 TIME TIPS - 8 Strategies to Gaining
Control
By Tracy Moland of The Gift of Time
Overworked and overwhelmed… is that how you feel? In a recent survey, women
consistently sited “not enough time” as one of their top three stress inducers.
We can’t find more time - there is only 84,600 seconds in every day but we can learn
to take control of what we do with our time. The following 8 tips will help you to control
your life and will help you find ‘the gift of time’.
T = Take Aim - You need to know where you are going
in life. You need to take the time to list your dreams. Write down at least 50 things that
you want to do in your life. They can be realistic, unrealistic, big or small, but you
need to write them down. You then need to prioritize the list.
I = Ideas and Activities - Determine ideas
and activities that you can do towards your dreams. Don’t pre-judge activities, just
write anything down. Be open to everything. Do you want to run a successful business? You
can find a coach, hire help, market, research, take courses, invest money, find partners,
network, etc.
M = Mapping Your Dreams - Your road map - your
dreams - are your destination. Your activities are your directions, and your goals are
your itinerary. Goals need to be specific, dated, attainable, written, and committed to.
Create goals of different levels: long term, monthly, weekly, and daily. Once this map is
made, you know what is important to you. You know where you are going. You know the best
use of
your time.
E = Effective vs. Efficient - There is a huge
difference between effectiveness and efficiency. Most of us only worry about being
efficient but we need to be effective too. As Matthew Parvis says, “Efficiency is
doing the job right but effectiveness is doing the right job.”
In order to control time you must be doing the right job. We may be
efficient at answering email, but if you are weeks behind in bookkeeping you are doing the
wrong job. Once you have chosen to do the right job, then you must be efficient at
getting it done.
T = To Do Lists - Planning for 5 to 15 minutes a day will save you at
least 6 hours a week. When you plan your activities, you make sure you do what is
important and you know how to stay on track.
To Do lists must be prioritized in order to be most effective.
You first need to write the list and then you need to assign priority to the items. Your
goals and dreams must be kept in mind when you prioritize this list. Using the same dream
of running a successful business, at least one of your top priorities should lead in this
direction.
I = Implement a system - In order to control
your time you need to have a set system to follow. Most of us use some form of daytimer,
notebook or computer to do this. Your successful system will include the following:
•Use only 1 calendar/planner for every-thing
including personal and family commitments.
•It must have a monthly calendar and at least
one page per day.
•Your TO DO list must be in your planner.
•Your GOALS must be in your planner.
•Take it everywhere you go and refer to it at
least 3 times a day.
P = Purge - Clutter on the outside leads to
clutter on the inside.
•Get rid of excess, stay organized, have a spot
for everything.
•Try to touch a paper only once or deal with
things immediately.
•Delegate.
•Say no - only take on activities, jobs or roles
that lead to your goals and dreams.
S = Stop Procrastination - If you are
following the steps above and are following your dreams, most cases of procrastination
will not occur. If you plan and prioritize, you'd rather just do a job than have to write
it on your
list again.
By using these eight strategies you will gain control over your time.
You will be free to adjust your schedule to meet your needs. You will begin to live, the
life of your dreams.
Tracy Moland operates The Gift of Time, offering shopping errand &
house sitting services. She also leads seminars on time management & multiple roles.
403.226.8798 info@thegiftoftime.ca www.thegiftoftime.ca
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