Every day we hear expressions that are in one way or another related to time. ‘How could I manage to get more hours out of the day?’ ‘What’s the time?’ ’How long will it take to do this job?’ This is the problem we face daily – there is simply too much to do in the time available to do it. The key to the dilemma of a lack of time is time-management. Time is the limiting factor – not the doing. Time itself is not of great significance. The significance is how we use that time. We could live in the past grumbling about it or dream about how things could be in the future. The only moment in our lives when we are actually able to do something is today – here and now. Time-management is managing oneself. How we would like to manage this particular moment in time. If we are not able to manage time, we are not capable of managing ourselves.
TIME
The development in communications and transportation has reduced the distance in time and place. It’s as if the world has shrunk, but the significance of time in social intercourse between people has increased. By means of the Internet and e-mail we are able to contact every part of the world in a flash. Time has taken on a whole new dimension. And with it the significance of the management of time is more important than ever before. We have to be able to arrange matters in priority order. Sometimes it seems that today everybody has to be available 24/7. People need to relax too. If you want to been in charge of your time – you need to say also NO – sometimes.
And sometimes you have to let go – in order to grow.
Whether it’s a question of our work or our private life time is always democratic. We all have 24 hours at our disposal.
HABITS
Habits, or the ways we are accustomed to doing things, are the corner stones of time-management. Good results are achieved by means of good habits. And bad results are the result of bad habits. Habits are formed from behavior that has been learned over the course of time. This behavior can be changed. Your habits govern the way you live your life, but you can give direction to those habits. Henry Ford once said: ‘Whether you think you can do something, or whether you think you cannot do something, in both cases you are right’. What do you think you can do to affect your way of working? People usually behave according to their beliefs. In order to become the master of your use of time you have to believe that you can exert your influence over it. To be able to change your ways, you first have to acknowledge what they are. Do your own habits assist or hinder you in achieving your objectives and goals? We have to be open and see if things can be done in a different way. Are we using the modern technology the right way? Can it be used more efficiently? And then again does every @mail has to be answered right away?
IT’S ALL ABOUT SETTING GOALS AND ATTITUDES
Before you can decide how to use your time you have to define what you want to do. You have to set your goals Some people are able to manage their lives and achieve set goals. Others on the other hand do not appear to have even made a start. We all have the opportunity for success – but why do only a few manage to succeed. Our attitudes have an effect on whether we succeed or fail. Our fears and trepidations together with our earlier experiences also influence the way we work and behave. There are people that tend to “to kill” all the new ideas.
ATTITUDES TO LIFE
Typical attitudes that we encounter are, for example: If you are of the opinion that some people always experience negative things whilst others experience only positive things, then your way of thinking is badly prejudiced. In actual fact very many people think to themselves only negative thoughts: I can’t do it, I’m too old/young, too late – too early, nothing can be done about it, this is my fate. It can be shown that successful people try to focus on the positive side of things. On the other hand, success only comes before work in the dictionary. A person who thinks in a positive way aims to plan the fashion how he will work in a positive way and sees in his mind’s eye his success. He is in control of the situation and is able to find solutions in the the most difficult of circumstances. It not always easy to be positive but if you can see the the situations you are presented with as positive opportunities instead of viewing them as a some kind of threat, the result will generally be positive.
TIME & ATTITUDES TO LIFE
Typical attitudes that we encounter are, for example:
POSITIVE – NEGATIVE
WINNER – LOSER
DEDICATED – OR ONLY INVOLVED
POSITIVE – NEGATIVE
If you are of the opinion that some people always experience negative things whilst others
experience only positive things, then your way of thinking is badly prejudiced. In actual fact very many people think to themselves only negative thoughts: I can’t do it, I’m too old/young, too late – too early, nothing can be done about it, this is my fate. It can be shown that successful people try to focus on the positive side of things. On the other hand, success only comes before work in the dictionary.
