“If you control your time, you control your life” – Alan Lakein (1973)
Time is money. Time is a precious commodity and everyone gets an equal share, but we use it differently. Even different societies have different attitudes towards the times.
One thing about time is that it is elusive; it can’t be changed, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. There is a saying, ‘Time and tide wait for no one’. Our situation and needs influence our time orientation, but our time orientation (and needs) can be changed and that should lead us to a more successful life.
Vilfredo Pareto, an early 20th century Italian economist, formulated what most of us call the ’80-20 Rule’, technically known as the ‘law of maldistribution’. This rule states that “80 percent of our effort is spent on unnecessary activities and only 20 percent of our time is spent on something productive.” The question now is: how can we spend 80 percent of our time on something productive and 20 percent on something unproductive?
For a more effective use of our time, the following tips are suggested. Is it so
not sequential, you can decide the order.
The first is that you should set goals. A goal gives your life and the way you
spend your time meaning and direction. You must decide what you want from life.
and organize your time around your goals. Look at your life in areas such as: finances, career, spiritual, social, health, and community or culture, and develop smarter goals for each. Your goals must be specific, measurable, achievable and realistic and must have a time limit. You should also regularly assess and review your goals to check if you are going in the right direction or not.
Second, you must plan and organize. Using the time to think and plan is time well spent. No one plans to fail, but many people fail to plan. Organize and plan in a way that makes sense to you, otherwise you’ll find yourself dealing with problems as they arise instead of creating opportunities to avoid them and make progress.
Third, you must put first things first. In his book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’, Stephen R. Covey deduced that: “The one denominator that all successful people shared was not hard work, good luck, or good human relations, but ‘putting first the first'”. By putting first things first, you eliminate the urgent and focus on the important. Urgent tasks have short-term consequences, while important tasks are those with implications related to long-term goals. Work to reduce the urgent things that come up and you’ll have more time for your important priorities. If things are important, they contribute to your mission and help you achieve your goals.
Also, to make effective use of your time, you need to do the right things right. Noted management expert, Peter Drucker, in his book ‘The Effective Executive’ (Harper & Row, 1966) said: “Doing the right thing is more important than doing the right thing. Doing the right thing is effectiveness; doing the right thing is effectiveness.” efficiency”. Focus first on effectiveness (identifying what’s right), then focus on efficiency (doing it right).”
Also, you should aim for excellence and not perfection. Excellence is attainable; perfection is elusive, if not unattainable. I think the search for perfection is a waste of time. Yes, some things must be closer to perfection than others; but perfectionism: paying unnecessary attention to detail can be another form of procrastination.
Also, you must conquer procrastination. In order to perform optimally and be able to make good use of your time, you need to beat procrastination. Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Alan Lakein explained in his book: ‘How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life’ that “Many of us procrastinate when faced with long, difficult or unpleasant tasks, even if they are very important to us. A technique to try to overcome procrastination is the ‘swiss cheese method’. When you’re avoiding something, break it down into smaller tasks and work on the big task for just 15 minutes. By doing a little at a time, you’ll eventually reach a point where you want to finish “.
Be prepared to say ‘No’. This is such a small word, but so difficult to say. Focusing on your goals can help. Making time for important but often unscheduled priorities like family and friends can also help. But first you must be convinced that you and your priorities are important; that seems to be the hardest part of learning to say ‘no’. Once convinced of their importance, saying ‘no’ to the unimportant things in life becomes easier.
In addition, you should consider what time of day suits you best. For example, I like to read at night and write in the morning because by the end of the afternoon I am exhausted. Kathy Prochaska-Cue, Extension Family Economics Specialist, observed that: “Knowing when your best time is and planning to use that time of day for your priorities (if possible) is effective time management.”
Also, to make effective use of your time you must have a ‘To Do List’. I have a daily ‘To Do List’ that I do either as the last thing the day before or first thing in the morning. I also have a weekly, monthly and yearly ‘To Do List’. You can use a diary or a calendar and you can combine the two. The advent of Personal Digital Assistant and Pocket Personal Computer has made life easier. Try whichever method suits you best. Having a ‘To Do List’ is essential for smart time management.
Another tip is that you need to be flexible. Allow time for interruptions and distractions. Time management experts often suggest planning 50 percent or less of one’s time. With only 50 percent of your time planned, you’ll have the flexibility to handle interruptions from unplanned emergencies. Save (or make) bigger blocks of time for your priorities.
Lastly, reward yourself. For even the smallest successes, celebrate the achievement of
goals. Every time I can finish all the task on my ‘to do today’ list, I smile and say ‘thank you Lord’. Promise yourself a reward for completing each task or finishing an entire task. Keep your promise to yourself and enjoy your reward. It can be as simple as special snacks after doing certain things. Doing so will help you maintain the necessary balance in life between work and play. As Ann McGee-Cooper said in her book: ‘Time Management for Unmanageable People’ (Ann Mc-Cooper & Associates, 1983); “If we learn to balance excellence at work with excellence at play, fun and relaxation, our lives become happier, healthier and much more creative.”
