10 Time Management Tips That Work

Are you working on clock time or 'real' time? Learn how to manage your day by understanding the difference with these 10 time management tips.

Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?"

The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work.

Before you can even begin to manage time, you must learn what time is. A dictionary defines time as "the point or period at which things occur." Put simply, time is when stuff happens.

There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.

In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing. Two hours at the department of motor vehicles can feel like 12 years. And yet our 12-year-old children seem to have grown up in only two hours.

Which time describes the world in which you really live, real time or clock time?
The reason time management gadgets and systems don't work is that these systems are designed to manage clock time. Clock time is irrelevant. You don't live in or even have access to clock time. You live in real time, a world in which all time flies when you are having fun or drags when you are doing your taxes.

The good news is that real time is mental. It exists between your ears. You create it. Anything you create, you can manage. It's time to remove any self-sabotage or self-limitation you have around "not having enough time," or today not being "the right time" to start a business or manage your current business properly.
There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.

As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success.

Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:

1. Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.
2. Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.
3. Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.
4. Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"
5. Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.
6. Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?
7. Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.
8. Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.
9. Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.
10. Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results.

10 tips for time management in a multitasking world

 

To say “Time is golden” is an understatement if you are in the business world. True, you may have had courses about them in college or university, but effective Time Management is a skill you learn through having a need. In business, you are in a race against time (competitors and profits), so, learning how to effectively handle Time Management is important.

If you work with a business coach they will already have told you about the importance of getting on top of managing your time so that you can be a better manager of your business.
David Guest shares these 10 Time Management tips for Melbourne business owners who are challenged by the need to multi-task and still feel they aren’t getting the results they want.

1. Manage your inbox. A poorly managed inbox can translate into a disaster come crunch time. Make it a habit to spend a few minutes each day to scan through your mail, file those you need, and delete those you don’t. If you leave your e-mail messages lying around unattended, you may be asking for the inevitable bucket load of trouble – hunting through emails for that attachment you saw last week, is stealing precious time away from other more important things.
2. Set your priorities. According to Stephen Covey, there are four quadrants for evaluating a person’s activities: the urgent and important, the urgent but not important , the not urgent but important and the not urgent and not important. As a business coach I’ve seen many great entrepreneurs struggle with time until they began to classify their activities according to these quadrants; it will teach you how to appropriate your time wisely.
3. Stop spreading yourself too thin. The problem with multi-tasking it’s often the thing that causes time management chaos. Multi-tasking is good, but only to a certain extent. Be honest and do not take on more work than you are capable of. Otherwise, you may be creating an unnecessary problem for yourself.
4. Keep a schedule. Doing things on a regular, scheduled basis may take up a few minutes of your time each day, but it will keep you on top of everything and those things that are currently slipping through the cracks won’t be any more. Letting things pile up today often means spending more time to organize them in the future.
5. Organize your websites. Learn to bookmark those sites that you visit frequently, or those that contribute to your work. That way, you won’t have to search thru a whole Google page every time you want to get to the website again.
6. Prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed. A lot of people don’t even start a job because they become overwhelmed by it, especially those big projects. Learn to create smaller milestones for yourself and set yourself up for successes. That way, you’ll find getting started easier because you’ve already set yourself up to win.
7. Have your own organizer. To be effective with your Time Management, one has to have a set plan for the day, week or month; your business coach would call it ‘default diary’. Some business owners are even able to have a whole year loosely planned. However, as stated previously, start small maybe even with your to-do list and work out how you can group things together for maximum efficiency as well as get rid of things on your list that won’t get you results. Once you’ve passed a critical eye over it, refer to it throughout the day to help you achieve the lot. Stick to your list, but set aside some contingency minutes (90 mins, for example) for whatever surprises the day may bring.
8. Create a boundary between professional and personal time. This is your way of making sure that your family, or friends don’t miss out on enjoying your companionship. Sometimes, Time Management is more than just being able to do work from 8 till 5 effectively. It’s about switching off from your business world so that you can enjoy the fruits of all your efforts. Learn to set time apart for you to spend with people who matter. That way, you will be more ready to deal with what lies ahead when your business doesn’t need you as much as it does today.
9. Know when you are most productive. There are people who are most productive at night, and those that are morning people. Learn which time of the day you function best and adjust the way you schedule your day to take maximum advantage of when you’re at your best. When you know when you’re most focused, most motivated and most productive and you can use that time to do those jobs that require all your attention, genius and skill. Just with a simple recalibration you can find you get a 200% increase in output.
10. Take a breather. You’re not Superman (unless you have a secret fantasy to be a cartoon comic book character who takes on everything and doesn’t really fit in with the world?)! Find a minute or two to catch your breath and think. Organize what needs to be done. Sometimes, a pause can help you get your thoughts straight, so that you can make clear, profitable decisions.

If you really want to make it in this multi-tasking world, you have to learn to do effective Time Management and deal with things that truly matter. If you don’t know what they are then talk to someone with lots of experience like a business coach, a mentor or a business consultant and they’ll help you work out where your problems are and what you need to do to get beyond them.
If you learn to manage your time well, you can have your (business) cake, and eat it too.

