|
|
Effective Time Management
Techniques
Do you always find yourself doing numerous tasks at the last minute?
Does the sight of voluminous paperwork make you feel swamped, eventually
leading you to put them off for "just a few more minutes"?
Does the word deadline unfailingly give you panic attacks?
If you answered in the affirmative to any of the questions mentioned
above, then you are undeniably guilty of wasting a precious resource---
time. Like most people, you may get a rush out of beating the clock
and submitting your work, although sloppily done, on time. This chronic
battle waged during crunch time invariably leads to the ubiquitous raccoon
eyes and zits popping uncontrollably all over your face. And as you
continue to cope with the nervewracking pressure of accomplishing so
much in so little time, your once gentle personality mutates into a
hideous monster.
While there may be no getting around job orders, here are some essential
tips of managing your time efficiently:
1. Write a to-do list.
Keep a record of all your tasks such as school assignments, job presentations
and household chores. There is something about the written word that
makes it harder to ignore. This list is also an easy way for you to
keep track of what needs to be done
and when the due dates are.
2. Prioritize.
Once all the tasks are listed already, prioritize them according to
their sense of urgency. Arrange the tasks whether they are due in the
next few days, weeks or months. It only makes sense that a presentation
due tomorrow will be given more importance than one that is due a month
from now.
3. Act. Do not procrastinate.
All your dreams, plans and goals are worthless if you don't act on them.
Your ideals, no matter how lofty, will not come to fruition if you remain
rooted to where you are. While it is true that you have a tendency,
like the rest of nature, to follow the line of least resistance in surviving
this challenging world, you can evolve and turn out to be way stronger
than you once were. Say goodbye to stalls. Stop making alibis. Kick
those enumerable excuses that hinders you from becoming a better person.
Act now.
4. Tackle the toughest assignments first.
When you have two or more projects to finish, try to accomplish the
more difficult one first before proceeding to the next. In that way,
your mind will be clearer and you will get through it more quickly.
5. Remove distractions.
In order to maximize your time, you should remain focused on your tasks.
This means that you have to minimize, if not totally remove, all the
distractions surrounding you. Turn off the television, lower down the
volume of the beat blaring from the radio, tell your little siblings
to stop screaming at each other and keep your mobile phone outside your
reach. Do not try
sneaking at your incoming text messages and tell your parents that you
won't be receiving any calls for a few hours.
6. Use rewards to mark your progress.
A tireless 24/7 machine you are most definitely not, so don't forget
to indulge in life's little pleasures. You can set a contract with yourself
that after finishing a certain work, you can pamper yourself with a
manicure or a short stroll around your neighborhood. For harder tasks,
you can always treat yourself to a whole body massage or foot reflexology.
Always remember that every project ticked off that list brings you one
step closer to a more manageable schedule.
|
|
