Are you having difficulties in managing your time? Do you want to develop a better time management skills? if your answer is yes; then you need to pay good attention to the information on this article below.
Before i proceed, i want you to bear this in mind that the key element on to managing your time in your working place or in your personal life are just this two things:
- Planning
- Delegation
Now let’s see how you can use these two elements to manage your time better and more effectively. Time management is a skill that anyone can learn if he wants to. Nothing like magic about making the best use of your time.
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The Primary Tools Needed for Effective Time Management
Planning and carefully arranging work that has to be done simply means that there is a sense of orderliness and time consciousness. To effective plan your activities, the following steps are needed:
- Setting priorities.
- Determining how much time to distribute to each task.
- Identifying the tasks that requires to be done, taking note of the deadline for each one.
- Preparing for the unexpected.
The planning exercise may be done once a week or once a month. However, it is usually a nice idea to review the plan the night prior or early in the morning, so that you will be ready for each day. You must regularly observe the plan and make any necessary adjustments if need be.
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Tools You Can Use to Plan Effectively and Manage your Time
Various tools can be used to carry out your planning exercise. In case of your family life planning, you may simply use a large calendar on the wall with absolutely all thing posted on it, involving who is responsible for what. If you are in co-ordination of the work of a volunteer group, you can use a schedule of events with the task/time notes attached that is allotted to all persons involved. In your working place, an agenda, either electronic or paper, can create the minimum list of work to be done. Frequently, there is an official structure for long term plans for the entire work unit. There are tools even called time logs that can help you organize your work life.
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Delegation as a Time Management Tool
Delegation is one of the most useful tools for your time management. You have laid out every of the work that has to be done and you realize that it is overwhelming and that you require assistance.
Always delegate the right thing to the right person and at the right time; and do not try to overload someone else just because you have planned badly, poorly or an unexpected project landed on your table.
The same in your personal life, do not believe that you have to do all thing in the house. You may accept responsibility for having a clean and neat home, but the tasks can be delegated to a spouse or the children.
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Put the Skills into Practice
It is not enough to know how to plan and delegate at work, home, or school. You have to practice these skills until they become a habit. Always map out time for planning, whether it means scribbling out what to do on calendar or completing an electronic log. Observe it regularly. Learn to practice delegation. Quit from thinking that you are the only one that can do it right. By assigning and delegating tasks to others, you give them an opportunity to learn and to contribute.
Delegation and planning are good time management skills that benefits all. It is never too late to begin managing your time more actively and effectively. Give it a trial and your time management problem will become history.