How to Improve Your Life with Time Management Skills

By Chief Procrastinator | October 22, 2009

There are 24 hours in a day, of which the average person spends eight hours at work and eight hours sleeping…

That makes 40 hours per week of free time that you can do with as you wish during the workweek plus an additional 32 hours of awake time on the weekend.

The average person actually spends twice as much time away from work than at it. So what should you do with all that free time? Over 72 hours a week in all!

First, you should realize that most successful people do not work forty hours a week. So you may start by applying at least 10 of those 72 hours towards furthering of your career.

If you have your own business, it will be easy to spend an extra eight hours of work productively. If you work for someone else you can take home extra work and show the boss you put in the extra effort that other employees don’t.

Better still, you may want to use this extra time to start a business of your own…something that fits in with your hobbies and can be fun as well as profitable, like baseball cards, or model planes.

You could start your own cleaning business, or maybe a consulting practice to sell your knowledge to large businesses or local businesses.

The possibilities are almost endless; and if you spend enough of your extra time doing them, you may well find you create another career for yourself. This is how many successful companies originated.

At least one hour a day should be spent in furthering your knowledge of your business or industry through reading, courses, and seminars. This takes another seven hours from your free time but still leaves you with just over fifty-seven free hours.

An absolute minimum of ten to fifteen minutes should be spent on planning for the next business day. Reviewing your plans for the day should be the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do when you leave work at the end of the day.

You still have over 55 hours of free time to spend as you please, but rather than continue eating into your free time, let’s take a look at how you can better use your working time.

Work Time

Many people complain of a lack of time to do all the required daily business tasks. The best way to resolve this is to plan your days in advance, in blocks of time, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute.

By writing down how you plan to spend your time, you will instantly become far more productive. More productivity equals more money and more success.

You must use your time wisely. Time is the only thing you have to sell to your company or business. How much of the time you spend at work is really spent doing work? The truth of the matter is very a little amount of it is spent working efficiently.

Instead you are probably spending the day as most people with poor time management skills do: putting out fires that other people started, shuffling papers around, and writing memos.

Here is a simple eye-opener that will let you see just how much work you are really accomplishing. Show up at work tomorrow with a watch and write down how you spend all of your time in five-minute intervals. Keep the sheet and watch in front of you at all times.

As you start each new task, write down on the paper what that task is and start the stop watch. As you change tasks — phone calls, interruptions from co-workers, etc.– write down what the new activity is and how long you spend on it.

At the end of the day, write these four terms on a separate note pad or type it into a word document.

1) Meaningful work

2) Wasted time (this includes interruptions, unimportant phone calls, etc.)

3) Problems that need to be addressed.

4) Low priority/low return work.

List underneath each of your headings the tasks you have dealt with that day. Then add up the total time spent in each category.

Now you will have a shocking picture of just how few of the hours you spend at work are spent on high-priority, money-making, business growing, or goal-oriented tasks that help your business.

Instead, what you will probably find is that looking for information, interruptions, and wasted time are the winners in the battle for your precious time.

Create a Time-Efficient Word Space

This means to have all your tools and resources in working order and at your disposal. More of your time is lost through disorganized paper management and searching for misplaced documents and reports than through any other cause.

Make a habit of keeping all your work areas and desks free of all paper except what is needed for the task at hand. When you are finished with the work at hand, immediately remove it, mail it, file it, trash it, or do whatever action is applicable, but do not leave it on your desk.

Start Each Day With a Clear Plan

If you truly want to get the most out of every day, it is essential that you begin each with a clear plan. I usually plan the next day’s events the night before. Take a day planner and write down all those tasks you want to complete the next day.

Write each task down on paper or in excel and number them in the order of importance. Start with the most important task and stick with it until you have finished it or reached the point that you wished to reach for that day. It gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to line out each task as it is accomplished. 

After an overall list of tasks for the day, I plan the day’s specific activities in 15-30 minute intervals using a daily planner. Plan all of your phone calls and meetings. Proper daily planning has allowed me to write 20 marketing books and also manage a golf marketing company and a golf management company.

