Everyone has periods when things do not go as planned and you are not able to do what you need to do.
Sometimes this is due to illness, other legitimate concerns or … less legitimate reasons such as
lack of desire, enthusiasm or commitment. However, …
Allowing this to continue or dominate, will prove detrimental whether with education,
employment or any other aspect of life.
While others may not suffer, You Will !
how do i avoid this ?
There are people, magazines, books, articles, sites, etc., which provide advice on how to avoid this. A
number of essential points are included below that may also be of value.
While called Time Management, it is really about being organised, so time you
have is more productive.
This provides previously ‘missing’ time to do things you want, while ensuring
you complete things you have to do. The best of both worlds !
Remember - you have the same amount of time each day as everyone else.
How you use it decides on how organised and effective you are, and therefore how you get to enjoy other things in your life.
planning is essential !
Unless you have a perfect memory, then you will certainly forget something that turns out to be important.
If your memory is not all that good, i.e. it is human ! then you will probably forget more and more;
Unless you can be sure of the priority of each thing you have/want to do, then you can also create
difficulties for yourself;
One way to ensure you do the things you need and want to do, is to develop a list of things for each day.
This can be done first thing each day if preferred, or last thing the night before [much better];
In developing such a list, you should also prioritise what is listed as :
Must Do;
do if possible;
do if there is nothing more important.
then ensure things on your ‘must do’ list are completed. Don’t put too
much here. Be realistic about your own capacity;
It is amazing how people spend considerable time on things that are neither essential nor productive in some
positive way. this has to change !;
If things remain, look at whether they -
really need to be done, or
can be removed from the list.
If they reappear but continue to have little impact, even when not accomplished, remove permanently.
Amazingly, things you really want, or have, to complete, will get done !
Be consistent. Make it part of your life. It will reap dividends.
be organised !
This is Really What We Are Talking About;
If you are disorganised physically - room like a tip, can’t find things where you work, then you will
also be disorganised mentally - forgetful, behind time, mentally lazy;
Be sure you know where things are, and make sure they are there. This way you won’t waste time
searching;
Not everyone is perfectly organised [very few in fact], but the more Organised you
are, the less problems for yourself, and the less time you waste.
don’t have paper mountains !
You will have masses of paper [yes, we know it is a paperless world, but …] - magazines, mail,
[lecture] notes, books, letters, emails, invoices, receipts, manuals, etc.;
For any of the above, consider the following :
don’t leave it in piles, boxes, on chairs/tables, …;
is it necessary to keep ? If not, dispose of it [shred, burn, tear up,
recycle] as required;
if it needs a response, do so. Refer to the previous point once you have. If it has to be kept, store in
an appropriate place. Check regularly, cull as necessary;
if it is junk [e.g. junk mail, advertisements] use a ‘circular file’ [garbage !];
if it has to be kept [e.g. lecture notes] file it with related material. Then you know where it is and
won’t have to waste time looking in the future;
if it is books and you no longer want or need them, consider selling them. Often you can sell second hand
texts, or trade books for fiction or non-fiction material, give them to someone else or a charitable organisation. If they
only become ‘dust catchers’, you lose more time having to clean them !
You have to be ‘brutal’ or you can allow yourself to be swamped;
Suggestion - if you shift flats, rooms, houses - be brutal when
deciding what to take with you. Don’t take things that are not needed. You will be surprised what you can decide to leave
behind as ‘rubbish’. A good clear out is really useful, as we have found out many times.
make use of all the available time !
How often do you have wasted time which is lost forever ?
consider the following:
waiting for appointments;
travelling on ‘public’ transport;
waiting for something to be finished.
Question ? - if you sat down and looked at how much time was wasted
with any of these or other similar occurrences, what could you have done with that time ?
If you know any of these are going to occur make a positive decision. Don’t sit there reading 10 year old
magazines. Use the time Positively and :
take a book or notes;
take something else constructive that can be done;
Remember, the time you save, can be used for some other worthwhile purpose
- professional or pleasure.
be healthy !
The adage a healthy mind in a healthy body may seem old fashioned, but is actually
true;
Poor health robs you of stamina, mental agility, memory and more - not the least of which is time;
Have a balanced diet. Don’t exist on junk food !
get adequate sleep. Very few people can exist on limited sleep. Maybe you don’t
need eight hours every night, but there should be a balance, so make sure you get enough ! You should also consider the
time when you sleep - early morning to mid afternoon is not conducive to education, work, or even leisure;
Don’t be a ‘Couch Potato’. Exercise. Choose a form of exercise
suited to you and be consistent in doing a reasonable amount each week. Doing this pays considerable dividends in terms of
achievements and satisfaction;
If you take care, you will have more energy for doing things you both want and need to do.
don’t let others steal your time !
Do you know people who want to ‘talk’ all the time, with nothing being achieved; people who just
want to be ‘around’ for no particular reason and prevent you doing things you want to do ?
Nice as you may be, there is only one solution because you have to come first
!
Don’t let them waste your time, if you are getting nothing positive from it.
If they are wasting your time, avoid them ‘like the plague’, either totally, or at periods when
you cannot afford to waste time.
For some, full time Avoidance is the only answer. Let them waste their time if
they wish, don’t let them waste yours.
How you give them the message will depend on your personality, but you have to for
your sake.
‘blow up’ the electronics !
Just joking ! but - don’t let television, computers, video games
take over. At least know where the Off button is and use it regularly.
People often claim they can do several things at once. Usually that means nothing is done as well as
possible.
Additionally, if you are simply using up time playing with the above, you are
probably gaining nothing but pleasure [possibly not ?].
Instead, consider the alternatives - family, outings, reading, sports, study, … among other
things. As well, it may allow you to do those awful work [whatever this is] things that allow even
more leisure time when finished.
finally !
Having said the above, you need to ensure that there is balance in everything
you do;
Nobody can just work and do nothing else. Nobody, unless they are ‘filthy rich’ can do nothing
except satisfy their every desire without worrying about other things - even so, they probably get bored !
Remember, balance changes as different demands are placed on you;
However, if you follow the essentials above, you will find you not only
have time for everything needed, but you will gain achievement and satisfaction from everything
you do.
D
