Personal time Management

How we use time. When we spend time, there is no improvement in

efficiency, productivity, or effectiveness. Time is gone without a return. We save time when we perform tasks in less time or

with less effort than previously. We use shortcuts and processes that streamline activities. We invest time when we take time to save time later.

We spend time when we go to a movie; however, if we are a screenwriter, the time spent in the movie is an investment since it will help in our writing skills.

Delegation is a valuable investment of our time. When we delegate, we teach someone to

perform tasks we usually perform. While the training process takes time now, the investment pays off later, since we free our time to perform

higher-payoff activities.The goal is to look for ways a person can save

and invest time.

Managing yourself. Why do we feel overwhelmed?

We clutter our minds with vague promises about what we should do, what we could do. But there is always more to do than there is time to do it. Most of the stress that people feel, doesn’t come from having too much to do, it comes from not keeping agreements they’ve made with themselves. When you tell yourself you ought to do something and then you don’t do it, you experience self-doubt and frustration. You can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool yourself for a second.

Ask yourself a question: From the minute you woke up this morning until right now, have you thought about something that you need to do but

haven’t done?

If so, you’re wasting your creative energy. You’ve got to get that item off your mind.

And you don’t need to finish it to get it off your mind. For most people, that means making a list.

There are 3 things you have to understand about lists: One: It doesn’t take long to get started. Two: Lists work only if they are 100% leak proof. If your

“to-call” list doesn’t include all the phone calls you have to make, then your mind still has to remember some of them.

Three: Not all the items on your list require immediate action. There’s always more to do that what you can do. But you can feel good about what you’re not doing only when you know what you’re not doing.

How to improve?

Improve your time management and organization skills: Of the many things you can do in this area, the best ones include getting a to do list that works, learning to say “no”, asking for help when you need it, and stop setting unrealistic goals for yourself.

Relax and breathe deeply: Whether you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do or if someone is “in your face”, a good thing to do is to “breathe through your nose”. Your body simply can’t maintain the same level of energy without that extra oxygen you get when breathing through your nose.

Take more breaks from your work: Even a five minute break will help. Getting more excercise in general will help you reduce your overall stress levels and that will make it easier to reduce your stress level at work.

Lighten up: Smile more. We all know laughter reduces stress. You’ll be amazed at how much pleasant the people around you are when you make an effort to be pleasant yourself.

Learn to listen better: Rather than getting upset when others disagree with you, listen actively and find the areas of agreement. Be assertive and stand up for yourself, but don’t be rigid.

Fix your environment: Make whatever adjustments you need to the lighting, temperature, noise level, and other controllable factors in your office.

Don’t sweat the small stuff: Realize that there are some things that just aren’t worth worrying about and there are some things you just can’t change. Don’t waste time stressing over the things in either category.

Get more sleep: This is another of the things you can do to reduce your overall stress that will have benefits at the office as well. In addition to reducing your stress, it will increase your energy level and your ability to concentrate.

Find a mentor or a friend: Having someone to talk to can take a lot of stress off you.

Spend more time with optimistic people: Negative people will pull you down to their level. Choose to work with people who have a positive attitude instead.

Take control of your time. The following is a list of the 10 time-management strategies that can help you take control

of your time: Buy a calendar and use it. Read all your course syllabi at the start of the term and mark

down your due dates on the calendar. Cross off the days as they pass by. Prioritize. Spend your time working on the things that are most important. Write down your

work goals and refer to them several times. Make a weekly schedule. Include your schedule and any extracurricular activities you have

planned. This allow you to see where you have blocks of free time to use for other activities. Plan your work schedule efficiently. You don’t always have control over when your

appointments are, but try to create a schedule that lends itself to time management. Cut out as much travel and wasted time in between appointments as you can.

Make use of downtime. Take a textbook with you wherever you go. You never know when you’ll have 15 minutes to kill. Use this time to do other activities.

Keep organized notes. You’ll waste a lot of time if you’re always searching for the lecture notes or handouts you need.

Learn to say no. Yeah, it sucks, but your work has to take priority over your social life.

Don’t be a perfectionist. Aim for a high standard, but realize that perfection is often unattainable and you’ll only waste time by insisting that you achieve an impossible goal.

Develop a consistent sleep pattern. Your body will get into a rhythm and feel fresher if you go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day. Just make sure that you leave enough time in between to get a full night’s sleep.

Live a healthy lifestyle. Always wake up early enough to have a nutritious breakfast before you go to class or work. Make time for excercise. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind.