The Strategic Exchange – The Organizational Change Consultant Report, June 2006
Manage Self, Increase Efficiency
" The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot" . - Michael Altshuler
At times it seems like there is not enough hours in a day to get all that we want done. After all there is only 24 hours in the day. Surprisingly, everybody else has the same time frame to work with. So why is it that some of us are frustrated, angry and behind in our work? Could it be that we are not using our time as efficiently as possible? If so, could something be done about it?
The problem is not a shortage of time but how we choose to use the time and resources available to us. Recognize time-consuming activities and identify the areas for change and come up with the possible solutions. It is more likely to experience a greater sense of satisfaction by practicing efficient time management , rather than feeling guilty about all the things that were not done.
Managing time is vital to the success of any organization. It builds high achievement results for people who want to work smarter and not harder. Let time get out of control, and we allow ourselves to get out of control. The key to managing time is to manage self. Managing your life more effectively leads to a greater sense of freedom and accomplishment. It gives you control. Those who master the art of doing it well accomplishes more with less stress and less effort than those who do it poorly.
Re-programme our minds to unlearn some old habits that cost us in terms of time and efficiency and re-learn new and more appropriate habits that will impact on how we use our time. Make a decision to change and re-design our destiny. If we want better results, if we want success, we have to change the way we spend our time.
Practice new learned behaviours all the time to effect change. Doing it only on a part time basis does not develop new habits. Firmly establish the new habits by doing them consistently and persistently .
We have to shift our thinking and focus on results, not on being busy with activities. Many people spend their days in a fury of activities but achieve very little because they are not focusing on the right things. Take personal responsibility for creating high quality performance and results.
Concentrate as much of our time and energy as possible on the high payoff tasks. This ensures that we achieve the greatest benefit possible with the limited amount of time available to us. Do the essentials, and ignore the nonessentials. We must make tough choices about what to do and what not to do.
To be successful at managing our time, we have to know our goals. Clearly define the goals and then focus on the activities that will achieve them. Those activities are our top priorities. We have to do those things before we do anything else, so that we can give dependent and reliable performance.
Develop the habit of planning and master the art by doing it regularly. It would no longer be difficult to find time to do things because it has become a routine. Planning is crucial to developing and maintaining a flexible schedule about when to do the activities. Doing this we allow time in our schedule for unexpected and uncontrollable events. If we allow flexibility for interruptions, we will not be so frustrated when they do occur. If we don't allow adequate flexibility in our schedule, interruptions will occur anyway, and our frustration will rise.
Do not procrastinate, it prevents success. Success comes from doing the really important things critical to obtaining results. We procrastinate when we put off doing:
- Things that are unpleasant
- Things that are difficult
- Things that involve decisions
Yet doing these promptly contributes most to our success. There is an old saying that "procrastination is a thief of time". And more profoundly expressed by Richard A. Nelson "Never let yesterday use up your today."
When conducting a meeting have a purpose for it, with clear objectives and well defined agenda. Learn to trim out the unnecessary parts and concentrate only on those issues that help us achieve results.
Obtain happiness, more satisfaction and more productivity by managing self. Always remember "a wise person does at once what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times". – Baltasar Gracian
It is a pleasure to hear from you and I look forward to answering more of your questions.
Sharon Ho–Sang
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