subject: Time Management Skills [print this page] As a Life Coach, and after coaching many different customers, I have come to realize that to successfully manage time, we must first recognize that time itself can't be managed! We all get seven days a week and 168 hours within those 7 days. This cannot be increased or changed in in any manner. However, what we can change, improve and manage is ourselves. Essentially then, true time management now becomes management of ourselves - "self management!"
You may say "I don't possess the time to commit to understanding some time management skills". I hear this much throughout life coaching sessions, but the truth is if this were true, do you really think you have the time not to?
Time management principles and methods are usually quite simple to learn. They don't require deep thinking, a high I.Q or plenty of preparation. In fact if you were to put the search term "Time Management Resources" into a search engine, you will get a bunch of websites giving help, advice, tips and suggestions on how you can manage and prioritize your time.
To sum time management up, I would say you need to ask yourself a couple of questions:
1. Do I physically have enough time to do the tasks that are needed of me? We just have so much time. Sometimes it is not usually physically possible to fit everything in. If this is the case then you need to prioritize and drop some of the low priority task/activities to claim some time back.
2. Do I fully optimize and use my time successfully? If the answer is NO then you may want to learn and implement a little time management principles and techniques.
Below is a list of a few time management (self management) techniques and ideas that I use during life coaching. You may find a couple of them useful yourself. They are in no particular sequence.
* Find out when (what time of the day?) you work most efficiently.
* Establish your priorities for what you would like to get done. Identify the tasks and activities which are the highest priority and get rid of those of low priority.
* Allow more time than you believe you will need. This makes your schedule flexible and enables for the unexpected.
* Get into the habit of making use of your odd five minutes here and there much more productively. Do not just dismiss it as just five minutes - they add up throughout the week!
* Accomplish one or two important tasks instead of lots unimportant ones.
* Have a calendar/diary. Mark all your important dates/tasks.
* Keep a list of "Things to Do" and mark them off as done.
* Every day make a list of what you have to do tomorrow.
* When feasible, do the unpleasant tasks first.
* Tidiness can make your life easier and minimizes stress.
* Allow time to relax, recharge and do nothing.
* Leave time in your schedule for un-planned activities.
"Living is the constant process of deciding what we are going to do" (Jose Ortega y Gasset)
