Time Management: Work Smarter, Not Harder

"Don't say you don't have enough time.  You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo DaVinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein." (H. Jackson Brown)

You want to become more productive at home or at work.  You want to devote more time to what matters most in your life.   Shaving off a few minutes here and a few minutes there in your daily schedule can free up a significant amount of time.  H. Jackson Brown has listed 20 tips to help you manage your time and come that much closer to achieving your goals (http://www.creativitypost.com/create/work_smarter_not_harder_21_time_management_tips_to_hack_productivity).

1.  Prepare your day in advance.  You will feel more in control and less stressed.  

2.  Learn to say NO.  Reserve your time for the things that you either have to do or truly care about.

3.  Sleep 7 to 8 hours per night for optimum productivity.

4.  Focus entirely on the task at hand.  Multi-tasking isn't all it's cracked up to be.

5.  Rise early.  Studies show that productive, successful individuals start their day early.

6.  Complete the most important tasks first.

7.  Turn key tasks into habits.  

8.  Be aware of time spent watching TV or surfing the Internet or gaming.

9.  Assign a deadline to each task.

10.  Leave a buffer time between tasks ex. go for a walk, meditate or do another mind-clearing activity.

11.  Don't focus on the totality of your To Do List.  Take it one task at a time.

12.  Exercise and eat healthy to give you energy for the tasks at hand.

13.  Do less things with more value.  Emphasize quality rather than quantity.

14.  Create an organizing system either on your computer desktop or on a bulletin board.  Unsubscribe from e-mail lists that you are not interested in.

15.  Fill time when waiting.  Brian Tracy quoted a study done by an American airline which found that business people could on average accomplish 3 hours of work in the office within 1 hour on the plane.  The number of interruptions on the plane were far fewer than in the office.

16.  Lock yourself in.  No distractions.

17.  Commit to a plan.

18.  Batch related tasks together.  Different tasks require a different thought process.

19.  Find time for stillness.  Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

20. Enjoyment should always be the goal.  You get so caught up in busyness that you forget to enjoy the moment.

21.  Don' allow unimportant details to drag you down.  It is good to strive for excellence, but perfectionism can cripple you.

Note:  Read Eat That Frog:  21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done by Brian Tracy (https://www.amazon.ca/Eat-That-Frog-Great-Procrastinating/dp/1576754227).

http://www.creativitypost.com/create/work_smarter_not_harder_21_time_management_tips_to_hack_productivity

Manage Your Time Well

"Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again.  Those who use time wisely are rewarded with rich, productive, satisfying lives." (Robin Sharma)

When I was a child and a young adult, I used to arrive early for everything.  I was so well organized that I was rarely late for anything.  However, once I had children, my life became busier.  Now I find myself arriving on time or even a few minutes late.  I try to pack too much into my day.  If you are like me, here are some tips to help you manage your time well.  

1.  Make a to do list for the day, week, month.  Prioritize your tasks from most to least important/urgent.  

2.  Balance urgent tasks with tasks that can be done gradually in your daily routine.

3.  Focus on your most productive time of the day.  

4.  Manage your time in increments of 15, 30 or 45 minutes each.  

5.  Periodically (ideally every 45 minutes) take a break to refresh your mind and re-energize your body.

6.  Keep track of your progress.

7.  Reassess your to do list.  Add or take away tasks.  Delegate tasks.

8.  Leave time for fun to refresh your mind and relax your body.

9.  Sleep 7 to 9 hours per night to give you optimum alertness and energy.

10.  Don't spread yourself too thin.j

11.  Take advantage of small gaps of time between larger tasks to accomplish something.  A few minutes here and there adds up to a big chunk of time.  Note:  When I first took part in Nanowrimo, writing a 50,000 novel in a month, I realized that I had to do this in order to meet my daily word count. It worked wonders!

12.  Complete each task from beginning to end.  Set "way points" where you reward yourself with something small once you have completed a big chunk of the task.  

13.  Give yourself a Planning Retreat where you spend a day planning your goals for the year.  Visit http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/your-retreat-ebook?ap_id=sheilagregoire for more ideas.  

For more tips on time management, visit http://www.wikihow.com/Manage-Your-Time.  

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