Harvey Mackay said, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you have lost it, you can never get it back.” And thinking of the same Buddha added, “The trouble is, you think you have time.” You all run up and down every day trying to fulfill and finish all that you have set out to achieve. At the end of the day, you can attest to having achieved” nothing notable.” Isn’t it?
If you can be sincere with yourselves, you will realize the biggest mistake you made initially was you failed to plan. What to do when and what not to do. Strategists argue that when you don’t plan you have already planned to fail. Below are simple workable ways to plan and eventually manage this valuable resource. You all have to be effective and end your day without disappointments. And simply be happy, ready to face tomorrow and achieve more.
Become Organized
Can you imagine working in an organization where there is no manager? No one is appointed as the clerk. There are no defined departments, and there is no timetable to follow. Everyone employed there is everything. You all do what you feel is right, coming and leaving at wish. Everything would be messy, incoherent and within a very short time, the organization is out of business.
The same thing happens when you wake up and start your chores without having a concise structure or a guide. A to-do- list either written down or in your mind. What you are going to do when and how. What are the goals to be achieved at the end of the day? To achieve, this it is important to group work into four major categories.
- Work that is urgent and important– this should include activities that must be worked on now. Examples can include angry customers or indispensable client calls. Projects or assignments with deadlines, attending a crying baby or putting off kitchen fire.
- Work that is urgent but not important-in this category group activities that can be delegated to someone else as they are not pressing issues. Examples like, needless interruptions, unimportant meetings, dealing with other people minor issues.
- Work that is important but not urgent-these are usually preventative activities that need to be worked on before they become urgent. They are usually actions that are critical to success. Good examples could be your long-term objectives like having time to build relationships. Undertaking a recreational idea, strategic thinking, planning.
- Work that is not important and not urgent– activities that are simply time wasters such as going through the junk emails, unnecessary phone calls, workplace gossip, Internet browsing aimlessly
The Power Of “NO”
What if you learned to say no to what you see as fun to do but has no value to you. You should also say a powerful NO to what is done by everyone else but, it’s a total waste of time to you. Your days would be ending peacefully. Everyone should learn the power of NO, and realize that in as much as you try to be “nice.” Saying no is not cowardice but a show of strength. It Proves one has principles and helps to set very clear boundaries.
Delegating
Not being able to delegate can make you be termed as Jack-of -all trades and a master of none. This prohibits you from achieving any set goal. You can’t do everything there is to be done; there will be need for assistance- delegation to achieve goals. Don’t be obsessed with your capabilities. See yourself as the best and that no one else can do it as you do it. Take delegation as a supportive activity that helps in directing and coaching. However, you should not delegate;
- Tasks with a level of command or authorization that other people can’t have such as giving discipline, firing an employee or evaluating the same.
- Tasks that have been delegated to you specifically
- Tasks that require your expertise/knowledge that is unique or when the resources been used are inadequate.
- Tasks handled with lot of integrity and confidentiality.
Where there is order there is peace
You know deeply you want to be orderly. It’s your wish to have the day’s activity well lined up. As you start the day you want to have the end in mind. It’s possible. Taking the bold step and starting out will give you peace. Never again should you be down simply because you had too much and didn’t know where to start.
If you do as above, you will definitely start orderly and end peacefully. You will also be effective. Don’t forget you will have optimized your performance. You will even have created time to do something else. With peace you will have a glowing face. Go on take a step and keep on radiating a success smile.