A person who thinks in a positive way aims to plan the fashion how he will work in a positive way and sees in his mind’s eye his success. He is in control of the situation and is able to find solutions in the most difficult of circumstances. It not always easy to be positive but if you can see the situations you are presented with as positive opportunities instead of viewing them as a some kind of threat, the result will generally be positive.
WINNER – LOSER
We are all born as winners, but unfortunately along the way we are faced with difficulties
and disappointments. Those unpleasant experiences have a tendency to accumulate with the consequence that they develop into the so-called loser syndrome. We all experience being winners in some situations and losers in others.
DEDICATED OR ONLY INVOLVED
Do you see yourself as dedicated or only involved. How does your dedication show? Are those who regularly work late in the evening more dedicated than those who work ‘normal hours’ and then go home? They are not because they are not managing to arrange their affairs in order of importance nor are they managing their own time.
The way in which you use your time tells you if you are managing your life or not. Do you want to be the master of your life? If so, ask yourself what kind of life you want to lead and what kind of person you want to be. You can only change your habits in the way you use your time by setting goals for yourself. Goals for what you want to be and what you want to do. According to psychologists, goals put you on the road to a happy and contented life. Many people don’t succeed because they have not focused on their objectives. They move from one task to the next and think to themselves that they can manage to get through the jobs at hand.
GOALS
People have to make various decisions on what has to be done every day. If the objectives are correctly defined they assist the individual in the day-to-day decision-making process. But first you have to define your goals. The corner stones of time-management are the goals and objectives. Decide first what the long-term objectives are. Focus on where you want to go. If you don’t know where you are heading who would know for you ? Before you can start making time bound plans how to use your time – you have to define your goals. Decide what you are aming at:
OBJECTIVES –FOCUSED METHOD OF APPROACH
If you think of the ideal situation taken straight from the book of how an organization should be set up, the first thing to do is to establish the objectives of the whole organization. After that you define the departments/teams own particular objectives. Then follows the definition of the individual’s own personal goals and what individual tasks the person has to do to achieve those goals. The best way to do this is to coordinate with your supervisor during discussions on objectives/job development. By performing the correct tasks the achievement of the set goals are reached.
Focusing on the objectives and goals should form the basis of the way you work. The establishing of Objectives and foals and reaching those objectives should become a way of life to you. Don’t make even one phone call, arrange a meeting or meet one new person until you have thought over where you are heading. Ask yourself how the work you will do will assist you in achieving the goals set. You’ll notice that you’re getting lost in the jungle of ‘petty details’ if you fail to keep the set objectives foremost in mind.
By managing to develop a way of thinking that focuses on objectives and results, you have to decide where you are aiming for this year, this month, this week, today and now. Write down your goals.
The way in which you use your time tells you if you are managing your life or not. Do you want to be the master of your life? If so, ask yourself what kind of life you want to lead and what kind of person you want to be. You can only change your habits in the way you use your time by setting goals for yourself. Goals for what you want to be and what you want to do. According to psychologists, goals put you on the road to a happy and contented life. Many people don’t succeed because they have not focused on their objectives. They move from one task to the next and think to themselves that they can manage to get through
the jobs at hand.
LONG TERM AND SHORT TERM GOALS
Write down your goals. Write down your long term goals. Inform your organization of the long term goals. Then define your short term goals. I recommend to set quarterly goals. They are at the same time long enough and short enough to see the results of your action plans. If needed you can change the “course” of actions, in order to reach the overall annual goal. However, you have to inform the whole organization of the goals and together decide how you can reach them. After making the overall goals each individual needs to look what that means in their daily job. Everybody in the organization has to know what is expected of him / her. How his / her work is connected to the overall goal? How his / her performance is measured? What affect his / her activities has to the overall result?
When you set your goals you should divide them shorter periods. First set you annual goals and divide them into quarter goals and then into monthly goals.
Then you should divide your monthly goals into weekly goals. The weekly goals should then include already tasks and activities that are set directly in your time planning.
And then after setting your organizational and personal goals it’s time to do some planning. After all time management is all about planning. How to make plans into action in daily level?
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