Six Guaranteed Ways To Use Time Management Effectively And Kill Procrastination
Ever wondered if there is a trick on how to use time effectively? The main problem with those people trying to achieve in their lives is while they appear to be busy, the results are not on the board. Sound familiar?
The Importance Of Time Management
The trick is concentrating on the end result rather than appearing to be busy. This achieves nothing and more often than not you'll end up running around in circles chasing your tail! No one can control time but the secret is how well and how productively you use it.
For those in business, particularly the work-from-homers, the toughest part is getting going. No one is looking over their shoulders and the only person they are accountable to is themselves. This is a real problem. It's a breeding ground for the biggest killer of people trying to use time effectively...procrastination.
How To Beat Procrastination
Using my case history as an example, as a writer, procrastination hampered my time management efforts to the point of sheer frustration. Don't get me wrong, I love to write and have written thousands upon thousands of words.
My problem was, when I had a project to complete without a deadline attached to it, I'd get into a comfort zone and any good time management principles would fly out the window! This was bad, particularly being on my own with no one to account to.
Even though the money was good, for some reason it still wasn't enough incentive to start punching away on my keyboard. I'd sit at my computer and surf the net or, I'd look up at the ceiling and count the vents or, I'd look out the window and try to guess what make and model car would zoom by next...frustrating!
It was procrastination at it's worst. Other procrastination issues facing people include fear of failure, waiting for the right time, no set goals, being perfectionists or simply being overwhelmed by the task at hand. Is this you? Let's examine some ways you can use your time effectively and bury procrastination once and for all.
Tips To Beat Procrastination
Try these time management exercises on for size!
1. Firstly, confessing to yourself you are procrastinating is vital. Simple fact is, most people know deep down they are but are still not driven enough to do something about it.
2. Appoint someone you respect enough or even fear in some respects to be accountable to. What better way than to self motivate than out of fear.
3. Check your list of things to do and prioritize. Urgent tasks go to the top. If nothing is extremely urgent, then start with something quick and small but make your next task the most unpleasant and difficult on the list. It's like exercise. You do a short warm up to get the stiffness out of your muscles before you begin your main workout.
4. Set yourself rewards. This is a great way to use time effectively. Set small rewards during the day and one major reward at the end. I break my task into time blocks. If it's a three hour writing job, then I'll take a short break every hour. Also, compete against yourself in your own mind. A three hour job completed in two hours fifty minutes means you've got a little extra time to play with.
5. Do one more thing before you retire for the night that will give you a sense of accomplishment. You go to bed in a positive frame of mind and it's one less task you have to do tomorrow. Be careful not to get complacent though.
6. Finally, have your accountability partner call you before the start of each work day to check you've completed each of your listed tasks. You'll probably hate him/her by the end of the month but check your productivity levels and see what a difference it's made!
Good time management is a combination of several factors but unless you have the desire to achieve deep down, then it will probably take a little more than just these time management exercises to get you going!
The Importance Of Time Management
The trick is concentrating on the end result rather than appearing to be busy. This achieves nothing and more often than not you'll end up running around in circles chasing your tail! No one can control time but the secret is how well and how productively you use it.
For those in business, particularly the work-from-homers, the toughest part is getting going. No one is looking over their shoulders and the only person they are accountable to is themselves. This is a real problem. It's a breeding ground for the biggest killer of people trying to use time effectively...procrastination.
How To Beat Procrastination
Using my case history as an example, as a writer, procrastination hampered my time management efforts to the point of sheer frustration. Don't get me wrong, I love to write and have written thousands upon thousands of words.
My problem was, when I had a project to complete without a deadline attached to it, I'd get into a comfort zone and any good time management principles would fly out the window! This was bad, particularly being on my own with no one to account to.
Even though the money was good, for some reason it still wasn't enough incentive to start punching away on my keyboard. I'd sit at my computer and surf the net or, I'd look up at the ceiling and count the vents or, I'd look out the window and try to guess what make and model car would zoom by next...frustrating!
It was procrastination at it's worst. Other procrastination issues facing people include fear of failure, waiting for the right time, no set goals, being perfectionists or simply being overwhelmed by the task at hand. Is this you? Let's examine some ways you can use your time effectively and bury procrastination once and for all.
Tips To Beat Procrastination
Try these time management exercises on for size!
1. Firstly, confessing to yourself you are procrastinating is vital. Simple fact is, most people know deep down they are but are still not driven enough to do something about it.
2. Appoint someone you respect enough or even fear in some respects to be accountable to. What better way than to self motivate than out of fear.
3. Check your list of things to do and prioritize. Urgent tasks go to the top. If nothing is extremely urgent, then start with something quick and small but make your next task the most unpleasant and difficult on the list. It's like exercise. You do a short warm up to get the stiffness out of your muscles before you begin your main workout.
4. Set yourself rewards. This is a great way to use time effectively. Set small rewards during the day and one major reward at the end. I break my task into time blocks. If it's a three hour writing job, then I'll take a short break every hour. Also, compete against yourself in your own mind. A three hour job completed in two hours fifty minutes means you've got a little extra time to play with.
5. Do one more thing before you retire for the night that will give you a sense of accomplishment. You go to bed in a positive frame of mind and it's one less task you have to do tomorrow. Be careful not to get complacent though.
6. Finally, have your accountability partner call you before the start of each work day to check you've completed each of your listed tasks. You'll probably hate him/her by the end of the month but check your productivity levels and see what a difference it's made!
Good time management is a combination of several factors but unless you have the desire to achieve deep down, then it will probably take a little more than just these time management exercises to get you going!