TIME MANAGEMENT
Time is an amazing aspect of our lives. We can never get it back once we have used it and the only thing that we can count on is whether we use this current moment in time wisely. We are all allocated 24 hours per day and how we use those 24 hours is completely up to us. There is no such thing as "I don't have enough time". This may seem like a bold statement to make considering how busy a modern-day lifestyle demands of an individual, but the thing to understand is that the problem is not with needing more time, the real concern is, what you are doing that is preventing you from either moving on to something else or finishing what you are doing.
The great leaders, gurus and life coaches have always known that time is an important commodity that can only be used wisely with what we choose to do or not do with it. Below are some helpful ideas for gaining back some control over your precious time.
Delegate
One of the main reasons why people don't want to delegate tasks to someone else is that they fear the other person won't do the job well enough or they are too Shy To Ask For Help. While this may be very true, what should be considered rather, is that even though the job may not be done as well as you would like, you would still be freed up to attend to more important issues. Maybe you will have to show the person a mistake they made or make some corrections to the work. People aren't perfect and if you show them the way, they can do better next time. Even if you took into account the time spent on fixing errors and corrections, you would still have saved a ton of time compared to if you had to do the entire task yourself.
Focus On The Task At Hand
When you are about to take on a task, first visualize yourself getting it done, then commit yourself to the task at hand 100%. Let people know in advance that they must not distract you. If someone wants to talk to you, let them know that they must speak to you another time. What we forget to understand is that when you lose focus, its not just for a small moment, but much longer than that. When you lose focus, your mind immediately loses momentum and will have to then re-gain its momentum once you get started again. Dedicate yourself to committed focus. You will be surprised at how fast you can get stuff done.
Get Rid Of Distractions
Distractions work hand-in-hand with loss of focus. If you must get something done, don't quickly stop to read an email. In fact turn off your email notifications. Don't check your phone and social media. Distractions destroy momentum and it takes effort to re-gain that momentum. Don't allow this to happen. The world will still be there when you get done with your task.
Get Rid Of Clutter
Clutter is another form of distraction. It may not seem like a big issue in the beginning, but if you allow clutter to get out of hand, then your focus will diminish very fast. Clutter subconsciously shows you that you are all over the place and not allowing things to get done, put away and completed.
Get Some Sleep
Being effective with work is similar to trying to develop a muscular body. The muscle only grows and gets strong when you allow it to rest. In fact, everything that works efficiently must work at a steady pace in order to remain at optimum levels. Everything must also have down time, given a re-boot and maintenance. Our bodies are no different. Sleep allows the body to repair. It is essential to performance! Don't be fooled into thinking that you don't need to sleep, because chronic fatigue will kick in sooner or later and then you are no good to anyone.
Try get around 5 - 8 hours sleep per night. Before you go to bed, sit (not in bed) for about 10 minutes and come up with what needs to be done for the next day and then retire to bed for the night. When you go to bed, remind yourself that you have had the whole day to think about issues, so let them go because now is the time for sleep.
Book Time Off For Dates & Down Time
This is especially important if you have a partner and/or children. Assign a slot in your weekly calendar for date night and important kids activities. Your family is much more important than work, so give them the attention that they deserve. You don't want to neglect your family, Cause Harm To Your Relationships and then have to deal with domestic issues while you are trying to focus on work. Happy family = Focused attention.
Work In Bursts Of Time
This is a brilliant technique that I recently learn 't. Firstly, Focus On The Desired Outcome Or Goal on completion of the task. Say you work within 1 hour intervals (It is usually worthwhile to have an alarm that can go off once every 50 minutes). Dedicate 50 minutes to absolute focus on the task at hand with zero distractions. When the alarm goes off, stop what you are doing, have a bit of a stretch, go for a walk, get something to drink etc. Relax your mind for 10 minutes. Once that time is up, get back to your work and repeat the cycle. Efficiency is about quality, Not quantity!
Learn To Say No
People who know how to get stuff done are often the same people who take on other peoples work for this very same reason. They get stuff done! You must : 1)respect yourself 2)respect your time. Being a people pleaser helps others by taking burdens off their shoulders, but at the same time, takes those very same burdens and puts them on your shoulders. This is unfair treatment, which, if left to get out of control will only leave You feeling over-whelmed. Don't do this to yourself. respect yourself and respect your time. Learn to say no!
Fix Your Diet
You think diet is not important in the workplace? The top reason for people taking time off work is because they are sick. Healthy food does just that. It keeps you healthy. It wards off germs and strengthens the immune system. It provides vital energy and enhances focus. Still think diet is not important? Don't allow your child-like needs to get in your way. Drop the fast food and the sugar. It is poor quality food and is a major world-issue when it comes to health related diseases.
Systematize Your Life
Systems work! The biggest and greatest companies, entrepreneurs, life coaches and leaders in the world rely on efficient systems. A moves on to B. B moves on to C. Repeat. How can you systematize your work and life? What systems can you put into place that will ensure your paperwork is put in the right place and in the right order? McDonalds has mastered the use of systems. It is their systems that make them so popular, not their food. The food sucks in my opinion. Systems will make your life much easier. Keep them simple and they will work wonders for you.
Thanks for reading,
Kim