Set a time limit on meetings, especially with people who are don’t pay for your time. Stick as closely as possible to your time-lines.

If you schedule 20 minutes to talk to a car salesmen, then let them know ahead of time that is all the time you can spend with them. They will make their points faster, thus allowing you to save time.

As you come close to the end of your allotted time for a given task, give a two minute warning to yourself via a stopwatch or by using outlooks calendar function. Try to bring your business to a close quickly and efficiently.

Start Writing Things Down

Always keep a pen and pencil by your phone. I can hardly believe the number of companies I call only to be asked to hold while the employee finds a pen and paper.

A pen and paper are the world’s most vital business tools, and you should NEVER be without them. I keep my appointment calendar somewhere near my desk at all times so if I am speaking to someone I can grab it and take notes as we talk. I write down thier contact information, why they called, and how they would like to be contacted in the future. I also make plans to add them to my CRM.

In that way, I have a record of the time, date, and purpose of their call so I can refer back to it if necessary at a future date if I need it. I also always write a person’s phone number under their name. In that way, I never have to search further than my appointment book for names and addresses.

Don’t Waste Your Time

Time is not something that you have more of then the other person, so use it as the precious resource that it is. Every single person in this world starts out each day with the same amount of time in which to accomplish tasks and objectives. The only part that differs from person to person is how that time is being used.

Successful people try to squeeze every second of opportunity from the day, while those at the lower levels simply waste it away.

If you want to make 0,000 a year, you must make an hour. That is exactly .66 per minute! If you spend 20 minutes on the phone talking to your buddy down the street about Monday night’s basketball game, you have just wasted .20 of your very increasingly valuable time.

If you spend an extra half hour at lunch, you have just lost .80 of your time. Once lost, time cannot be regained.

The next time you find yourself involved in a situation that waste your time, ask yourself this question. Would I pay my buddy down the street .20 dollars in cash out of my own pocket, right now, to listen to me talk about last night’s football game?

The answer, of course, is no. Yet, that is precisely what you are doing. Wasting $13.20 of your money, which should always be committed to reaching your goals and serving your customers or business.

If you are working on a project and are interrupted by a call that takes ten minutes, it often takes another ten minutes to get back to what you were doing. Instead of being interrupted twenty times a day, schedule 30 minutes a day for returning phone calls that are not urgent.

These are calls from family members, other companies, or other people who are not actual customers. Your time at work is much too valuable to allow constant interruptions. By setting a specific time, it eliminates phone tag and keeps you from being interrupted all day.

Let’s say you wanted to make ,000 a year, to do that you must make ,000 per month. This works out to be $1,153 per week, based on a 48-hour, six-day week, which we will say is typical for most successful people.

This breaks down further to be 2 per day or per hour. You now have a powerful tool to help you reach your goals. You know exactly what you must make each and every hour that you are working in order to reach your desired income level.

Now let’s see which of your daily tasks really produce that desired figure of $24 per hour?

These are some of the tasks that really could help you produce per hour. Proper marketing will always generate leads and new business. Selling, whether it is a direct sale of one of your products or getting someone to give you an interview for a better job, always pays off.

Marketing keeps people involved in your business and brings new blood in the form of prospects, contacts and clients. Increasing your skills makes you more valuable to yourself and others, and this will pay off quickly.

Then, of course, there are the tasks that do not produce $24 per hour.

I am not suggesting that any of these things are not important to the overall success of your business. Rather, I’m suggesting that you can find someone else to do these kinds of tasks for just a few bucks an hour, allowing you to focus on the important high-return task.

The Most Powerful Word in Time Management

The simple act of saying, “NO,” will save you more time, energy, and effort than you can ever imagine. In an overexerted effort to try to please everyone, we often find ourselves taking on more and more responsibility, activities and stress.

At some point, you simply have to say, “NO, doing that would not be a good use of my time.” Try it; it’s not that hard, and the people asking get over your refusal very quickly. They are probably calling someone else right now to help them.

Set aside a certain amount of hours in your plan each week to donate your time to the charity you think is a good cause. Once that time is used up, it is gone, and there is no more.

