Where Does the Time Go?
Time is a resource that is not regulated by anything except "Mother
Nature." It is no respecter of persons or their station in life.
We all have 24 hours each day, and it is up to each of us to decide
the best use our time.
I was in my favorite sporting goods store last week, purchasing supplies
for a future investment of my time in a fishing trip. The store had
a cap with these words on the front: "Tie flies when you're having
fun." Of course, this plays on the saying, "Time flies when
you're having fun." I found it amusing and was reminded that in
planning the use of our time, it is important to plan some things that
will be fun.
I mentioned to a colleague that I was writing an article on time management.
She said she could write that story in three words. I said, "OK, tell
me," and she responded, "Make a List." This may be a bit oversimplified,
but her advice would probably improve the effectiveness of a good many
of us. Let's take her advice and develop it further.
Now that you've made your list, the next step is to prioritize the
tasks on your list: what needs to be done today, this week or this month.
You must have a good sense of time and be realistic about how long it
will take to do a given task.
Goal setting is another skill that is helpful in managing your time.
Set goals for what you want to get done by a specific time. You should
keep your goals realistic, or you will continually be frustrated by
a sense of failure.
One of my former college professors, who was a retired sales manager,
gave me some advice about getting things done when I was beginning to
feel overwhelmed. His advice: "Plan your work, and work your plan."
I have tested it and found it helpful as I tried to balance everything
and get it all done.
Procrastination is something many of us must deal with, and we can
even do a pretty good job of hiding it from ourselves. We might disguise
procrastination with an excuse, like needing a large block of time,
or needing more information before starting a project. We must be honest
with ourselves if we are ever to be able to differentiate between procrastination
excuses and legitimate reasons for delaying a decision or action.
One way we can use our time more effectively is to take ownership
of our time. Do not allow others to take up your time or make commitments
of your time without your permission.
Another thing we can do is learn to say "No." Remember your
list and your priorities. Don't let yourself feel guilty about saying
no to things that are not in your plan.
We can also delegate the responsibility for a task to someone else.
This will free up some of your time to work on the jobs that only you
can do.
Setting up a filing system can help save your time. Keep your system
simple so you don't spend a lot of time trying to locate important papers.
A simple system will make filing go faster and help you retrieve them
later.
If you have a large task to accomplish, try to break it down into
smaller parts that will seem more manageable. Also, you won't be as
likely to procrastinate if it is in smaller portions.
Finally, reward yourself when you have completed a major task. When
we fail to do this it causes us to focus on what is still left undone
(your in-basket will always have something) instead of enjoying what
has already been accomplished.
Well, my writing task is completed, and my reward is going to be some
quiet time on the lake fishing. Get your work done and you can go too!
Send this article to a friend
Authored by: Rick Sparks, Business and Industry
Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
Source: Creating Quality Newsletter, Volume
11, Number 4, April 2002
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