How To Manage Your Time Effectively

Time is a limited and precious resource for every human being and how we use our time always matters.

Don’t put off taking action that will improve your situation; all you need is a vision, a resourceful approach, some creative thinking and support to work towards and reach the outcome you are after.

Ask for help

When you are feeling time-poor and overwhelmed with too much to manage and too many factors out of your control, please ask for help. I know it can be difficult, and we often feel we should be able to manage everything, but that is unrealistic. In my experience, asking for help is the most powerful time management strategy, yet it is often overlooked or used only when there really is no other option. There are two reasons why I want you to put this strategy first:

·         Getting support from people you trust will focus your effort on making the best possible use of your time

·         Having their support will amplify the value of your time faster than any other strategy because each person represents a multiplying factor—you plus them multiplied by their strengths, their knowledge, their capacity and their connections.

As you plan your time and strategies, keep asking yourself: “Who do I know in my network who might be able to help me with this?” “How can I find people who will be able to support me?” Make it an over-arching priority to identify key people you can lean on to help you juggle the various responsibilities and activities that occupy your time. Any effort you make to seek support will move you forward even if the only outcome is to make you aware of other possibilities. Each small step will help you gain control, manage your commitments and move closer to achieving that elusive “work-life balance”.

Roles, priorities, weekly review

A few years ago I attended a very valuable workshop that looked at how we spent our time. One of the key learnings for me was to focus on the various roles I played and review them each week to determine my priorities. For example, at that time my roles were:

●       Mother

●       Wife

●       Daughter

●       Friend

●       Sister

●       Aunty

●       Neighbour

●       Part Time Employee (3 days per week)

At one stage, I was the primary carer for my elderly mother who needed to be taken to medical appointments. My mother’s welfare took priority during this period so I had to schedule my time and adjust my activities accordingly. At other times my priorities shifted, and helping out at school or taking my friend to her chemotherapy session was the most important way for me to spend time.

We were also encouraged to consider our own needs and plan for emotional, physical, social and intellectual pursuits each week. The discipline of weekly planning and implementation was not easy, but it proved to be a useful tool and a good reminder that everyday choices make a huge difference when it comes to making the most of our precious time. I still try to think of my week in these terms but, I reiterate, it is not easy.

Watch out for Part 2 of this blog where I will share more stratgies with you.

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