Speed Up Your Life » Time Management

What to Avoid to Maximize Your Time

John Torquato — Thu, 19 May 2011 00:54:40 +0000

You will discover that you hardly have time to do everything that you meant to do every day. You might have even started early enough but at the end of the day, you will just discover that most of the things that you ought to have done have been left undone. Then you would begin to wonder, how am I actually using my time? Why can’t I get enough done in the twenty four hours that I have? As a matter of fact, in most cases, you discover that you are actually very busy in the day but at the end of it all, there is really nothing to show for all your activities. There are many things that can be responsible for it; you therefore need to be able to manage your time effectively to see results. There are many things that take over our time on daily basis that make us feel as if we are really working.

One of those things is talking on phones. If you can sum up the total number of seconds, minutes, hours that you spend on phone every day, you will discover that you are really wasting time on that device. For people conducting business on phone, it is understandable, but for some of us who chat on phone, then we better watch it. Begin to review all those hours you have spent on phones, is it really worth with. Some people can spend hours on phone chatting away and at the end of the discussion, try asking them what information they have gathered, you would discover that they have actually got nothing.

Another time waster that is just like it is the number of times you check your mail every day. There are people who will spend hours just checking their mail. You can do without most of the emails that come into your inbox. Some would go as far as reading junk mails. It does not add value to your life so why spend your precious time reading it. Watch out for those junk mails and delete them as soon as you see them. Spend less time on reading your mails; it can be a great waste of time.Similar Posts:

How To Build A Framework For Success

John Torquato — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:22:11 +0000

There are many techniques available to you to help you towards the successful life you desire. Setting and working towards goals, using positive affirmations and visualization, and ensuring you define your true purpose are good examples.

All of them are important, but not on their own. They are part of a framework that you must be able to assemble in order to reach the success you desire for yourself. It’s something that is fundamental to your personal development and key to being the person you want to be.

So how do you build a framework for success? Here are seven steps to help you:

#1 Know What You Want

This is the point at which you must begin. Any journey needs a destination and you must know where you want to go in order to plan how to get there. For each part of your life – finance, career, health and fitness, relationships, contribution, and interests and hobbies – you must be clear about what you want.

#2 Set Goals

Once you know exactly what you want in each area, set goals to achieve it. Define the ultimate long-term goal and set a realistic time-frame for its attainment. Write each goal out in precise detail.

#3 Make An Action Plan

Look at each goal and plan how you will achieve it. Write down exactly what you will have to do in order to be successful. Be sure they are positive steps, even if they mean doing what is necessary to eliminate any negative aspects from your life. Try to anticipate any potential obstacles.

#4 Define Projects and Tasks

You will have goals of varying sizes and complexity – some will be simple one step solutions but most will have several parts. So break your action plan down into manageable tasks or projects so that within each long-term goal, you have a number of smaller ones.

#5 Get What You Need

To ensure you achieve all of your goals you will need to have the right resources. That may be things you will need to buy, training courses you need to go on, or people whose help and advice you require. Define what they are, when you will need them, and how you will go about getting them. This is very important – don’t take short-cuts or believe that you can do it all on your own.

#6 Manage Your Time

Time is also a vital resource, in fact without it none of the above is really any use at all. So be realistic about what time you have available to do what is required. Assess what you do with your time now and put together a plan of how many hours each day, each week and each month you can dedicate to achieving your goals. Plan out your days and allocate blocks of time to doing the things you have identified as necessary to your success. Take it seriously because if you cannot find the time then maybe the goals you’re working on are not actually worthwhile at all. If you find this to be the case then you need to go back to step one and be sure you know what you really want.

#7 Create Good Habits

If you truly know what you want and know what you need to achieve it then you must take action consistently and persistently. You must make it a habit to work on your goals, to plan your time effectively, and to work your plan. Be sure too that you also regularly review what you are doing and ensure that you are still on track to your desired outcome and that it is still what you want.

So start today on building your framework and take a step nearer to getting what you want. But remember that your circumstances can change and the things you want today may alter in the future. So be sure not to do this as a one-off exercise but something that you take the time to re-visit often to be sure you’re heading in the right direction.

Tony Hall is a marketer and business builder who works with others to help them to reach their full potential in business and in life. To learn more about him and to gain access to his free Internet Marketing Training Video Bootcamp visit his website at www.smartonlineincome.comSimilar Posts:

Guidelines That Can Help You Manage Your Time Effectively

John Torquato — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:26:37 +0000

For effectiveness in your personal life, you have to know how to manage your time well. Your life is dependent on the choices and plans you make. How well and how timely you carry out those plans matter a great deal to your overall output in life. To manage your time well, you must lay down some guidelines for yourself. Things do not just happen, people make them happen. In essence, you have to consciously make up your mind to take steps to manage your time effectively. I am going to discuss some of the guidelines that you can follow in maximizing your time.

