Have you ever said, “I’ll do that later,” only to find that there were at least three more things waiting for you to complete…later? For the next two minutes, read this carefully and take notes. Here are four free tips to help you master managing your time more effectively. These tips will help you to truly transform your chaotic day into a calm experience.
The Benefit of Learning These Tips
For years I had an issue with proper time management. It’s not that I couldn’t arrive on time; I struggled with making sure that what I was leaving had been completed.
For example, I hate leaving the house with tasks undone, like cleaning up the kitchen, putting a load of clothes in the wash, or finishing one of my tasks as an entrepreneur. I suffered from that syndrome, which many working mothers experience in their everyday lives: perfectionism!
I don’t know about you, but I
was taught that having a clean, orderly home was my responsibility. Nobody told me to go out and be successful, and—by the way—you don’t have to always worry about your house, because it’ll take care of itself eventually. What I was not taught—and I won’t be teaching this today either—was how to manage household activities as a successful entrepreneur. (That’s one of the lessons in my “Kick the Chaos” training.) Also, if you have children at home, getting them out of the house on time can also impact your schedule.Managing your
time is a skill that you want to develop into a habit. Being successful in business may mean you won’t have a clean house. Look at your guy friends or your spouse; when they have appointments or meetings, they are out the door. I know this is true for my husband. It doesn’t matter what’s not operating perfectly or imperfectly in our home, he practices good time management—ALWAYS!Clearly, in business, timeliness is next to godliness. Having a reputation as someone who is chronically tardy to meetings or events can hurt your credibility. You’re ready for success, aren’t you?
Four Ways to Effectively Budget Your Time
- Start the Day With the Intention to Manage Your Time Better: Decide today that you are going to manage your time. I learned a long time ago that thoughts are things, and if you want to attract specific things into your life, change your thinking. It works!
- Do It Now, or Plan Ahead for Later With a Reasonable Time Frame: Don’t obsess over what needs to be done. Decide what your most urgent tasks are, and do them first. If time does not permit this, schedule the remaining tasks on your calendar.
- Make a List of What You Want to Complete: I am a big proponent of creating lists, because my dominant learning style is visually based. Seeing a picture of my daily to-dos keeps things fresh on my mind. Depending on how urgent certain tasks are or how many I may have to accomplish, I will schedule them in my phone.
- Give Yourself Time to be on Time: I learned this habit before my kids were born. I’ve found that giving myself the time to be on time means I have to work strategically. For instance, if you know you have a hectic day at work ahead, but want to allow yourself time for prayer, meditation, and exercise, plan to get up a few hours earlier than usual to complete these tasks before you take your shower, apply your makeup, and head into the office to conquer those professional challenges. Successful entrepreneurs and business women also give themselves enough time to commute to work. Speeding down the highway and honking your horn before the light turns green is not going to help you make that meeting in a timely fashion. Always try to give yourself at least an extra 15 minutes to compensate for any unexpected delays.
Imagine what it’s like to have great time management and work-life balance! Become a master by practicing these four time management tips daily, and you will be well on your way to transforming your life.
This article was written by The BOSS Network Influencer C. Lynn Williams.
Lynn Williams is an award-winning author, motivational speaker, educator, and business owner. Her passion is helping parents create the kind of home life that welcomes communication and trust with their tweens, teens and adult children. Believing working moms can have better work-life balance, she created Finding Superwoman, a mentoring program to help women kick the chaos out of their life. Her motto is, “Providing parenting solutions. Building solid foundations. Securing promising futures.”
Learn more about C. Lynn Williams by visiting her website at www.clynnwilliams.com.
Follow C. Lynn on Twitter @msparentguru.