Archive for the ‘Time Management’ Category:
Time Management Mastery
From Potential to Performance
One of the great things about life is that we can realistically be or do anything we choose to. This includes being a good time manager! We must believe that we can be a good time manager - that we have the potential. Unfortunately, many people say, “Well, I am just a poor time manager,” as if it was ingrained in their DNA. The truth is that anyone can be a great time manager, if they choose to go from potential to performance.
So, how do we do this? Here is a simple 7 part process:
1. Believe that you can become a good time manager
2. Inventory where your time is currently being spent
3. Determine what your life values are - what do you view as important, what do you want to accomplish?
4. Set time priorities that will move you toward living out your values
5. Develop a system of scheduling that works best for you, not a time management conglomerate
6. Learn to say “no” to things that are not part of your priorities moving you toward your values - exercise your power to choose
7. Do what is in your new schedule
These simple steps, if you apply them, will take you from having the potential to be a good time manager to true time management mastery and performance!
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.
Schedule Time for Interruption
One of the most challenging situations people face when planning their day is how to stick to their schedule when they are constantly being interrupted. Just when your activities are organized, someone else’s emergency seems to get in the way. A client has a crisis, co-workers are in a jam, your boss is breathing down your neck, a friend calls, or any of the dozens of other interruptions you face on any given day.
The solution is extremely simple and equally powerful ~ Schedule Time for Interruption. That’s right, just as you would schedule a meeting with a customer or event with your boss, scheduling a specific time in your day for interruptions is a technique that our students nationwide continually tell us is one of the most powerful time management tips they have ever used.
How does this work? There are two components. First, as you are planning your day or week, allot a certain amount of time for the sole purpose of dealing with ‘other people’s emergencies.’ What normally happens when someone calls or comes running into your office with something that they need your immediate help with? You drop whatever you are in the middle of and rush to their attention. Not only is their issue something that may not be of any importance to you, but I recently heard that it takes most people around 20 minutes to return to the level of focus they had before being interrupted. Wonder where those ‘lost hours’ go each day? Rebounding from all your interruptions!
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