Remember the words of Napoleon who said, “You can ask me for anything you like… except for my time.”

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How To Keep Track Of Your Time

By Chief Procrastinator | October 22, 2009

time management tips

In order to manage time effectively, you need to determine where your time actually gets spent. One helpful way of determining your actual usage of time is to track your time. This is one of the most essential part of effective time management. and is is one of the necessary time management techniques that you should put to use. The approach here is like planning a schedule, but it works in reverse. Instead of writing down the things that you are planning to do, time logging is a process of writing down the things that you have already done. Doing this is sort of a get- to-know-yourself exercise because this process will highlight many of your habits that you may unknowingly ignore currently.

For instance, some people find that every time they plan to do math homework they end up watching TV. Instead of studying for that math test, they play Internet poker. Other people just don’t seem to follow their schedule until the week before finals.

Whatever your time habits are, time tracking will help you adjust and fine-tune your time management habits. Having accurate information concerning your time usage patterns can serve as another important point of reference for self-monitoring. The following are several ways to track your time. Take a moment to do this – it will truly help you open your eyes and take control of your time.

1. Time tracking is fairly straightforward. At the end of every hour jot yourself a quick note about how you specifically spent your time for that hour. The note needn’t be long - one sentence or less should do. If the way you spend your time does not tally with an already planned activity, just enter a comment as to what you really did during that time. This way you will be able to reflect on patterns that emerge in the way you use your time and make the relevant adjustments to improve your productivity.

2. Some may find it helpful to modify the planning page to facilitate tracking time. The modifications are easy enough: make two columns on your paper for each day of the week. In one column, write down the plan you are trying to follow; in the second column, make notes on what you actually did with your time. The side-by-side comparison is very telling and is an effective way of figuring out where you’re not using time in the way you have intended.

3. Another effective way to make changes and get results from your time management strategies is to summarize your time use by time categories such as: sleep, study, work, travel, etc.

Estimate how much time you think you spend on the various activities listed and enter these in the “expected” row in the summary sheet. Feel free to include any additional categories that might be helpful. Then log your time for one week on an hour by hour basis. When the week comes to a close, summarize your time by category for each day, add up the values for all seven days of the week, and write the totals in the “actual” row of the summary sheet.

Summarizing your usage of time enables you to understand the precise amount of time you really spend in the various areas of your life. It is almost certain that you will see a significant difference between the number of hours you expected to use in certain categories and the actual number of hours you spend.

If you realize that you spend more time in one area than you intended, and less in another, the weekly summary of how you use your time clearly shows you which activities to reduce to find the extra time you want for more important areas of your life. Indeed, you will find that time tracking by activity will serve you well as one of the most helpful time management strategies that you can employ as you implement it in your daily life.

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Learn How to Overcome Procrastination and Become 10x More Productive

By Chief Procrastinator | October 22, 2009

The act of postponing and putting off tasks deliberately is known as procrastination. A lack of motivation and willpower is the cause of this and this can lead to sufferers becoming behind both in the workplace and at home. Our advice on how to overcome procrastination can help you quickly and easily gain better concentration and focus whenever you feel you need it:

Subliminal messaging can really help you learn how to overcome procrastination. It will have a positive, optimistic impact on your life forever. By sending subliminal signals to your mind you align it with the goal of stopping procrastination forever. This can be extremely effective. It will make you more driven, and simple help you to act and do your tasks as you should. View our stop procrastinating cdalbum today.

 

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How to Avoid Procrastination in 5 Simple Steps

By Chief Procrastinator | October 22, 2009

Almost all of us unnecessarily leave tasks until another time and experience procrastination. This is just psychological and if these tips are followed the problem can be stopped. Real Subliminal have combined some of the best avoid procrastination tips:

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Toll Free Numbers & Other Time Management Tools

By Chief Procrastinator | June 11, 2009

Learning From Available Time Management Tips Can Bring More Order Into Your Life

There are numerous tools available today to assist people in effectively managing their time and money. Today’s mobile worker can use tools such as Toll Free Numbers for Companies, or Computer Phone Calling to minimize their travel and manage their business from anywhere.

