subject: Time - The Invisible Resource [print this page] Time - The Invisible Resource Time - The Invisible Resource
Making sure you have the time to devote to your goals is the role of time management. Time Management is a misnomer for we cannot manage time; we can only manage ourselves in relation to time. We all have the same amount of time. We can only control how we use it.
People who have the most difficulty with time are often those with no clear goals. This symbiotic connection between goals and time is critical to your success. Do you ever look at the clock and realize with a sense of panic that it's almost 5 p.m. and you haven't really gotten started on what you wanted to accomplish today?
You're not alone. Despite all the talk about "time management," despite computers, fax machines, shuttle flights -- and all other "timesavers" we've adopted -- most people still don't have enough time. The time crunch has nothing to do with time! The truth is, we don't know how to use our time.
Human nature being what it is, when we have no particular objective to accomplish on a given day, we tend to be scattered. On the other hand, when we have several key objectives, and we consider them truly significant -- we can accomplish an enormous amount in a day. The key is concentration of effort -- focus on your real priorities. Having goals around which to focus your day's activities provides the structure for successfully accomplishing them through better time management.
Is it possible that other people are running your day for you? Planning your day, rather than allowing it to unfold at the whim of others, is the single most important piece in the time management puzzle. This is the process:
1. Set long-range goals and the daily steps to accomplishing objectives linked to them.
2. Establish priorities based on the importance and urgency.
3. Learn your personal energy cycle and sketch out an "ideal day" based on your best working time.
4. From these three building blocks -- goals, priorities, ideal day -- create a plan for the day and write it down.
Nothing that you do in your attempts to better manage your time will be more valuable than this written plan. Without it, you are totally at the mercy of other peoples demands on your time. With it, you always know where you are and where you should be, and, equally important, you know what to do with new things that come along during the day -- as they inevitably will.
What do you get after applying time management techniques? You'll be more productive, less stressed prone, have a better balance between your business life and your personal life, and you'll find you're working on your desired outcomes and accomplishing them. You gain more time, and, more importantly, the life you truly want and deserve.
There are many time management systems available. Find the one that works for you or design your own and train yourself to use it.
