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Effective Time management in 6 Simple Steps

Writer's picture: Finnegan MwapeFinnegan Mwape

Updated: Jan 14



“Time is really the only capital that any human has, and the only thing he cannot afford to lose.” –Albert Einstein


Time management, the act of planning and organizing how you divide time between activities, can be either an asset or a liability. We have all been there, when it feels like your life is in disarray, you cannot get a handle on things and you feel like there is never enough time in a day! That is a sign that your time management skills need sharpening. If left unchecked, time management can bring stress and stop you from accomplishing your life goals. However, effective time management can help you reap great benefits and help to improve your life’s disposition in your career, personal life, finances and overall health.


Poor Time Management Can Wreck Havoc!

Getting a grip on time management

Like any skill, time management can be learned and improved over time. The secret to effective time management is to think of it as an extension of self-management. Time is a finite resource and we cannot make more of it or reclaim the time that has past. However, with self-discipline and self-awareness, we can get more things done effectively and efficiently. To help you master time management, we have broken it down into eight areas of focus that are also an extension of self-management. This is the first of many posts in a series focused on time management and the associated steps that you need to master to become a champion at time management. Read on!


1. Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking is defined as a mental or thinking process applied by an individual in the context of achieving a goal or set of goals in a game or other endeavor. As a cognitive activity, it produces thought. Simply put, strategic thinking is an intentional and rational thought process that focuses on the analysis of critical factors and variables that will influence the long-term success of a business, a team, or an individual. For effective time management, strategic thinking should be your starting point. This is where you think about the big picture of what you want to accomplish - creating your mission and vision. Think through how your time will be spent and establish goals, tasks and checklists to make sure you are on track. If creating a vision or mission is proving difficult, at the very list create an over-arching goal and a list of things to do to accomplish that big goal.

2. Goal Setting

Goal setting is a critical piece in effective time management because it serves as the guide or the map to the outcomes that you desire – indirectly, goal setting is also motivational. Goal setting is a direct offshoot of strategic thinking. The lack of goals in how you manage your time manifests itself in disorganization and jumping from task to task without consistent results. Learn more about goal setting by downloading our goal setting guide here. There are numerous resources that talk about how to set goals and the associated benefits - check out this article to start. In future posts on in this series, we will take a real life example and demonstrate the art of goal setting.

3. Prioritizing

Not every task is created equal and everything is not equally important or urgent. To effectively manage your time, you need to have a system to prioritize your activities. Think of it as assigning time to where it is most needed. Start with creating lists of things to be accomplished over a specific period of time without ranking the list. Then using a tool like the Eisenhower Matrix – developed by the 34th President of the USA, Dwight D. Eisenhower, go through your list and rank accordingly. The Eisenhower Matrix helps you decide the priority of your tasks based on urgency and importance. You can use the Eisenhower Matrix to sort out the urgent and important tasks (do these first) and the tasks that should be delegated or postponed for a later time. As an exercise, think of the things you need to accomplish today, in a week or month and try to use the matrix below to rank your task list.


THE EISENHOWER MATRIX




4. Scheduling

We have a finite amount of time in a day. Scheduling and time management go hand in hand. Scheduling, together with prioritizing, allows you to plan you activities so that you can accomplish your tasks in the time available to you. When done correctly, scheduling helps you see what you can realistically accomplish in a given time frame. Scheduling should always be done with a clear set of objectives and goals. Diligent scheduling is the antidote to time wasting.

5. Problem Solving

Even with impeccable strategic thinking, planning, goal setting and top notch execution, things can go wrong. You need to develop your problem solving skills to stay the course. It is worthy to note that, all of the steps listed here work in unison and not individually. The process is not linear even though some steps like strategic thinking, goal setting and prioritization precede other steps. Problem solving relies on your decision making skills which are critical to staying the course and being efficient in the use of your time. When your planned activities are upended seek a solution that will give you an optimal outcome. Do not go for perfection. Seek effectiveness instead. Two areas of importance in problem solving, relative to time management, are decision making and delegation.

  • Decision-Making

When things go wrong or you veer off course in your time management, have to be decisive in regaining control of your approach in attacking your prioritized and scheduled list. Being decisive, when problem solving allows you to be efficient in attacking your task list and stops you from jumping from task to task aimlessly. Do not be busy for the sake of being busy. Choose carefully what to work on to increase your chances of successfully managing your time in the execution of your tasks.


“It is not enough to be busy, so are ants. The question is, what are we busy about?" –Henry David Thoreau

  • Delegation

Sometimes you will not be able to get to everything you set out to do. You should not overburden yourself with misplaced determination to do everything yourself. As the Eisenhower Matrix suggests, if a task is low in importance and low in urgency, delegate it! When you master this skill, you will be able to free up time and allow yourself to focus on the highly important and urgent matters. This is a cardinal point in effective time management. If you cannot delegate to someone, do it later.

6. Task Execution

Everything from strategic thinking to goal setting to prioritization to scheduling is useless if the execution is poor.



Think of execution as showing up, putting your head down, focusing and following through on your scheduled tasks within the allotted time. There is nothing more to it than that. JUST GET IT DONE! And whatever you do, DO NOT MULTI-TASK!!

Summary

Effective time management relies on you implementing the eight steps detailed above diligently and consistently. Be honest in your pursuit to get better at time management. From visualizing what you want to achieve and why (strategic thinking), to actually setting the goals and following through, do not take short cuts. Remember, execution is everything! You have to be decisive in in how you want to spend your time. Protect your time like your life depended on it – IT DOES!! IF things go wrong, and they will, resolve these issues with your main goals in mind. If it is not important and it is not urgent, DELEGATE IT!! All of this is in your control. All you have to do is follow the steps laid out here religiously.


Advice - Time management is not static undertaking and neither is it linear. Unexpected things will pop and upend your schedule. You might not get everything done despite your best intentions. Do not beat yourself up. Stay positive and review your strategy, goals, prioritizing, scheduling and problem solving approach. Aim to improve as you go. Eventually you will master time management. It is a MARATHON AND NOT A SPRINT!


final Thoughts…

How do you manage your time and make sure you stay on top of things? Please share in the comments below.

I have included links to other useful posts on this subject, please visit these sites and learn more. If you would like to explore how to develop the necessary skills for effective time management, book a time here for a free 45-minute discovery conversation.


If you need help with your time management, leave comment or get in touch and we will follow up with you to coordinate check ins for free as you go on the journey to improve your time management skills.


As mentioned above, the next post will show case a real life situation and demonstrate how to apply strategic thinking as the starting to effective time management. Subscribe to the blog so that you do not miss the next post in the series!


Thank you for your time. Stay blessed.

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