Some people are so disorganized and bad at managing their time and tasks that one wonders just what it would take in order for such people to know that they are in real need of learning from time management tips along with the correct way to properly organize themselves and also get the best out of available time. The fact of the matter is that these kinds of people are mostly so busy as well as harassed that they never get the time to really do anything productive and useful, and in fact, it makes them wonder why they cannot do better with the amount of time available to them. Using call management services such as toll free numbers for personal use or company use can maximize time for small business owners and entreprenuers alike.

Become More Productive, Efficient And Well Managed

In case any of these points reflect your current state of being, then you may find learning from available time management tips how to put yourself out of such circumstances and get on the road to being productive, efficient and well managed. Numerous publications offer tips and tools for managing your time, and whether you buy or borrow these books, the bottom line is the tips you learn that can improve the quality of your life.

In any case, the simplest of all time management tips that you will learn concerns learning to organize you and prioritize your tasks, and this in fact, can be done by first of all creating checklists of things that need to be done. Then, once you are done with one project, you can then tick that off from the checklist and move on to completing the next one and so on until you have exhausted all the items on your checklist.

Another useful time management tip worth learning is being able to understand that it is best for you to complete the task with tightest of all deadlines and then work your way through all other remaining tasks in the order of their importance – starting with most important ones and finishing with the least important one.

Next, another time management tip worth paying heed to is learning how to pick a schedule and then adhering to it as closely as is possible. This means that you should act in the same manner as you would when making it a point to never shirk from meeting your boss and treating every task on the schedule in the same way which is that you will never miss an appointment with your boss. In this way you will learn to be more disciplined and thus act in the most appropriate manner and also begin to make good use of whatever time is available to you.

By learning from time management tips, whether by technology tools such as utilizing toll free numbers for your company or home based business those mentioned above, you should not find it at all hard to overcome your disorganized ways and also learn to manage your tasks more satisfactorily and thus be able to create a more perfect life for you that you can then enjoy and get more out of.

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How To Stop Procrastinating And Achieve Your Goals

By Chief Procrastinator | June 11, 2009

Those who consider procrastination to be simply a matter of laziness do not fully understand the psychology of the problem and instead claim that a kick is the only reliable way to stop procrastination. On the other hand, even those people who understand that procrastination may be a manifestation of a deeper rooted problem may still consider that the perpetrator is procrastinating about seeking help.

Some people who have a tendency to procrastinate may in fact be suffering from depression or even attention deficit disorder which can both be underlying causes of procrastination. While procrastination is considered a behavior disorder, by treating other diagnosed issues it may be possible to offer a method to stop the procrastination at the same time. It is often recommended that those people who are chronic procrastinators see a therapist or a mental health professional to determine if there are other treatable issues causing them to consistently put thing off.

Therapy can a useful process for people to change behavioral patterns such as phobias and, for example, a fear of flying. These types of upsets in a person’s psychological balance cannot always be treated with medication, but a therapist can offer them a better understanding of why they display the particular behavior. Through this type of treatment a person can usually begin to stop procrastination~change the procrastination habit~stop procrastinating if it is required.

Continued Procrastination Can Lead To Addictions

When a person continues to put off doing certain tasks, they usually focus their attention on other, sometimes solitary projects. It is possible that someone who fails to set about stopping their procrastination will end up addicted to the computer, if that is what they turn to to take their focus away from something that needs to be done. Hiding behind a computer screen offers them self-justification for putting something off, but an addiction to the internet or computer gaming may be a sign that procrastination help is needed.

Attention deficit disorder, while typically associated with children, has lately become a more common diagnosis for adults who cannot remained focussed on one thing for a long time. When this leads to procrastination, seeking help for attention deficit disorder can also lead to a means of stopping the procrastination.

In most cases procrastination is displayed as an avoidance behavior during which the individual will do other tasks unrelated to the project they are ignoring. By learning new behaviors, as well as finding out what draws their focus away from their planned project, a cure for procrastination can be found.

Part of the process of stopping procrastination is learning to set smart goals. Setting achievable goals~How to set achievable goals and taking steps towards those goals can create breakthroughs in many areas of our lives.

