In order to be in control of what you achieve, you must manage your time. For many people however, it seems that there’s just never enough time in the day. How many of the following 15 statements resonate with you?
1. The tasks I work on are the ones with the highest priority
2. I find myself completing tasks at the last minute, or asking for extensions
3. I set aside time for planning and scheduling
4. I know how much time I spend on each of the various tasks I do
5. I find myself dealing with interruptions
6. I use goal setting to decide what tasks and activities I should work on
7. I leave contingency time in my schedule to deal with the unexpected
8. I know whether the tasks I am working on are high, medium, or low value
9. When I am given a new assignment, I analyse it for importance and prioritise it accordingly
10. I am stressed about deadlines and commitments
11. Distractions keep me from working on critical tasks
12. I have to take work home in order to get it done
13. I prioritise my ‘To Do’ list
14. I confirm my priorities with my boss
15. Before I take on a task, I check that the results will be worth the time put in.
We would all love to have an extra couple of hours in every day. Seeing as that is impossible, we need to work smarter on things that have the highest priority, and then creating a schedule that reflects our work and personal priorities.
With this in place, we can work in a focused and effective way, and really start achieving those goals, dreams and ambitions we care so much about.
