Posted on: 04 December, 2001
Author: Michael Pollock
If you're going to take control of YOUR life and make itgreat, you'll need to start by taking control of your ... ... is ... to ... in any areaof life. In the words of "th If you're going to take control of YOUR life and make itgreat, you'll need to start by taking control of your time.Time management is foundational to succeeding in any areaof life. In the words of "the father of management theory"Peter Drucker, "until we can manage TIME, we can managenothing else."An entire industry has been born out of the need to bettermanage our time. You can buy leather bound planners, fancysoftware packages, books, tapes and hand-held computers.You can even attend week long seminars that teach bettertime management skills.I'm sure most of those resources are very good. I'd like to suggest however, before spending your hard earned moneyon any of them, you try these 10 simple tips for effectivetime management.1. It's not time management. It's self management.You can't control time and so, you certainly can't manageit. You get as much time as anyone else. You CAN controlyourself - what you be and do in each moment of time. Inthe words of English poet, Austin Dobson, "Time goes, yousay? Ah, no! Alas, time stays, we go."2. Keep and USE a simple, "block" type, weekly calendar.I use a two page weekly calendar with one hour incrementsin each block. Page 1 covers Mon-Sun, 4 a.m.-12 noon. Page2 covers Mon-Sun, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Each one hour block oftime should be big enough to write in any appointments. You can use Microsoft Works to print a calendar such asthis. Keep it with you at all times.3. Keep a simple, "block" type, monthly calendar.Any appointments that don't fall in the current week can be written in one of the blocks on your monthly calendar.Again, Microsoft Works will produce a monthly calendar such as this. Keep this calendar with you all the time aswell.4. Plan your week in advance.Spend an hour Sunday evening planning the coming week.Transfer appointments from your monthly calendar to yourweekly calendar. When you see how many open blocks of time you actually have, you'll feel a much greater sense of control and peace.5. Invest each one hour block of time.Each of your one hour blocks represents an investmentopportunity. How you invest your block will determine yourfuture return. What you sow in each block, you will reap in future blocks. Consider cutting back on any activitiesthat will not yield some benefit, such as excessive TV orweb surfing.6. Plan and schedule as much as you can.Don't just schedule work related appointments. Schedule asmuch as possible, such as time with your kids, family orsignificant other, sleep, eating, exercise, spiritualpractice, reading, TV time, play time, laundry, shopping,writing, marketing your business, answering emails andphone calls.7. As much as possible, stay in the current block mentally.If your block for 8:00 p.m., Monday says "type newsletter,"direct all your energies to typing your newsletter. Don'teven think about what your block for 9:00 p.m., Tuesdayevening says or what you didn't complete in your block for6:00 p.m., Monday evening. Be and do 100 % in the currentblock.8. Say "NO" to non-emergency, "out of the block"activities.Eliminate distractions as much as possible. Close yourdoor, turn off the ringer on your phone or simply ask tonot be disturbed. With the exception of emergencies, theonly thing that matters is what you have to do in thecurrent block.9. Plan "untimed" or free time just for you.It's okay, and I'd suggest even healthy to plan time tojust "goof-off" or play. If you set aside time for it inadvance, it's less likely to come up spontaneously anddistract you from other tasks. 10. Stick to your plan.Need I say more? Your schedule will work only as well asyou commit to it. Keep it with you everywhere you go andrefer to it often. Keep asking yourself "am being and doingwhat scheduled for the current block right now?"By incorporating these 10 tips into your time/selfmanagement plan, you'll create more space to be, do andhave more in you life. Further, you'll also approach yourlife in a more proactive and intentional manner.If you have any questions about the "In the Block"time/self management plan, feel free to email me. I'd loveto hear from you!It's your life. Make it great! Article Tags: Time Management Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com