Time is measured by WATCH, it means ..

W = Words A = Action T = Thought C = Control H = Habits

To realize the value of ONE YEAR ... Ask the student who failed a class. To realize the value of ONE MONTH .. Ask the mother who gave birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK . Ask the editor of a weekly magazine. To realize the value of ONE HOUR . Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE ... Ask the person who missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND . Ask the person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND . Ask the silver medallist in the Olympics.

Time is one of the things that we are all given in equal amounts. The rich and the poor all have the same number of seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in a day, and days in a year. Time cannot be expanded, accumulated and mortgaged.

Effective Management of time is essential because Ineffective Time Management Causes . Low Productivity, Low Energy, Low Motivation & Unfinished Projects Difficulty in setting and achieving goals Low Self Esteem / Stress Frustration/ Depression

MOST CRUCIAL ELEMENTS OF TIME MANAGEMENT 1. Identify time wasters - most are under your control.
          Lack of Objectives (Goals), Planning, Priorities or Daily plan Irrelevant / unimportant jobs Indecision In-effective / Lack of Delegation Attempting too much at a time Lack of / Unclear Communications Inaccurate / Delayed information Confused Responsibility and Authority Inability to say No. Leaving tasks unfinished

       

Excessive Paperwork / Reading Long meetings Over commitment Handling Visitors Socializing Lack of self discipline Gossip Executives with dis-functional life (Seek and give advise ONLY)

The most important factor is lack of clearly defined Goals. Hence the need of goal setting is essential. The goal should be SMART .

S = Specific M = Measurable A = Achievable R = Realistic T = Time bound

So that we should know where we are going. Without goals we are direction less. Successful people have goals for their personal, family and professional lives (long term, medium term and short term).

2. Prioritise the Work / Task

Do what you have to do first, not what is easiest or most cheerful. Program important task for the time of day you function best.

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Prioritse your task on the basis of importance and urgency. A. Important and urgent B. Important but not urgent C. Neither important nor urgent Do Now Set deadline Try Saying No

Ask a question : What would happen if this was not done at all ?

What tasks I am doing that need not be done at all

Neither Complete them yourself, nor delegate them

What I am doing that could be done by someone else

Delegate these tasks to subordinates or some one else

What tasks I am doing that can only be done by me

You cannot delegate these, so prioritise them

3 Concentrate on the work / Task - Eliminate self made interpretations and preconceived ideas. 4 Breakdown Larger tasks into Smaller ones
Divide large tasks into separate small stages.

5 Set Realistic Deadlines

Remember, a work expands to fill all the time available for its completion. Set time limit for every work. Create a sense of urgency / Importance List all upcoming commitments or important reminders on the central calendar to facilitate planning

6 Work smarter, not only harder - Try something new. 7 Use the wastebasket - Clear your table frequently.

8 Read Skillfully
Underline or mark, what is important for you.

9 Ask People who know

if you don t know, ask someone who does. Involve them in your plan / work. Trust them or replace them.

10 Learn to say - Politely

NO

11 Do one thing at one time

Never do more than one major thing / task at any one moment.

12 Revise / Review Goals Periodically

Long term, medium term and short term.

13 Don t worry about future

14 Don t feel guilty about past 15 Promise less, Deliver more

Avoid over commitments.

16 Remember that you are master of your LIFE & TIME

Have confidence in yourself and your abilities

Success Confidence Experience Know-How

comes from comes from comes from comes from

Confidence Experience Know-How Trying

17 A. Use Marginal time -Waiting for bus / train etc. B. Use travel time

18 Use Time saving devices - Computer, Telephone, Fax, e-mail, Internet etc.

Calculator,

19 Delegation : delegate routine tasks

It creates more time for yourself It reduces stress, frustration and depression

20 Reply
if possible, and if appropriate, return calls and correspondence the same day.

Achievement often evades some of the most hardworking and action-oriented persons. The reason could be poor time management.

ASK YOURSELF FOLLOWING QUESTIONS :

1. 2. What would happen if this was not done at all ? Which of the activities, which I am doing, can be delegated to others ? How can I do my work faster ? How can I do my work easier ? Do I waste the time of others ? Others waste my time ?

3. 4. 5. 6.

The most effective process of maximising our activities in the available time is :
Recording our Activities in a Time log Merging Time for identical activities

Finding out where our time actually goes and maintain time log.

Ask yourself just 2 questions : Is this the way I want my time to go ? How can I improve my time utilisation ? May be : Many activities should not have been done at all. A number of activities could have been done by some one else. The time spent on many activities could have been reduced.

Time Waster NEW HABIT Lack of planning Make a daily to - do list and rank items in order of importance. Then schedule your day s work on the most important tasks during prime time, the time when your energy level is highest. That way, you give your best to the most important jobs. Paper Shuffling
Resolve to handle each piece of paper only once. Every time you pickup a piece of paper, throw away, file it or do something to move it on it s way. Clear the top of the desk and put out of sight everything except the papers, you are currently working on. Allot time for periodic shifting and sorting.

Jumbled Desk

Trying to do too much Don t do anything unnecessary or that you can give to someone else. Practice saying no politely. Meeting Visitors Schedule meeting with visitors. Have specified hours for specified things. K.I.S.S. - Keep it short and simple. Go to the meetings fully prepared. Have a preset agenda and stick to it. Regularly sleep for 7 to 8 hours a day. Relax in between major activities. Have periodical health check ups.

The Telephone Meetings Stress

Take time to Think, it is the source of power. Take time to Read, it is the foundation of wisdom. Take time to Play, it is the secret of staying young. Take time to Love, it is Gods greatest gift. Take time to Laugh, it is the music of the soul. Take time to Work, it is the price of success. Take time to Pray, it is the greatest power on earth.

Time is Money but it can neither be stored in SAFE DEPOSIT nor can be handed over to future generations. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. By tomorrow, there may be an interest on it. How you spend time is more important than how you spend your money. Spend time to discover how to save time. Yesterday Tomorrow Today is a is a is a Cancelled Cheque, Promissory Note, Cash in Hand, Use it

If there are major changes coming up in your life, adjust your time budget accordingly. Always remember that you are the master of your life and your time. Being effective does not always mean working longer or harder. It may even mean working fewer hours. It may mean changing where and when you work, or it may mean trying to do something in different way so managing your time well means managing your life well.