The first guideline I would want you to set for yourself is meeting deadlines. Deadlines have to do with taking action at the right and stipulated time. When you set a plan of action, always be sure to put timeline on your plans. If you have to do shopping, put the time you are expected to go to the stores and the time you are expected to be back. And if you have to study, put the time you are to start and the number of hour that you would want to use and when you are expected to finish the study. Doing this will help you to manage your time effectively. You will know what to do per time.

Another guideline that you must set and follow is in your decision making. We all have to make decisions every day of our lives. When you need to make serious decisions, make it fast and do not sleep over it. If it means forgoing your sleep until you make that decision, then do it. Sleeping on issues is not such a good idea. And as soon as you make that decision, set to work on them. Put a time that you are expected to conclude the steps that you have decided to take. Another thing that you must endeavor to do is to strive to seek new ways to do things every time. Discovering new ways to do things will save you time and also increase your productivity on the long run. Follow all these guidelines that I have enumerated and see the increase in your productivity and time utilization.Similar Posts:

Easy Ways to Simplify Your Life

John Torquato — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:10:49 +0000

The concept of simplicity is simple, but not everybody can reach it.

With new problems showing up each other day, even some regular tasks such as a trip to the grocery store can be complicated. Different brands, types of things, healthy, organic and junky stuff… If our world could be simplified, everybody would be happier.

Thinking of it, I selected 3 easy ways you can simplify your life and make it even more appealing and enjoyable.

Manage Your Time

Try to think if you really need to do something when you face a new task. This simple question could help you eliminate some activities you don’t really need.

To-do lists are also great ways to delegate the priority of your daily tasks, and helps you meet all deadlines.

And the more important, do everything to stop procrastination. Accomplish a tasks and you’ll be ready to move on, and procrastinating will only delay the tasks you must complete.

Exercise

Exercise helps our bodies to produce endorphin, what makes our days more enjoyable. Also, exercising gives us a boost on our energy levels. Also, by exercising your body, you are helping your health.

You can work out with weights, run a couple of miles, do Pilates or even play PlayStation 3 Move games. See how fun it can be?

Organize Your Home

Home organization is something easy to do, all it takes one step at a time and follow your plans.

Try to throw away what you don’t need when you clean your house, and donate clothes you don’t wear anymore when you organize your closet. Keeping a tidy and organized home will surely make you feel better.

If you want more information on time management, exercises or home organization, simply browse this site for more information.Similar Posts:

Setting Your Priority to Get the Best on Daily Basis

John Torquato — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:11:06 +0000

Time is one of the most precious gifts that providence has bestowed on each and every one of us. We all have the same quantity of it. Actually, time is the only equal thing between the rich and the poor. The way we use our time is what determines the output that we get at the end of the day. You have to be careful therefore about the way you “spend” your time. On second thought, do not spend your time; invest your time in something worthwhile. You have to be conscious about the way you use your time. There are things you must imbibe into your daily activities and there are things that you must cut out.

One of those things that you must do every day of your life to manage your time well is to always prioritize your activities. By prioritizing, you are able to write down what you expect to be done in the order that they are supposed to be achieved. Make a comprehensive list of what you want to do. Do not just wake up in the morning and start doing what catches your attention. You must be conscious of everything that you do and the possible results that would come from those actions. For effectiveness, try to write down your priority for the next morning before you go to bed. This will enable you to have a good start the following morning since you would have known the first thing on your list of to-do.

At the end of each activity, always mark the activity as done. This would enable you to know what you have achieved so far. At the close of every day, try to sit down and review your priority list and see how far you have gone. Do what you have on your list and postpone all the unnecessary activities that may hinder you. Now don’t forget to include relaxation time into your daily schedule. You would not want to overwork yourself, I believe. Make time to enjoy your day but do not overdo it. Your time is so precious that wasting it would be unfair to yourself. Remember that you can never regain a lost time.Similar Posts:

Making the Most Out of Your 24 Hours

John Torquato — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:48:15 +0000

We all have 24 hours everyday but how come some people get more things done in this span of time than others? Why is it that there are people who can finish all their tasks in one day while others take 2 or more days to complete them? The difference: time management.

Time is a crucial element in all that we do, but interestingly enough, not everyone knows how to manage their time wisely. Time management comprises of skills, principles, tools, and practices that will allow us to utilize our time productively. People who do not have this quality are more likely to waste much of their time doing things that do not have anything to do with their assigned tasks and responsibilities.