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Workplace Stress

By Chief Procrastinator | November 16, 2008

Accordiing to Northwestern National Life, “One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.” The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) summarize job stress as “…when the requirements of the job do not match capabilities, resources or needs of the worker”. Stress solutions are numerous, however the NIOSH has been able to concisely summarize those solutions. Teleworking solutions are fast becoming a viable choice to reduce stress for both employer and employee.

Here are some fundamental stress solutions as outlined by NIOSH:

Balance work and family life
Having a network of support from friends and co-workers
Being able to maintain a relaxed and positive outlook

NIOSH also lists the early warning signs of stress as being:

Headaches
Sleep problems
Having trouble concentrating
Prone to quick temper
Upset stomach
Dissatisfied with job
Morale that’s Low

NIOSH has listed a summary of items to help Prevent Job Stress:

Building awareness of Job stress, such as the causes, the costs, and possible solutions Having top management committed to supporting programs that solve stress issues
Allowing the employee to be involved in stress solution programs
Using Job Stress Consultants or hold in-office training

Flexible work programs are the backbone of building emotionally strong corporations. Some companies are already effectively doing this. As per the Telework Coalition, more than 22.2 million americans Teleworked in 2005, meaning they worked at home or other location away from the office.

According to  “Commuting in America” a study for the National Academies, based mostly on census data, telecommuting, or working from home, is one of the fastest growing trends. The author of the report believes it will only increase in the future.

Fascinating statistics from the July 2006 Hudson Highland Group:

23% of workers work at home or are given the choice
59% agree that working part time is an appealing option
(includes 38% who think having the choice to come into to the office or work from home is ideal, and 21% who say the best option is working at home)
73% rarely or never get work done during their commute
(despite technology permitting employees to work when heading
to and from work)

Productivity tools such as implementing Remote PC Access, Online Meetings, or Computer Phone Calling, are practical options available to employers and employees so who want to structure optional work-at-home programs. Companies must then learn to manage virtual workforces and utilize technology tools necessary for employees to stay connected. To summarize, in 2005 44% of US Companies offered some type of telecommuting option, that’s up from 32% in 2001. The International Telework Association and Council (ITAC), estimates that there will be over 40 million teleworkers in the US by 2010. It’s safe to say that practical job solutions for work stress will involve the use of teleworking tools.

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Activities Self Esteem Children

By Chief Procrastinator | November 11, 2008

Activities in Building Self-Esteem in Children

One of the main issues that parents must deal with when raising a child, is their self-concept and self-esteem. We need to teach our children to have a strong sense of self worth, both in themselves and in their talents. This can be difficult to do because as parents we need to give them ’space’ to find out certain things on their own and yet be there to guide them along the way too.

Being too lax and giving them too much freedom can lead to rebellion while being too strict can destroy a child’s independent spirit and foster too much dependence.

Self-esteem can be encouraged and developed anytime in a persons life, that is why it’s always good to begin early with your children, so they will learn to trust in their abilities and talents. There are several things that parents can do to help develop a healthy self-esteem in their children.

1. Teach self-affirming statements

Talking to yourself in front of the mirror and telling yourself what a great person you are, can feel a bit childish for a grown-up to do but not for a child. It may seem childish, but it works, and even some adults do it in order to boost their confidence for the upcoming day or event. You don’t even have to stick to the mirror process. They can say self-affirming words without looking in a mirror and it can be just as effective in helping them feel positive about themselves and have greater self-confidence.

Create a mantra that your child can easily remember, one that goes to a familiar tune they already know. When they get up in the morning, you can sing the mantra to your child and have them sing one to you. The mantra should be about each other; such as saying I love you in the morning or telling each other how great the other is.

There is really no exact way to do this. Feel free to come up with even more songs, or poems; as long as they encourage your child in what makes them so special.

2. Playing the Positive Traits Game

The Positive Trait Game, is a great game to play with your child that will boost their self-image, and will also help to increase his or her vocabulary skills. This is a fun way for you and your child to tell each other the things you like about each other, or the positive traits you see in them. What makes this game fun, is that the positive trait must begin with a certain letter of the alphabet.

