Time management tips for better results
Why is it that some people get more done than others? Do they have more time, or do they have extra help? One thing is for sure, though, that time is a scares commodity and that you only have 1440 seconds per day. What you do with it is what matters, and here are some tips for you to be more productive during the day.
What is my most important task?
Identify your Most Important Task (MIT) and make sure it gets done first.
My MIT is the time I spend on personal development, and I always find room for it. The best investment you can make is in yourself. You become more valuable to the marketplace, and It also makes you feel alive and happy.
Sometimes your most important task is something you don't like to be doing. It could be to have a tough conversation with an associate or a person close to you, or it could be something you find annoying. At these times, I use to think about Zig Ziglar's statement about the frog.
If you're going to have to swallow a frog, you don't want to have to look at that sucker too long!
Leverage is the magic word.
When you have identified your MIT for the day, evaluate the other tasks you have in your mind and see if some of them are necessary for you to do or if someone can do them for you. Delegate, eliminate, or change the prioritization of the task. By changing the priority of the job doesn't mean that you are procrastinating, it merely means that you are going to do it after you have done your most valuable tasks first.
Often people put up a lot of "shoulds" on their To-do lists. Half of them don't get you closer to your goals and are often a result of others' opinions, not yours. Question your "shoulds" and remove them from your calendar.
It is when you "shoulds" is changed to a must when the magic happens. When you tell yourself that you must do a task, you will do it.
Think of the things you can delegate to others. If you believe that you do everything by yourself, you are on thin ice. One is too small of a number to achieve greatness.
Throw you To-Do list away
Use your calendar instead of your To-do lists. By using your calendar, you are scheduling your most important task ahead. Clarity is power, and If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.
Set up your goals on a one-page plan for the year to come. Break them down to quarterly sub-goals and put into your calendar what needs to happen for you to reach your goals.
Be in charge and avoid procrastination.
Why is it that the smaller tasks, that is only going to take you a few minutes to complete, tend not to be done? Sometimes it could take a month before you follow through on one task. Most probably, it is your mind that tells you that it is not essential. Still, your subconscious mind will remember that you didn't complete them, and the stress level will increase.
Decide to gather all these smaller tasks on a piece of paper and dedicate one weekend to handle all the smaller tasks at once. You will feel much better afterward.
Be grateful and enjoy the journey.
Even though life is an array of things you have to do, you can still enjoy the ride. Finding your purpose in life and appreciation for the things you have will help you to be more present and not seeing growth as a competition and a race towards the end goals.
Life is not what is happening to you; it is what is happening for you. Change your expectations for your appreciations at I promise you that the ride is going to be awesome.
When you reach your goals, make sure you celebrate. Find the ways that suit you best. It could be a nice dinner, a massage, a fishing trip, etc., whatever you enjoy doing.
Learn to say no.
When you say yes to things, you are saying no to other things. These other things might have been essential for you to reach your goals. So be aware of when you say Yes.
Be aware of the things that are distracting you. If you want to achieve the results that only 5% make, you have to think, produce, and behave like only 5% of the people on the planet. And the best people in the world don't spend their most valuable time on television or another distracting media.
Social media today is preventing you from being efficient. Some people are slaves under their social media apps. Every time a new message or event occurs, they have to see what it is. By changing focus, your brain will have to readjust, and that lowers your ability to utilize the brain's full capacity.
Focus on one thing at the time and only allow yourself to check your emails or social media a few times during the day.
Routinely use early mornings to strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.
It is your daily routine that determines your outcome in the long run. Make sure to use your mornings effectively. Studies have shown that you are most productive for a few hours in the mornings.
Eat healthy, exercise, meditate, appreciate, and to your daily affirmations to set you off to a good start of the day. You will be more productive during the day if you charge yourself with these positive powers.
Write down the things that you learn.
Every day you should read, file, and reflect. Sometimes during the day, you come across something valuable. It could be a good meeting, a great quote, or some other kind of learning. By writing it down right away, it will be more likely that you remember it later.
Highly successful people carry a notebook with them all the time to write down the golden nuggets that they might collect during the day.
Apply these time management tips, and I promise you that your productivity level will increase. As you have seen, it is not about working harder; it is about working smarter. Continue to develop yourself and believe in your ability to grow. Stay hungry, and you will have an extraordinary life.
If you want to check out my course on personal development, you can read more about it here or if you wish to check out my latest golden nugget Ebooks about Training your mind or How to become a better leader.
I wish you the best!
/Thomas