“I’m definitely going to take a course on time management… just as soon as I can work it into my schedule.” – Louis E. Boone, author of Contemporary Business
There’s a lot of discussion about time management and how to utilize time more effectively. If you look at the market, there are a number of books, courses, workshops, even apps for your phone designed to help you make the most of your available time.
Despite these things, many of us still find ourselves wondering at the end of each day just what exactly we did all day.
Brian Tracy, author of more than 60 books on sales, management, and business success, recommends starting your day with your most dreaded project first, or by “eating your frog” as he calls it, so that you don’t worry about the dreaded task all day (which takes your focus from other things). He also explains that most of us “confuse activity with accomplishment.” You may spend your day tackling a job that requires a lot of time, but doesn’t achieve real results. Organizing your desktop or cataloging your notes takes time, but what will you actually gain from devoting your day to such activities?
While “eating the frog” is one way of tackling your day, what if you’re most dreaded task isn’t your highest priority? Another suggestion for successful time management is to order your day from high priority to low. What are the tasks that need immediate attention and which are the ones that can wait a few more hours? The trick is to know how to identify your priorities and not be afraid to put off those that can wait. A pressing need from your boss might be more important than responding to a customer who hasn’t yet waited 2 hours for a reply to a non-urgent question.
The goal of successfully organizing your day is higher productivity and less stress - two things many of us are desperate to achieve each day.
Additional Reading:
Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs by Kevin Kruse
Essential DK Managers: Manage Your Time by Tim Hindle
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