In order to assess how well you are at time management, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you forget some of the things that need to get done for the day, week, or month?
Do you sometimes submit projects and reports late?
Do you often spend a lot of time replying to emails?
Do you get sidetracked when accessing the Internet, doing unnecessary things instead of doing what you are supposed to do?
Do you think your desk is full of clutter?
Do you lack focus when you work?

Answering “Yes” to all or any of these questions indicates that you need to hone your time management skills more. Here are some ways to do this:

First of all, never forget to write down all your tasks for the day. Be realistic and do not write too many items otherwise it will only frustrate you later on when you find out you cannot complete all of them. It is recommended that you spend time writing down your plans and tasks for the week too, because making weekly schedules can help you effectively map out your plans. When making your list, indicate which ones are top priority and which ones you can put off until the next day, if necessary.

When setting priorities, make sure to indicate which of the things listed on your to-do list you need to prioritize on. In Stephen Covey’s Time Matrix, he highlighted the need categorize tasks according to what is urgent and important, urgent and unimportant, not urgent but important, and not urgent and not important. He said it is important to address those listed under urgent and important first, focus on the not urgent but important tasks, minimize urgent but unimportant ones, and then as much as possible, eliminate those that are neither urgent or important.

Furthermore, you need to get rid of bad habits that are considered time killers. Procrastination tops the list; such habit can really hinder you from managing your time effectively.

To make the most out of your 24 hours, you need to use your time efficiently. It is how you spend every minute of your time that will determine how productive you can be.Similar Posts:

Are You a Procrastinator?

John Torquato — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:57:08 +0000

Everyone does it, including you. You have things to do, important things or mundane things, and you put off doing them until the last minute. If Procrastination were an Olympic event you might be in the running for a gold medal, you’re that good at it. You make jokes about being a world class procrastinator with your friends, telling them that sure, you could finish that project right now if you wanted to but (yawn) you’re just going to do it tomorrow.

Procrastination is putting something off until later, either due to carelessness or habitual laziness. It’s putting off till tomorrow what you just as easily could have finished up today. A procrastinator postpones or needlessly delays accomplishing something –just because.

Students are notorious for engaging in this behavior. Papers need to be researched and written, tests must be studied for but none of this is done or even started until the very last minute. Students who procrastinate generally spend a great deal of time pulling all –nighters in order to catch up to where they need to be or to cram for the big test in the morning.

A person who is habitually late to everything, from weddings to dates, is someone who procrastinates getting ready to leave. Maybe they don’t start getting ready until it’s nearly time to leave or they move so slowly that by the time they should leave for the event, they’re still way behind schedule.

So, are you a procrastinator? If so, find out how to Get Things Done!Similar Posts:

5 Tips to Manage Your Time Effectively

John Torquato — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:33:25 +0000

Time is the most powerful currency of the 21st century. And this powerful currency demands much of our attention. Unfortunately, most people never make use of this remarkable resource we have — our time. Here’s some tips to help you make the most of your time every single day:

1. Break down large tasks into smaller ones: We all know the feeling of staring at a new complicated project feeling overwhelmed and wishing we were anywhere but here. But, even complicated tasks are not impossible to handle. In fact, most tasks become unbelievably trivial once we break them down into small pieces. Get into the habit of breaking down your tasks into small ones and tackling each individual part one at a time. This will help you stay calm as well as it will help you accomplish your goals without the urge to procrastinate.

2. Get rid of unproductive routine tasks: This included getting up each morning and checking your email. Do not start your day on somebody else’s agenda. Get out there, take some time to focus on the goals for the day and then start working on them. Do routine tasks during slow times of the day. For example, check your emails right after lunch.

3. Look at your habits to see if they could be changed, maybe you could do certain things different ways and save yourself some time in the process.

4. Evaluate yourself to determine if you are a morning person or night person and organize tasks to use whatever time suits you best. I am usually the most productive at night or after 10 AM and that is exactly why I work on my most important goals during those hours. 2 hours of focused work is far more valuable than 10 hours of unfocused work.

5. Learn to say the word “no”: One of the biggest secrets of success is leadership. You need to be able to become a leader and say NO when someone asks you for a favor that can take considerable amount of highly productive time from you.

You need to be very cautious about where and how you spend your time. Time is the most precious resource you have and you need to stop wasting it and start treating it like gold.

To learn how you can take control of your time and use it to achieve your goals, click here.

