11 Golden Rules of Time Management
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No one manages time; they only manage how they use their time. Successful people use their time on the things that matter most and on tasks that move them closer to their goals.
Consider the following “golden rules” of time management. See if you can be more effective in how you use your time.
- Understand the value of your time: We may all value our time differently, but we all have the same number of minutes in a day. Once they are lost, they are gone forever.
- Plan: You don’t plan failure, but you have to plan for success.
- Do tomorrow’s planning today: Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of the day to figure out what you need to accomplish. Determine that before the day starts.
- Identify your “prime time:” What part of the day do you have more or less energy? Plan high-energy or low-energy tasks accordingly.
- Work from an action list: Create lists from which to work.
- Schedule tasks as needed. Check off completed items. Revise the list as needed.
- Ask yourself, “Why am I doing what I’m doing right now?” and ask it often: Always evaluate what you are doing to ensure the most productive use of your time.
- “Delete” whenever possible: Eliminate clutter, file the completed, delegate wisely, learn to say NO.
- Check your calendar: Have a good system to track time-sensitive events.
- Be flexible: Have the ability to accommodate the unforeseen. Sometimes the urgent will have to override the planned.
- Take a day off now and again: Have days for unplanned relaxation and spontaneous activity.
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Comments
Great list. I agree that understanding the value of time is the first factor we should consider. We can’t appreciate the value of the other factors if we are not even concerned with value of our time.
You are right about being flexible. Since there are things that happen unexpectedly, it’s only right that we consider it before it happens. It’s better to be prepared than to be caught empty handed when it happens.
Here are my top 8:
1. Stay off twitter
2. Stay off facebook
3. Stay off digg
4. Stay off reddit
5. Stay off meebo
6. Stay off email
7. stay off cnn
8. do work.
I agree. I like your broad scope in considering things which affects time management. Not all people have the right resources anytime and may miss some important things. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.