, when revising
for examinations or jobhunting during your final year.
By now you should have been able to identify ways in which you could manage your time
more efficiently, and know some techniques to allow you to do this. You might like to look
at the section on
action planning which identifies
other ways of organising your work so that you achieve your goals.
One way that employers may measure your time management skills at interview is via an 'in-tray exercise' (in-tray exercise is a
business simulation, usually part of an assessment centre
where
you play a member of staff who has to deal with the tasks of a busy day. You
will be given a selection of letters, emails and reports in either
paper or electronic format, which somebody doing the job might find in
their in-tray or email inbox first thing in the morning.
You have to read each item, decide on the action to be taken, the priority to be allocated to it and complete related tasks such as summarising a report or drafting a reply to an email. There is a tight time constraint.
- It will probably start by describing the background scenario. Subject matter is usually related to the job you are applying for.
- There is a lot of work to get through caused by your return from holiday or having to cover the work of an absent colleague.
- Typically you will be given one to two hours to
complete the tasks which will consist of a large number of items
(perhaps 20 or more) to see how well you can handle several complex
tasks in a short period.
- Some tasks may just require a yes or no answer. Other
items may need a longer response, such as drafting a reply to a
customer complaint, writing a report, delegating tasks to colleagues or
recommending action to superiors. You may need to analyse
information for some items (calculating budgets or sales figures, using
information provided). New items may be added while the exercise is in progress.
- As part of the exercise it's possible you might be asked to make a phone call to a "customer", role played by one of the assessors.
- At the end you may be debriefed by a selector
and asked to discuss the decisions you made and the reasons for these or
you might be asked to prepare a memo outlining your priorities for
action, or make a short presentation.
- In-tray exercises are usually done individually but can be run as a group exercise).
.
Revising for examinations
Have a regular venue for revision such as the library where you are free from
distractions. You should after a while become conditioned to starting work immediately in
this location.
Plan out a revision schedule or timetable so you devote
enough time to each subject.
Summarise your lecture notes and use
diagrams and graphics where appropriate - a picture is worth a thousand words! Use a
highlighter pen or underlining to emphasise key facts.
For last minute revision,
make minimal notes occupying no more than a couple of sides of A4 and record key
facts, diagrams and formulae.
Use past examination papers when revising
to familiarise 'yourself with the sort of questions that might be asked. When revising,
take a few minutes break every so often to clear and refresh your mind and allow some time
off for complete relaxation.