The positive trait game is a wonderful way to teach your kid to think positive thoughts and to acknowledge the traits and talents that make him or her unique. This is also a great way to make sure that he or she will grow up knowing where his or her strengths lie.

3. Find Activities they Enjoy Doing

Encourage them to try out new things so that they will discover their talents and abilities. One great way to do this, is through summer programs, where they have all kinds of things for kids to do. For Example, maybe they find out they are great in art, drawing, painting but they don’t really enjoy music all that much. So don’t discount music lessons as part of his summer curriculum.

Either way, if they really don’t want to continue, at least they were able to try something new and learn a little about it. By allowing them to explore different things, they will find out what they love to do and what they are really good at; this is a wonderful way to boost their self-confidence early in life. Childhood is a wonderful time in life and by allowing your child to enjoy activates, they will become even more adventurous and open to learning new things.

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Time Management

By Chief Procrastinator | October 8, 2008

Productivity Tools

While technology is at its most advanced state in this day and age, there remains to be a lot of things to juggle for a typical career-oriented woman. For most family-oriented people, there is the burden of juggling work, career, family and other factors involved in one’s social life. 

You can read more on Time Management & Goal Setting

The answer is Time Management & Goal Setting. Many highly successful women are often asked about their secret of success. And more often than not, they have the same response, and that is Time Management. However, although this is almost an expected response, many are still baffled at how Time Management & Goal Setting really works.

Time Management is simply the proper allocation of time for certain priorities. First, the important tasks have to be arranged in a certain way where it is clustered into sectors and listed according to urgency and importance. For example, the important parts of your life are career, your wife, your home, your art, and your family. You have to know which one to drop first whenever you need to do something.

After that, you will need help from some Time Management Tools designed to aid you in the right process of prioritization AND remembering that order.

Quick-and-Easy Reminders

Goal Setting Tools & Time Management Techniques

There are a lot of persons who need lots of reminder when it comes to taking care of medium sized businesses. Often, they are too small that they are disregarded as unimportant. If you are one of them, buy some quick-and-easy pop ups. What’s good about technology is you can probably put a tickler just about everywhere! Cellular phones nowadays have built-in organzing device of your choices, post-its are available in different sorts, and even the good old refrigerator door magnets have come in a lot of forms.

What is important is that the frequency of the reminding is now being increased. This is good for Time Management because it keeps you aware of the things which you have to do especially if they’re urgent.

The organzing device of your choice + Watch Tandem

These are staples for just about every busybody from the college beadle to the corporate leader. The organizer is something that holds your appointments and it’s also a tiny little space for some writing. Busybodies usually have contact numbers of random men they meet, gifts for a not-so-relevant birthday party that he has to go to or some sudden brilliant ideas that come to mind. For these and more, you will need an organizer. It has to be a little agenda, just enough to fit in a small handbag, and should be made of durable material. You must bring your organizer with you every day, in case you need to list something down as a reminder.

Moreover, the perfect addition to an organizer is a high-quality watch. Just because your watch didn’t work well You may have experienced running late for an appointment.  What’s worse is that the person you’re meeting wouldn’t even believe you. This blunder can easily be avoided. Just get a high quality watch. Having a good sense of time is practically the first step in Time Management & Goal Setting.

The Perfect mindset

It’s pressuring to know that you have a lot of things in your hand and it seems like you can’t even do anything about it. Don’t tip over. 

Moreover, keep a be on your toes kind of manner of thinking as you maneuver your way into your busy life. Sure, there are times when you distance yourself from your organizing device of your choice. For some, it is a painful reminder of the busy life they lead. It’s perfectly alright to feel some form of eternal urgency but take some time off once in a while. You must never forget yourself in your list of important tasks.

More on how to get more done

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Have you ever procrastinated?

By Chief Procrastinator | September 23, 2008

Have you ever put things off - and later been sorry that you did? Fact is, people procrastinate all the time.

The problem however is that when you hesitate, you miss out. For example…

Read the rest of this entry »

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