7 Effective Time Management Techniques
Did you know that if you go to Amazon.com's book department and type in
"time management" you will get 90,545 results!! Apparently, you and I are not
the only ones that struggle with managing our time wisely!
With that being
said, we'd like to give you 7 effective time management skills that we've
learned and implemented to help us be more successful.
1. Be On time, Every time: My family would probably bust
out laughing if they knew I was giving this advice, but this is huge. Someone
once told me that being late is a symptom of arrogance. When you arrive late to
an event you are telling other people that you are more important than them,
otherwise, if you truly valued them or the event you would have been on time!
Not only do you save time, you and others respect your actions and can count on
you.
2. Be done on time, every time: If you are conducting a
meeting that is set to run for 30 minutes, then consider ending it at 29
minutes. Not valuing other people's time commitments wastes everybody's time.
Having a predetermined agenda that is written out will also keep you on track
and limit tangents that so often steal the center of attention becoming the
culprit for unnecessarily long meetings.
3. Follow up, follow through: It is better to do quick
check-ins on a projects progress to make sure the results are what will be
needed. If requirements change, or someone ‘didn't get the memo' on what was
needed, early course correction can save a ton time, not to mention unneeded
headaches.
4. Have a Plan B: Sometimes you will experience delays due
to things beyond your control. For example, your flight might be delayed. When
something like that happens to you, don't play a video game or surf Facebook!
Have a book, audio book, or e-book ready to enrich your mind. Use that delay to
your best advantage.
5. Create Accountability: As humans we tend to take the
easy road and waste a lot of time. Having someone you can be accountable to
will motivate you to get things done effectively and efficiently. Choose wisely
someone you can rely on and someone you trust.
6. Schedule Your Tasks: First, once a week make a list of
all the tasks you need to accomplish and prioritize them. Now schedule when you
are going to do each task. Try scheduling down to the date and time - the more
specific you can be the more likely you are to get it done. Outlook is a
fantastic tool for scheduling and even will sync up with many cell phones so
you can be organized on the go.
7. Outsource: It's ok to ask for help - in fact we
recommend it! If you overload yourself with too many tasks, it's easy to become
overwhelmed. Once you're overwhelmed, you will not be able to focus on the
tasks you need to do and run your day efficiently. You'll be too busy being
overwhelmed! So if you find your day too packed ask for help from other people.
If you can, hire someone to do the tasks that you are least efficient and
skilled at, thus freeing up your time to focus on the tasks that you are best
and most skilled at.
Being able to manage your time wisely is not just something that you are
born being able to do, but rather it's a skill that anyone can develop with a
little bit of practice and determination. It may seem like extra work at first,
but we've found that it will soon become a habit that will enrich your life and
lead to success.
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