Secrets of Time Management – Getting Things Done in Half the Time By Marcy Amaro
Whether you are a work at home mom, a new business owner, a seasoned entrepreneur, or anything in between, at some time or another you have probably run across the following scenario. You start your day at 8:00am, and look at your to do list. It seems about a hundred miles long, but you are confident that since you started the day early, . . .
Well, you know what they say about the early bird, right? So, you roll-up your proverbial sleeves, and get to work! Next thing you know, it’s 5:00pm. You review your to-do list and start checking off your completed tasks. You look with anticipation only to find that you completed a whooping two, count them, two tasks off of your hundred plus task list! How on earth did that happen? Where did the day go? Stick around to learn the secrets of time management.
The real question to ask is actually what did YOU do with your day? See, that’s the first thing we need to address here. Everyone on the planet has the same 24 hours in a day. No one can add or subtract even a second from that allotted amount of time. So talking about “time management” is actually a misuse of the terms. There is NO WAY to manage time. Time will always be the same: 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in a hour, 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year. That will not change no matter what you do.
The real concept to work on, and the skill to develop, is how to manage YOURSELF in time. In other words, how will YOU behave within the amount of time that you are given so that it is best utilized and your productivity increases? There in lye the secrets to time management and that is what we will look at in the next few lines.
First, let’s review the idea of planning your day. We started this article with the assumption that at the very least you have a to-do list that you create and check on a daily basis. Most people do that much. They sit down and jot down a quick list of the things they wish to accomplish that day.
Well, that is NOT planning, that is just wishing. It is no different from a child’s letter to Santa Clause! Planning involves a set goal and clear priorities. In fact, you should plan differently for your business or work as you do for your family and personal goals. They should NOT be on the same to-do list.
That being said, your first task is to sit down and determine what your goal or the month is. What do you see happening in your business within the next 30 days. Now, be aggressive, but also be realistic. You ARE only human.
Once that is established, break it down into specific, measurable tasks that need to be completed in order for that monthly goal to be achieved. Then, from that list of tasks create your weekly, and daily lists of specific activities to complete. THAT is a to-do list.
Next step is reducing your to-do list to a manageable task check list. How do you do this? Well, look at your daily list and with an honest and clear perspective (first thing in the morning), divide the task into four categories.
First, figure out which things are NOT really all that important, or no longer relevant. Those you can just cross off. Next, decide which things you can ask others to do for you (that is called delegating, and it is not only acceptable, but it is actually the mark of a true leader).
So, if you have to get some mail to the post office, and you know your neighbor drives by there on the way to work, where’s the damage in asking him to drop them off for you? Of course, make sure it’s a dependable person, and follow up to make sure the delegated tasks got completed.
But, it is one less thing for you to have to worry about. Then come those things which will not make much of a difference if they are not done right away. I’m not talking about procrastinating or putting things off.
But, some things you can honestly put back on the monthly to do list without affecting greatly the end result. Whatever’s left should be relevant, do or die, result-driven tasks. This is you new check list (and it should really not have more than five or six items).
Finally, remove all distractions and potential interruptions. If you are working from home, make sure your work area is clean and clutter-free before sitting down to work. If you are at the office, clear the mail bin, and your inbox first thing.
Assign a set amount of time to dealing with whatever seems to get in the way of you and your productivity. Once that time is over, don’t go back to it until your task list is completely checked off, or until the next day.
If you are having a hard time identifying your distracters, take two days to do an inventory of EVERYTHING you do. Keep a list of the tasks you engage in, and an approximate amount of time you spent doing them.
At the end of the two days, go back and look at what has been consuming your time. You might be shocked to see how many times you wondered off to the restroom, or how many times in a day you actually checked your inbox.
Manage those distractions by scheduling them into your day. They will become a lot more manageable.
There you have it. The secrets of time management revealed! You thought it would be more complicated, didn’t you? Well, it really is this simple.
Start implementing these actions and you WILL see the time it takes you to complete your tasks significantly reduced. In my case, it now takes me half the time to get things done! Make them a habit, so they become automatic.
You will love all the “extra time” you have at the end of the day!
About the Author
Marcy Amaro is a successful online entrepreneur. A wife and mother of two, Marcy has found a way to work with millionaires and earn a living from home, while staying with her kids. As a former teacher, her Passion is helping others who have a burning desire for success achieve their dreams. You too can succeed. Here is the program that has made all the difference for her, [http://www.strategicmarketingmaven.com] – link removed
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