 

 

Time Management 11 Tips:

Coming To Grips With The Time Management Myth

Do you feel the need to be more organized and/or more productive? Do you spend your day in a frenzy of activity and then wonder why you haven't accomplished much?

Time management skills are especially important for small business people, who often find themselves performing many different jobs during the course of a single day. These time management tips will help you increase your productivity and stay cool and collected.

Time Management Tips

1) Realize that time management is a myth.
No matter how organized we are, there are always only 24 hours in a day. Time doesn't change. All we can actually manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have.

2) Find out where you're wasting time.
Many of us are prey to time-wasters that steal time we could be using much more productively. What are your time-bandits? Do you spend too much time 'Net surfing, reading email, or making personal calls? Tracking Daily Activities explains how to track your activities so you can form a accurate picture of what you actually do, the first step to effective time management.

3) Create time management goals.
Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors, not changing time. A good place to start is by eliminating your personal time-wasters. For one week, for example, set a goal that you're not going to take personal phone calls while you're working. (See Set Specific Goals for help with goal setting.) For a fun look at behaviors that can interfere with successful time management, see my article Time Management Personality Types. Find out if you're a Fireman, an Aquarian or a Chatty Kathy!

4) Implement a time management plan.
Think of this as an extension of tip # 3. The objective is to change your behaviors over time to achieve whatever general goal you've set for yourself, such as increasing your productivity or decreasing your stress. So you need to not only set your specific goals, but track them over time to see whether or not you're accomplishing them.

Here are more time management tips to help you get more organized and be more productive:

5) Use time management tools.
Whether it's a Day-Timer or a software program, the first step to physically managing your time is to know where it's going now and planning how you're going to spend your time in the future. A software program such as Outlook, for instance, lets you schedule events easily and can be set to remind you of events in advance, making your time management easier.

6) Prioritize ruthlessly.
You should start each day with a time management session prioritizing the tasks for that day and setting your performance benchmark. If you have 20 tasks for a given day, how many of them do you truly need to accomplish? For more on daily planning and prioritizing daily tasks, see Start The Day Right With Daily Planning.
 
7) Learn to delegate and/or outsource.
No matter how small your business is, there's no need for you to be a one-person show. For effective time management, you need to let other people carry some of the load. Determining Your Personal ROI explains two ways to pinpoint which tasks you'd be better off delegating or outsourcing, while Decide To Delegate provides tips for actually getting on with the job of delegating.

8) Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible.
While crises will arise, you'll be much more productive if you can follow routines most of the time.

9) Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks.
For instance, reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.

10) Be sure your systems are organized.
Are you wasting a lot of time looking for files on your computer? Take the time to organize a file management system. Is your filing system slowing you down? Redo it, so it's organized to the point that you can quickly lay your hands on what you need. You'll find more information about setting up filing systems and handling data efficiently in my Data Management library.

11) Don't waste time waiting.
From client meetings to dentist appointments, it's impossible to avoid waiting for someone or something. But you don't need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs. Always take something to do with you, such as a report you need to read, a checkbook that needs to be balanced, or just a blank pad of paper that you can use to plan your next marketing campaign. Technology makes it easy to work wherever you are; your PDA and/or cell phone will help you stay connected.
You can be in control and accomplish what you want to accomplish - once you've come to grips with the time management myth and taken control of your time.

 

Building Up Motivation to Help with Time Management

Motivating individuals is the key to achieving far greater results than initially imagined. This is because people like to do their best in most situations and will do so if they feel valued. Making sure that others are comfortable in the workplace environment will allow you to build motivation on a firm foundation.

Showing Respect

Treating others with respect will mean they treat you in the same way. This means not asking others to perform tasks you would not be prepared to do yourself, or making promises that you are unable to keep or have no intention of honouring. Motivating others, to work with you to achieve results, will also be easier if the environment you work, or live in, is comfortable and welcoming. If it is not, do everything you can to make it so.

Motivational Performance

Individuals will not work to their best capabilities for someone they feel lacks commitment. It is therefore in your best interest to show how committed you are to achieving great results, as well as how committed you are to supporting each individual in their own roles. If you are able to show energy and commitment to a time management project, and are also able to lead with confidence, other people will follow your motivated charge with ease.

Time Out

In order to improve time management you will have to make time available for other people to communicate openly with you. Your initial task may be to delegate work to others so that you are able to free up a portion of your day to enable you to do other things, yet being able to offer up a little bit of your valuable time to others will increase the amount of your responsibility that they will willingly take on.Effective communication opens up many opportunities to resolve issues, work towards a goal or objective and motivate others to perform well. Taking an interest in another person will encourage the individual to work efficiently, increase their skills and develop creative thinking. Showing your support, by taking the time to listen to their concerns, ideas and opinions, will guarantee the other person will pay you back in a positive way.

Boost Morale

There are many ways to build motivation simply by offering a few, carefully chosen words of encouragement. Sometimes however, a far greater positive response, from the person you are hoping to motivate, can be achieved by offering simple incentives.Acknowledging achievements, both privately and publicly, will promote and win co-operation from an individual. Introducing individuals in the workplace to senior managers, or similar, will continue to boost personal confidence. Chairing morale boosting meetings will also ensure others feel valued and their skills appreciated. If you offer a verbal thank-you do follow this up with a written note – hand-written if possible – as this holds a far greater value to the recipient.

