time management

The Basic Of Time Management

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Time is a UNIQUE RESOURCE. day to day everyone has the SAMEamount.
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It can not be ACCUMULATED.
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You can not turn it ONorOFF.
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It can not be REPLACED.
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IT HAS TO SPEND at the rate of sixty seconds every minute. TOP

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Time Management like the management of other resources benefits from ANALYSIS and PLANNING.

To understand and apply time management principals, You must know not only how you use time but also what problems you encounter in using it wisely and what causes them.

From this base you can learn to improve your effectiveness and efficiency, through better time management. TOP

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Time Management is a PERSONAL PROCESS and must fit your style and circumstances. It takes a strong commitment to change old habits however, this choice is available and yourself for taking it. If you choose to apply the principals you will obtain the rewards that come from better time management. TOP

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WHAT CONTROLS YOUR TIME ?
The best starting to improve your use of Time is to determine the extent to which you control the Time available to you. No one has total control over a daily schedule. Someone or something will always make demands. However, everyone has some control and probably more than they realize.

Some Time (working hours) is regulated and should be used for those activities. TOP Even this structured Time, there are opportunities to select which tasks or activities to handle and what priority to asign to each of them.

It is the exercise of these discreationary choices that allows us(you) to control our (your) Time.
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Three Tests Of TIME Analysing how you presently use Time is the first step to achiev better control of it.

You must have specific, reliable information before you determine opportunities for improvement.

The best way to gather information is to keep a daily Time log.
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A CHECKLISTn1 Do you have too much to do ? Yes / No
2 Do you frequently work overtime to catch up ? Yes / No
3 Are you spending too much time at your desk ? Yes / No
4 Do you waste time on details, or work that belongs to others ? Yes /
No
5 Do you usually find yourself surrounded by a number of nvisitors/subordinates in your office ? Yes / No
6 Do you get constant interruption in your work ? Yes / No
7 Do you have an untidy desk ? Yes / No
8 Do you occasionally have to repeat your instructions to your nsubordinates ? Yes / No
9 Do you pride yourself on being able to do three or four jobs at the nsame time ? Yes / No
10 Are you indispensable in your present job ? Yes / No
11 Do you know how you spend your time ? Yes / No
12 Do you know the critical areas on which your performance is nevaluated ? Yes / No
13 Do you plan your time --- daily, weekly, monthly ? Yes / No
14 Do you establish priorities everyday. every week ? Yes / No
15 Can you locate important papers easily from your filing system ? Yes n/ No
16 Do you finish the job ? Yes / No
17 Do you meet deadlines ? Yes / No
18 Do you have a system for spotting duplications in work, you or your nsubordinates do ? Yes / No
19 Are you willing to give other people's ideas a chance ? Yes / No
20 Do you trust uour subordinates ? Yes / No

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After this information has been recorded, you will examine it from nthree points of view :-
1) Necessity
2) Appropriateness
3) Efficiency
This will allow you to discontinue certain tasks, delegate others and nfind ways to increase efficiency through
Technology,
New Procedures or
Personal Work HabitsnA careful analysis will often earn your another eight to ten hours each nweek to spend on activities of your choice. TOP
1) First you will scrutinize each activity to be sure it is Necessary.
This test of necessity will help to reduce your tasks to the essential nelements.
2) Once the essential tasks have been identified, the next step will be nto determine who will perform them. You may also find you are doing nwork beneath your skill level that can be easily reassigned.

3) Once you are satisfied that the work you are doing is necessary, you nwill ask yourself, "Is there a better way ?" This will encourage you to nfind a faster way by using better technology or establishing better nprocedures to handle recurring activities. TOP n

Benefits
Career Planning - You can set a course for your future and lay out a plan to achieve it. You can move to a proactive mode and take charge of your own destiny. Reading - Staying current is increasingly important in today's complex world. More time will allow you to read job-related materials, study new subjects or learn more about a leisure activity. Communicating - Extra time will allow you to improve and initiate interpersonal relationships. Relaxing - You nees to plan time for relaxation. When you do not take time off from the daily grind, your health may suffer or you may 'burn out'. Thinking - Improved methods and new opportunities come about as a result of innovation. More time will allow you to develop strategies and think through plans to establish and achieve significant new challenges. TOP nnn