We all want to be successful and rich in our lives. A six figure salary, a luxurious bungalow which is fully automated, an expensive sports car and what not! Some desire to be Doctors and Researchers while others aspire to become Engineers and Scientists. There is nothing wrong in dreaming big! The question is, “Do you have what it takes to be “THAT” person you want to be in near future? “
If we look at the most successful and highly effective people around the world, the one thing that they are extremely good at is TIME MANAGEMENT.
In today’s contemporary world and age of internet, time matters the most. Gone are those days when you had to stand in line at government offices to pay your bills. Today, every process has been digitalized and transactions are done through online mode within a matter of seconds! An individual who doesn’t show any keen interest or courtesy in managing his/her time can never achieve his/her goal no matter whatsoever!
Below are the 10 time management skills which are going to help an individual achieve his/her goals in every walk of life.
1. Planning
Alright, so you want to manage your time! What’s the plan?
Planning is the most important aspect in time management. Planning helps us to assess the goal. It facilitates decision making and allows setting a time frame by predicting when we can accomplish the goal.
2. Prioritizing
The next important thing in time management is prioritizing. Prioritizing is nothing but a process of listing our activities in order of importance relative to each other.
3. Goal Setting
We have a plan! We got our stuff prioritized! That sounds great! Doesn’t it! How about setting a goal?
You should now set a goal for which you have a plan and have prioritized activities which will help you accomplish your goals.
4. Decision Making
All the hardwork that you have done till now depends on the decision that you make. Just because things aren’t working for you, doesn’t mean you can take a decision based on your emotions on a whim! One bad decision can ruin everything. Consult the experienced and wise one’s before you make a decision.
5. Focus
All great people who achieved alot in their illustrious lives have one thing in common, FOCUS. Without focus, it would be really difficult for one to get through the rough phase.
6. Self Awareness
Being aware of who we really are is the most important thing in our lives.
Perhaps, a deeper introspection of ourselves would help us reveal our true selves. No one can explain Self Awareness better than Gary Vaynerchuk. I recommend everyone to view/listen to his podcasts which are very informative and enlightening.
7. Self Motivation
It’s 5 am in the morning and your alarm goes off reminding you that you had a reminder for yourself to get up and go for a run.
But you want to sleep for next 15 minutes and end up sleeping for next couple of hours.
In order to achieve your goal, you need to motivate yourself to sacrifice small things which mean nothing when compared to your dream. Remember what Mohamed Ali used to say “I hated every minute of my training, but I said, Don’t quit. Suffer now, and live rest of your life as a Champion”.
8. Delegating
Delegating is something you learn when you grow as a Leader.
It’s nothing but giving someone a role or responsibility related to a process. When we are at the bottom level management, it is quite imperative that a senior figure will entrust us with a specific role which has to be performed in order to accomplish the goal. When you reach at a higher position, you need to manage your time efficiently and effectively by delegating tasks to your subordinates.
9. Dealing With Stress
As we grow in our career, we are given greater responsibilities, positions. But along with it comes pressure of achieving targets within the specified period of time, greater expectations, top notch performance etc. And by trying to be at the top of our game, we end up stressing ourselves.
The most effective way to deal with stress is to take care of yourself.
Take sometime off from your busy schedule, eat a well balanced diet, get enough sleep and work out daily. And last but not the least, don’t forget to spend some quality time with your loved ones.
10. Organizing Ourselves
Organizing ourselves is all about planning our day to day activities well in advance and in an orderly manner. A person who is well organized achieves many great things in life.
So, I hope this post is going to help everyone in reaching their goals. I would like to end this discussion with a positive thought “You learn more from failure than from success. Don’t let it stop you. Failure builds character.”
The Candid Speaker 