Struggling for time

Do you find it easy to fit everything into your busy day?

Dumb question isn’t it!  Time is something all of us have but never seem to have enough of.  How can we make more time?

Here are a few simple pointers on how to make the most of the time we have:

1. Understand the value of time, remember the adage ‘Time is Money’.
   
2. Make a ‘to-do’ list.  Then what?
   
3. Set priorities on both a daily basis and long-term basis.
   
4. For larger tasks break each into an attainable set of short-term and long-term goals.
   
5. Budget your time.  You’re careful with money, be the same with time.
   
6. Be flexible.  Know when to take a break and when not to!
   
7. Learn to say “NO” nicely!  You can only take on so much before things start to unravel.
   
8. Use a planning system.  Be it a specific online project calendar or at worst a paper based diary/timeline chart, plan your tasks and use your preferred system to work through it!
   
9. Don’t be a perfectionist.  This can waste valuable hours.
   
10. Get help!  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  A collaborative approach may just be what you need to finish a project.
    

That’s all well and good but without putting these into practice time will continue to fly by.  So how can I put it into practice?

Studies have shown that a habit is formed within 20-23 days.  All it takes is for you to be regimented for the first 3 weeks and you will have formed the habit of better time management.