TIME MANAGEMENT PART 1

• Prioritise ruthlessly

Prioritisation is the cornerstone of good time management. It ensures that the time available to you is most commonly made is failing to differentiate between important and urgent tasks. To determine the urgency of a task, ask yourself: “What would be the impact of not doing this today/tomorrow/this week?” If all else fails and you feel confronted with and overwhelmed by a colossal workload, ask yourself, “What is the best use of time right now?” This question cuts through confusion and is a terrific antidote to the inertia that can set in when you have so much to do that you’re not sure what to do next. When it comes to managing our time, it’s crucial to put first things first; those things in our life that matter most.

• Create a “TO DO” list

It is simple and takes little time. Keep your daily to do list small and manageable, five items or less. A massive to do list will only serve to overwhelm you. Put the most important tasks on the list and then success. Checking things off your list will keep you motivated to finish the day. It is gratifying and energising to see what you have achieved during the day. Review your to do list every day, days change and so should their tasks. What was important the day before may not be so important today.

• Set and respect deadlines

Be realistic about setting deadlines and strive to meet them. It’s true that any tasks the exact amount of time allotted to it. Have you ever noticed how quickly you can blitz through paperwork, delegate assignments and make decisions on the last day before you go on holiday? Although we tend to get a lot done when we’re under pressure, it is a lot less stressful and considerably more professional to establish and stick to, an action plan.

• Minimising distractions

Practise not answering the phone just because it’s ringing and emails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging and block out other distractions like Facebook (Tricky one that if you use FB Business Timeline) and other forms of social media, unless you use these tools to generate business. The demands of all of this combined technology force us into reacting to their incessant clamour.