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.

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:

1. Do you forget some of the things that need to get done for the day, week, or month?
2. Do you sometimes submit projects and reports late?
3. Do you often spend a lot of time replying to emails?
4. Do you get sidetracked when accessing the Internet, doing unnecessary things instead of doing what you are supposed to do?
5. Do you think your desk is full of clutter?
6. 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.

What really matters to you?

Your shiny LED TV, your brand new car, yor incredible golf irons?

Take some time and figure out what stuff really matters to you, doesn’t matter how long it takes to get you started. Try writing down the things you would save in case of a house fire.

Doing it you will be able to look from a different angle at the things that surround you.

Do you play that guitar? Do you really need that inflatable bed?

Prioritize your stuff, and what you will do next is up to you. You can keep your life the way it is, or you can try to improve it by getting rid of some junk.

What would you do if you could quit your job today? What would be your following steps?

A lot of people dream about being able to quit their jobs, but are clueless about what to do after quitting.

Starting today, begin planning what would you do if you no longer had your job.

Would you go back to school, move to another city, change your carreer, start a new way of life, or something else?

Our jobs are what we spend more time doing, and how we make our money. Since our job is one of the most important deciding factor in what we do our lives, the results can be quite interesting.

Use these results in your favor and rethink the priorities of your life.

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!

The world is filled with all kinds of stuff: cheap, expensive, ugly, cute, useless, useful, necessary, ando so on. Don’t let these stuff guide you and get in the way of what is important.

Think about your biggest dream. Think big. If you could achieve it tomorrow, but had to give up 90% of what you already have now, would you do the deal effortlessly?

If you hesistated or answered no, your attachment to material stuff may have weakened your ability to lead your own life.

Rethink your life and your priorities, don’t be chained for consumerism and live a prosperous life.