How to Motivate:

• Treat others with respect at all times.
• If you want a committed response from others make sure you show commitment.
• Take the time to listen to what other people have to say.
• Do whatever you can to boost morale. A thank-you note, introduction or public recognition works wonders.

One of the most important management skills you could acquire is being able to delegate effectively. Delegating successfully enables you to utilise your staff’s capabilities and frees up time for other responsibilities. Handing over responsibility to other people requires entrusting them completely to perform a task, acquire information, chair a meeting or manage a project. Knowing how to select the right person for this level of responsibility is vitally important, as you will also have to demonstrate that you have faith in this person’s skills.

What is Delegation?

It is the process by which someone explores all areas of a task and comes up with a solution involving another person’s involvement. The delegator can analysis the project in question, select someone to handle it, define the project and brief accordingly, and then monitor the situation as the project grows. What delegation is not about is keeping control of the project.

Why Delegate?

There are many obvious benefits to delegation:

• It shows you have faith in the people you work with.
• It boosts staff morale.
• It helps your staff gain experience.
• It utilises your management skills.
• It frees up some of your personal time.
• It reduces stress in the workplace.

How to Choose the Right Person

The first few times you decide to delegate, the person you choose to hand the responsibility to may have been chosen simply through trial and error. Knowing the strengths and weakness of your staff will help you successfully action any future delegation plans, but in the first instance you will have to go with the little amount of personal knowledge you have. Selecting someone who has the most relevant experience may be your safest bet. Being able to evaluate staff, over a period of time however, will allow you to compare attributes and maintain an objective impression when selecting for the next task you plan to delegate.

What happens next?

You have outlined your brief and defined your objective. Making a checklist will also help the delegate to understand your aims. Feedback from the delegate, at this point, is also important as it will show you they have total understanding of the task and responsibilities they are about to take on.Allowing a certain amount of flexibility, and offering your support throughout the task’s completion, will enable the delegate to work more freely within your boundaries. Do encourage the delegate to make their own decisions however, and do not be tempted to get involved once you have briefed and handed over the task. You may supervise but only from a distance.

Sharing Accountability

Although delegation with individual accountability is usually more effective, it is often necessary to share accountability for a task or project. This is usually the case within larger organisations and companies, where staff responsibilities sometimes overlap. For shared accountability to really work it is important that the delegation objectives are clearly defined and there is no room for overlaps.Overall, successful delegation strengthens your own performance. It is important that you praise the delegate on a successful completion of a task and that you are careful not to overburden staff.

If you know how to communicate well there will be little that you won’t be able to get others to do. Understanding the importance of building good relationships with the people you share your life with will help you improve your time management and achieve impressive results. Working with others to achieve shared goals will create a time management structure that can work for everyone involved.

There are many ways of influencing other people to take more control of the way they manage time doing chores and tasks in the home. Suggesting a timetable, reward system or similar may help to coax children to help around the home more readily. Adults will be more able to understand the rewards of free time that will suddenly become available, once jobs are prioritised. Clearly communicating your desires will set the ball rolling.

Relationship Building

Good communication is a vital element every relationship should possess. It requires time and effort to build a relationship but having an open, honest communication exchange will enable your relationship to go from strength to strength. Listening, sharing and working together can help you resolve any issues, problems or dilemmas. Hearing what is said is not the same as listening however, so make sure you know the difference.

How to Build a Relationship

• Listen
• Communicate openly.
• Share and work together to achieve resolution or shared goal.

Prioritising

Knowing how to prioritise and plan will enable you to take charge of your day. Encouraging others to do the same may be easier said than done however. With a little perseverance working to a timetable or an agenda will become second nature to those who generally muddle their way through the day. Supporting them through the change will enable them to see the value in your way of thinking, as well as the difference it makes to the chores, jobs and tasks that have to be regularly dealt with. Clear communication will define your goal and help others achieve positive results.

How To Prioritise

• Plan your day, task or chores in the order of importance.
• When it comes to asking others for help a little perseverance goes a long way.
• Communicate clearly.

Delegating

To delegate well you must be willing to relinquish complete control of the task you are about to give someone else to do. It will do you no favours to keep checking the task is being done in the manner you would do it. All that does is create further work for you and less for the person you have given the responsibility to. Letting others take charge of certain tasks shows you have belief in their abilities, and frees up some of your valuable time.

How to Delegate

• Communicate your request and relinquish control of the task.
• Stand back and allow others to complete the task you have requested.
• Offer support and understanding.

Getting Your Own Way

Visualising the outcome of an event will help you focus on the resolution your want to achieve – whether that is asking someone for help, support or something in particular. Feeling positive about the way you communicate this message will ensure your delivery of the request is accepted with good grace. Asking in a polite, expectant manner will engage the other person in open communication, and will leave room for negotiation, should you need it.

How to Get Your Own Way

• Visualise a positive outcome.
• Feel positive and communicate clearly.
• Engage in open communication and await your desired result.