BUSINESS STRATEGY
Time Management was one of those buzz phrases that graced the covers of business magazines and was an auditory delight for professional workshops.BUSINESS STRATEGY
Time Management was one of those buzz phrases that graced the covers of business magazines and was an auditory delight for professional workshops. One would find a Time Management class in your typical MBA course load or corporate training. Maximizing time is essential to the bottom lines of companies as well as paramount to efficiency in one’s personal life. From balancing debits and credits to making time for your daughters’ piano recital, time management has a reciprocal effect on quality of life and career advancement.
Therefore, the following should not be taken as a final word of Scripture, but rather as transferable strategies to balance your family, career, spiritual, and physical and community involvement. Time Management was described by sociologist and academic Charles Hobbs as, “our degree of control over the sequence of events in our lives.” I will argue that Hobbs didn’t face the challenges of 6:00 a.m. workouts on the treadmill, 1 ½ hour commutes with bumper to bumper traffic, a financed car with outrageous payments, office politics, a failing marriage and children that identify more with the nanny than good ol’ Dad! This may be a typical day for some. It would be easy to find twisted variations of this reality that illustrate similar messages…there is just not enough time in a day to get things done! How many times have you reached the comfort of your bed and then repeated this unhappy routine due to a lack of efficiency?
More importantly, those who succeed are able to deal with change. This is called adaptability! In all my experiences, the template for adaptability is organizational skills. This is not about having a fancy Palm Pilot or having your assistant schedule your meetings for you in your Outlook calendar. Time management is making life-altering decisions to rid unproductive practices based on fear. We procrastinate because we fear the unknown. We are indecisive because we fear failure. We over-handle office papers because we fear losing them. We have the inability to say “no” because we fear others’ dislike for us. If any of these devils fit your beast, then I welcome you to my world and the 99 percentile of corporate workers and business owners. In the famous words of the King of Pop Music, Michael Jackson, “you are not alone, I am here with you…”
So how does one overcome these overbearing crutches of life? First and foremost it takes discipline and the ability to recognize that you are human. Yet, the beauty of being human is that we have a unique self-perception that is creative in nature. This separates us from other animals. In this unique nature, we have the ability to make changes and hold ourselves accountable for our actions. Steven Covey, renowned author of the “7 Habits Of The Most Highly Effective People” and motivational speaker extraordinaire, mirrors this point as being “ responsible” and more specifically being “response – able”. We have the full capacity to respond to change and consistently move forward and unfortunately backwards at times as well. Each and every one of us needs to recognize and implement change in our lives, if one wishes to maximize productivity and effectively manage time.
One of the most powerful exercises one can do to execute, implement and maintain effective time management is to develop and clearly write down one’s goals. This process is not completed overnight. Brainstorming is a process that is carried out when concentration levels are conducive to creativity. Thus, one may sit down for 30 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes before bed and 40 minutes on the subway to fully brainstorm one’s short, intermediate and long term goals.
Short-term goals are often considered less then 6 months, immediate term goals are often considered 1-18 months in durations, and long-term goals are often considered 18+ months in duration. Breaking down time into sizeable chunks allows one to manage each goal appropriately. Seeing the “big-picture” is a macro perspective or one’s long-term guide.
Write down everything! From fixing the kitchen sink to learning another language, from increasing sales by 200% over last year to losing 10 pounds over the next 3 months are clear goals that ought to be stated. This list may be only 10 items or your list may have 100 items. The secret to goal setting is to be realistic in attaining your goals and prioritizing your objectives. By allotting each goal to a time frame and hierarchal priority, one then has a map for direction.
Your written goals are flexible and fluid. It is a constant work in progress that adapts to your current needs. One can never predict the future and your goal-setting skills need to ADAPT accordingly. More importantly, reward yourself as you attain each goal! We are all human and recognition of achievement is positive reinforcement to set higher goals and increase motivation. So, when you lose your 10 pounds, don’t be afraid to treat yourself to the dessert menu.
Be aware of prioritizing your tasks and focusing your efforts on what gives you the greatest value in your limited time. Be aware of effective monitoring procedures for your daily routines. There are many ways to log your own performances and set appropriate goals.
Lastly, time management and goal setting is all about planning. Daily, weekly and monthly planning are keys to micro-managing your time and macro-managing your goals. Needless to say, my words only touch the surface of time management and goal setting. This article could never fully tame this magnificent animal. Nevertheless, it is my intention to introduce and make one aware of the larger picture – starting you on your way to a greater quality of life.
Platinum Albert oversees the Marketing and Communications for Platinum Bucks. Platinum Bucks is a premier affiliate program and sponsor with the YNOT team. You can reach Platinum Albert at: albert@platinumbucks.com or ICQ: 151853805
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