Time is life. Life is time. Time is fair. Life might not be fair, but time is. Time should be invested, not abused because we have limited time to spend on this journey of life, these were facts we established in part one of this topic.
In my last article, we also established time wasters like social media, distractions and procrastination that are eating deep into our productivity and performance. One major strategy I revealed in becoming more effective and efficient is to avoid time-wasters and focus on our focus every moment of the day.
There are three fundamentals you must have at the back of your mind to become an effective time-manager. These are:
Self-awareness
Self-awareness leads to self-actualisation. What you can’t define, you can never find. Who are you? What shapes you? What makes you tick? Why do you do what you do? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What activities do you engage in that make time fly? Have you discovered your passion, gift, calling or purpose? When is your premium time? The first step towards becoming an effective and creative human being, who is a high performer and game-changer, is to be fully aware of your personality, passion and purpose. There is a worthy price for discovery. Know thyself fully.
Self-motivation
Self-motivation is the building block of confidence and resilience. These two ingredients are essential for success in the recipe of life. What keeps you going? How hungry are you to achieve your goals and vision in life? How often do you pick yourself up after making a mistake or recording temporary failure? How committed are you to raising your standard? Have you burnt your boat? A man whose source of motivation is from within has no limitation and there is no barrier whatsoever that can stop him from winning in the race of life.
Stress management
In our world where almost every adult is complaining of stress despite the advancement in science and technology, those who have mastered themselves and are effective time-managers will always feel relaxed, calm and collected. Are you busy or productive? How well are you balancing life and work? How easy do you complain, blame or get frustrated? Are you in charge of your life or not? When you are in charge of your time, you are in charge of your life. When you are in charge of your life, you can never be overwhelmed.
To become an effective human being, excellent time-manager and enjoy a good life with all its benefits, you must know who you are, become self-motivated and manage stress.
Time management techniques
There are a few things you can do right now that will immediately enhance your time-management skill. These are
Set goals
Goals give us direction on what to do, when to do it and how to do it. By setting daily, weekly, monthly or yearly goals, you automatically focus your attention and time on your deliverables. When you set crystal clear goals that you are highly motivated to achieve, you have no time for distractions. You begin to have a fast tempo for action and a bias for results. Setting goals also helps you to review your performance and measure your results. What is measured is what can be improved.
Set priorities
You must major the major and minor the minor. Always make the main thing the main thing. You must focus your energy on what is important that will guarantee you best results. Out of your daily goals, tasks or activities which ones will grant you the best return on your effort? Prioritise those activities, tasks or goals. Put first thing first. Eat the fat frog first thing in the morning. Be smart.
Schedule your activities
It is what is scheduled that is being done. Plan the next day, next week, next month and next year ahead. Do not procrastinate. Set a date and time for your action plans. Be ahead of the game. Create a milestone. Budget your expenses ahead. Commit to follow your schedule. Do not settle for less. Be disciplined.
Studies have shown that highly successful people set goals, prioritise their activities and schedule their time effectively. You can fast-track your success, if you also apply these three techniques. The good news is that you can start applying them right now.
ACTION PLAN: Develop your self-awareness. Learn how to be self-motivated. Always strive for calmness, tranquillity and serenity. Set daily goals that will guide your action. Do first thing first. Schedule your activities ahead.
AFFIRMATION: I am an excellent time manager. I am blessed and highly favoured.
Sesan Kareem, a management consultant helps organisations and their workforce to build a culture of excellence, performance, productivity and profitability.
