The Art of Time Management: techniques you need to know

In an effort to address the conflicting demands of time, it’s absolutely important that one develop effective strategies that will facilitate proper management of time– whether it’s studying, leisure, earning money, job-hunting amongst other time related activities. In situations where it may seem like there isn’t sufficient time to do everything you ought to, stress can build up, which consequently brings about health problems. Now, to stay on the safer side, we can adjust our routines, patterns and other related aspects to counter the problem. This may range from acquisition of such skills as setting clear goals, breaking them into steps, and monitoring and evaluating the progress towards them; to prioritizing, organizing, list making, perseverance and dealing with procrastinations. Here are the techniques you will need to become master of your own time:

 

• Create a log- Own a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week or day. This will help you understand how much you can get done in the course of the day and how your time is allocated and it will clearly indicate the time you spent on productive and unproductive activities.

It can be as simple as a well kept electronic calendar and can even go to the extent of providing a honest view of where someone is investing their time and also asses if adjustments ought to be made.

• Activities and in-person communication- Assign time to activities and conversions that are crucial for your success. Incorporate appointment books and schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high priority thought and activities and conversations. This entails creating a time frame for each and applying the necessary discipline to keep up with them. It’s also advisable meeting with a person physically and working through an issue or task rather than keeping most of your activities in the virtual platform.
• Keep off one size fits all system- Apply the individuality aspect and recognize that what may work for someone else may not necessarily work for you. Take great consideration of your situations, activities, background and other aspects and then device a plan that will enable you make good use of your time and bring about accomplishments. Simply put, optimize all aspects of your life on individual basis.
• Schedule time for distractions and interruptions- Create time where you’ll handle eventualities that may pull you away from what you are doing. This will then qualify as planned interruptions and one will be in good position to take control of them in line with set tasks for the day or week or the designated time.
• Each morning people wake up and choose how they will start the day. However, with respect to time management, it’s advisable that one dedicates 30 minutes every morning to plan their day. Don’t start your day unless you have the plan down. This brings us to the conclusion that the most important time of our day is time we schedule our time.
• Engage at least 50% of your time in thoughts, conversations and activities that get you desirable results which work towards meeting your goals and achieving great accomplishments.
• Before every call and task make a point to decide what outcomes you want by allocating 5 minutes to think and decide on it. Not only will this help bring close the picture of how success looks like but also slow time down. Take another 5 minutes after each call and task to determine whether the desired result was achieved. If that happens not to be the case, determine what was missing and how you can incorporate it in your next call or activity.
• When you have to absolutely get some work done, put up a sign or notice against any form of disturbance or distraction. This will help you concentrate and have the task at hand complete on time and in required manner.

Final thoughts

Remember its absolutely difficult at times attaining perfection even if you follow the above steps .This may be due to distractions and other inconveniences that will get your attention away from what really matters. However odds are good that 20% of your thoughts, conversations and activities will yield 80% of your results and that in the end, it’s not about counting the minutes of the day but rather optimizing your time across multiple activities and leading a fulfilled life.

The Art of Time Management: facts you need to know

First off, before addressing the principal issue, as relates to the above, it’s absolutely necessary for one to internalize the whole concept of management and also time. Chances are good that, upon clear understanding of the two, you will be in a better position to relate and optimize on subsequent information.

A dictionary simply defines management as the act or skill of dealing with people or situations, like time, in a successful way.

Time on the other hand is that point or period at which things occur. In other simple terms “time is when staff happens”. Two types exist- clock and real time. Clock-time comprises 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and the math continues till you get to 365 days in a year. With clock-time, time happens to pass equally, for instance when someone turns 20, they are exactly 20 years old, no more or no less. On the other hand, real time, unlike clock time, is relative. What you are doing is the determining factor as to whether time really flies or drags. One day at the prison cells may seem like a quarter a century. And yet our 4 or 3 or 2 years at college may seem to have occurred in only several hours

Real time best suits and describes the world we exist in. Clock-time is largely irrelevant since we don’t live in or even have remotest access to clock time on most occasions. Instead we live in real time, a world where time flies when you are on top of having fun or at the peak of tasking with your main purpose in life; and really drags when you are working out taxes or in an afternoon math class.

With real time, anything you come up with you can successfully manage it. That said, this is that peak moment where you have to get done with any self sabotage or self limitations that exist around you. Quit lamenting about `insufficient time’ and ‘now not being the right time’ to turn your business idea into action or properly manage your business

The main 3 dimensional perspectives of spending time entail: Thoughts, Conversations and actions. Distractions may come about but personally, you have the authority to dictate how much you allocate to the distractions and how much you’ll spend on the above three main aspects.

Now, familiarize with the facts and prepare next to work around the techniques suitable and specifically designed to ensure you optimize on this art and maximize on time management in the next article (Part II).

Facts you MUST know about wise financial planning

A good number of us, if not all, never sat in a classroom where some gray haired overqualified lecturer or the harsh business studies teacher taught about personal financial management. We skipped classes while some never even attended or afforded formal education. But this doesn’t add up to validate why personal financial planning is still a mystery to us. The subject was and still is non-existent in the curriculum.
Unfortunately, life has presented to us the subject, practically. What do we do about it?
A recent study of the United States of America indicates 58% of its population does not have a personal retirement plan. This is just a tip of the iceberg. Add up a couple other shocking statistics out there and the truth will leave you utterly shocked.
We all need some schooling. The facts and tips below will highly assist you to get a good grasp of the subject and also prepare you to take on the challenge.

• Set up a budget
One sure way stay on top of your finances is to have a clear written down record of how much money you have coming in and the payments that you make. Periodically, this can take place monthly. You can use automated budget planners or just take note of all your transactions and figure out how much you have left over after exhausting all your necessary and other expenses.
After the first month, list down all your actual expenses sensibly and then pen down your actual budget. This should be based on your past spending history – decide how much each category will be allocated. Distinguish between projected and actual budget since fluctuations also occur.
Stay as honest as possible when setting up the budget based on how much you have while you keep track of it. Changes might happen but fortunately with your budget, it will be easy to get a clear picture of what brought the changes.

• Monitor your spending
In any case you have two options with regard to spending, critically examine all the prevailing factors and make a choice that will create a good impression on your money. Where borrowing or renting is cheaper and more affordable than buying, choose the former. Items like books, DVDs, and others can be rented as they save you space and hassle of upkeep. However, take into consideration the fact that it may be best to buy an item if you have to keep for long enough, after conducting a thorough cost analysis.
When it comes to credit cards, ladies and gentlemen treat that piece of plastic like cash. It’s not an unlimited spending device. Steer clear of running up balances you can’t pay up lest you risk spending huge sums of money on interest payments and fees.
Additionally, never spent what you don’t have. Lest it’s an emergency, only spent what you have, and not some cash you are expecting to make.
• Make smart investments
In our childhood years, we had these Disney type visions of making huge investments and raking in billions of dollars when we grow up. But soon as you graduate into adulthood you realize the financial world is much more complicated than you thought. However, taking time to study financial instruments and possibilities will equip and prepare us to be wise and tactful when it comes to investing our money even if the best one knows is when to back away.
Such offers as retirement plans offered by employers should be well used to one’s utmost satisfaction. If possible, scale up the portion of your pay check that goes into the savings scheme if your company has robust benefit plans.
Concerning stock markets, stay away from betting on small gains and losses in individual stocks every day. It’s not bad per se but it’s not an effective way to make money due to the risks involved and it’s also more like gambling, to some extent. Good investments are long term. However, make a point to check the company’s fundamentals when making choices about stocks. Take a keen look at mutual funds when buying stocks (mutual funds are bundles of stock collected together to minimize risks).
The unexpected sometimes happen and it’s advisable to take a good insurance coverage. It’s not known when a need may arise but having a good insurance can really cover up when a crisis hits. This may range from life insurance, Health insurance, Homeowners insurance, Disaster insurance amongst others.
• Set your savings goal
In the modern world, savings qualify as a necessity. If not a priority in your life, then there’s no second way about it. However small your budget is, spare a dime and let it form part of the savings. Think of how much you can manage to save per year, fast forward it to 15 years and just marvel at how much you can do with the money.
Start saving early, even while you are still in school, and then invest wisely. Additionally, create an emergency fund for unexpected or any other emergency situations that might take place, like your car breaking down, to avoid debts and other inconveniences.
Pay up debts once you are established. Start with ones with the highest interest rates as you move down in decreasing order until you have all of them paid up.
Take a financial health check
This basically entails taking stock of your overall financial status and devising mechanisms geared towards making the most of it.
Final thoughts
Solid financial planning relates to countless advantages – from living within your means to meeting your savings goals, to beating deadlines and paying up balances, to developing excellent spending habits and many other countless advantages. Ensure this makes part of your priorities and as always, stay focused on meeting the objectives.
To your good financial health