Now, more than ever, time is becoming one of our most valuable resources. There are only 24 hours in one day. So it has become even more important how we utilize these 24 hours to our advantage.
According to Peter Drucker, "time is the scarcest resource available." Many times we find that our highest priorities are not reflected in our actual daily activities. The Barna Research Group, in their 1990 study on graduate students, found that most students considered close personal friendships to be their top personal priority -- and yet little time was consistently given to relationship-building activities. Matching one's activities with one's values is truly no simple task. We need to consciously gravitate towards those activities which will take us closer to our daily / set goals. An astute manager constantly assesses where his/ her time is going for increased productivity.
In his world famous book "THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE "Mr Stephen Covey has beautifully explained that "we at times need to stop cutting the tree feverishly and rather sharpen our axes so that we can finish the work even more efficiently and effectively". According to Covey to be the most effective person /effective time manager we need to preserve and enhance the greatest assets that we possess , which includes our physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual self.
Many people find it easy to manage people but very difficult to manage time. There are certain tenets which need to be conscientiously followed to manage time effectively. Of these Planning, Organizing and Prioritizing are the most critical elements. The real key to effective time management relies on focusing on the goals set by the individuals and the choices they make. Being punctual is also very important to keep track with the time and it also demonstrates to others an image of professionalism.
To provide justice to Time Management we need to first make peace with ourselves and find the schedule that fits us best and then make it work. We can also utilize a schedule with a planner with sections for different projects (works) and a things -to-do-list where we can record items that requires our attention. But the most important thing is to prioritize our tasks so that we are always working on the high priority issues first. The 80/20 rule states that we tend to spend 80% of our time on projects that have a 20% return. The idea is to concentrate your efforts on the 20% of things that elicits the highest value for us.
By managing our time more usefully, we can minimize stress and improve the quality of life. Learn to delegate by picking the right person, giving clear instructions, setting bench marks and allowing him/ her to do the work. This enables one to manage time effectively.
Lord Chesterfield once rightly said, "If you watch the minutes carefully, the hours will take care of themselves"
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