Time is the most powerful currency of the 21st century. And this powerful currency demands much of our attention. Unfortunately, most people never make use of this remarkable resource we have – our time. Here’s some tips to help you make the most of your time every single day:

1.Break down large tasks into smaller ones: We all know the feeling of staring at a new complicated project feeling overwhelmed and wishing we were anywhere but here. But, even complicated tasks are not impossible to handle. In fact, most tasks become unbelievably trivial once we break them down into small pieces. Get into the habit of breaking down your tasks into small ones and tackling each individual part one at a time. This will help you stay calm as well as it will help you accomplish your goals without the urge to procrastinate.

2.Get rid of unproductive routine tasks: This included getting up each morning and checking your email. Do not start your day on somebody else’s agenda. Get out there, take some time to focus on the goals for the day and then start working on them. Do routine tasks during slow times of the day. For example, check your emails right after lunch.

3.Look at your habits to see if they could be changed, maybe you could do certain things different ways and save yourself some time in the process.

4.Evaluate yourself to determine if you are a morning person or night person and organize tasks to use whatever time suits you best. I am usually the most productive at night or after 10 AM and that is exactly why I work on my most important goals during those hours. 2 hours of focused work is far more valuable than 10 hours of unfocused work.

5.Learn to say the word “no”: One of the biggest secrets of success is leadership. You need to be able to become a leader and say NO when someone asks you for a favor that can take considerable amount of highly productive time from you.

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Organizing Time

John Torquato — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:56:51 +0000

Organizing time is a skill that must be learned by everyone. Proper time organizing gives you good personal and professional growth. By using a proper technique of organizing time, you can achieve the possible heights of happiness in all fields. Every person on the planet has 24 hours in a day, and the person who organizes the time perfectly, gets the success in life.

There are basically 3 rules to organize the time. However, without proper commitment it’s hard to achieve the result. So, it’s important that you keep yourself determined and committed towards the work and the organized timetable.

The first rule: Prioritizing the work

Prioritizing a work is an important skill of organizing time. At first you should understand what is important for you and how much time it will take for the completion. Make a table and arrange your project according to their sensitivity and date of submission. Take a print of it and paste it in front of your desk.

By prioritizing your work you are making your life easier. You will get a clear vision about what you should do first and how much time, energy and focus are required for the completion of the project.

The Second rule: Work Ahead

It’s always good to do some research and planning on the project or assignment you have been assigned to do. By doing research and planning you can understand the requirement of a project and the most possible and better way to finish the project in time.

The fourth rule: Reviewing

Reviewing is one of the important aspects of organizing time. It’s important to give an hour or a day for proper reviewing the project that you have completed. Many a times we do some mistakes while completing it and reviewing can help you to deliver the best quality.

The third rule: Say “No”

Learn to say no to all those things which are not a cup of your tea. Saying no is not a selfish act. By saying – No, you are saving yourself from all the extra stress, and it is also beneficial for all those other commitments which you did.Similar Posts:

Time’s Qualities

John Torquato — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:33:17 +0000

Every one of us has, in due courses of our lives, heard or said many phrases relating to the wastage and managing of time. ‘Don’t be late, don’t waste time’, etc. are some of the often repeated words.

These appear foolish to those who believe that all that is happening or will happen in future is pre-ordained. For them delay in projects or preponement of them is all for the best. They hold the opinion that all that is happened is for the best. These people see silver lining even in the darkest period of a human life.

Time is relative. For two sets of people living in the same time span, the pace of time may appear different. It may be slow for a person waiting for his beloved and fast for those on their way to an interview. For a prisoner, the time will crawl, while for a businessman, the time flies.

Another quality of time is that everyone measures it by their own standards. What may appear as wastage of time to one person may be a time usefully employed for others. People pursuing materials gains look at people involved in aesthetic activities as wastrels and fools and vice-versa. Similarly, those engaged in literary activities may view physical acts like scaling a mountain or sports as waste of time. In other words- one man’s meat is other man’s poison.

But, have you ever thought that the person who enjoys all the luxuries of time, and enjoys each day is not so different from you. Every person can enjoy such a lifestyle with the help of organizing their time in a correct manner. Every person on the planet has got 24 hours in a day but most of the people waste time in doing unnecessary things or wasting time and energy in the wrong direction. If you will use all of your time in an organized way then you surely can enjoy the life.

There are few simple steps which you can follow to start an organized life.

Plan your activities. Planning activities will give control of your time. You can manage all the daily routines and work in a perfect manner.
Setting Priorities. Setting of priorities is important because it can help you to use your energy and time to the important things of your life and work.
The use of leisure. Leisure is important for us. We cannot always work and run around. We need time to sit and relax. We need to recharge our mental cell if we are to perform at our optimum levels.

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