December 30, 2008
Hi,
When setting New Year's Resolutions, often we overlook the everyday in the workplace and at home that can have big improvements in productivity and personal wellbeing.
Throughout the last year we have looked at the top time management skills that people want to improve.
Here we give you the top 10 time management resolutions in work and at home that can make a big difference to your life.
1. Get off the treadmill of putting out fires and jumping from crises to crises.
Do you feel as though you are on a treadmill of putting out fires, jumping from one crisis to another? If so then you are not alone!
Sticking to priorities in a world of competing demands is one of the biggest pressures many of us face. Getting proactive about your time management is one way to reduce your pressure.
If you are unsure of your priorities, then goal setting could be beneficial for you. Goal setting, with SMARTer goals is one way to stay focused on what you have to do.
2. Stop putting off the tasks that I need to do.
Procrastination is a battle that we all wage between a discipline of action and habit of ease. However, when time is money, procrastination can be an expensive habit.
Understanding the causes of your procrastination is the first step to beating this habit. Here we provide you with the different causes and solutions to beating procrastination.
3. Schedule my time for important things.
Many people feel pulled in different directions by different responsibilities and end up neglecting what is important for them and their family. Scheduling your time so that you can get the important things done in your life is a key to good time management (see this story for why).
Under the right conditions, time management software can supercharge your time management and schedule your time more effectively.
4. Reduce my stress with stress exercises.
There is no doubt about it, more people are feeling pressured by time.
If you have too much to do and not enough time then this time management course can be beneficial.
However, for some people, the pressures don't change and they want a better way to manage the stress.
There are a number of different stress management techniques that you can use, which include meditation and hypnosis, deep muscle relaxation and different breathing exercises.
5. Organize my office and desk so that I can find things quickly and easily.
If your desk and office resemble a disaster area then these organizing tips can help you to boost productivity and lower your stress.
If you are spending your time trying to find that post-it note with important information, or you’ve forgotten what the surface of your desk looks like then you could benefit from organizing your desk or your office.
6. Get my house organized so that I stop wasting time and reduce stress.
Organizing your home can reduce your stress and boost your productivity.
Organizing your home is less about adopting the attitude of a "drill sergeant" discarding those valuable things that you have not used for a while; and more about making a space in your home for those things that are valuable to you and your family.
If organization at home is an issue for you then you may find that decluttering your house or using your garage space in a more effective way could be beneficial for you.
7. Get on top (and stay on top) of my Email Inbox.
The latest research suggests that we spend more than 2 hours a day reading and responding to email. This means that email has the potential to dwarf all other forms of communication.
While email can be an efficient communication tool, if you think that you are spending too long on email, then try these proven strategies to get on top of your Inbox.
8. Delegate work to colleagues more effectively.
Delegation is one of the most praised but under utilized tools of time management. While many managers praise the benefits of delegation, when it comes to their own work, they respond “Yes, but in my case…”
Here we put your reasons under the microscope and show you how delegation, when done properly, can be used as a training opportunity that can increase worker morale and reduce absenteeism.
9. Work in a way that gives me more work life balance - at least allowing me not to take work home.
Work-life balance has long been recognized as a desire of employees, and employers are starting to catch on.
If you find that you are spending your nights and weekends working so that you can keep up with the demands of your job, then time management could be beneficial.
While there could be deeper structural problems with the work environment, this time management course may help you to manage the demands on your time.
10. Stick to the resolutions that I make.
Every year, millions of people make a resolution for change, only to find they make the same resolutions next year. While these goals are made with the best of intentions, they often fail to reach their goal.
Whatever your goals are for this year, using a goal setting plan that incorporates SMARTer goals will maximize your goal setting success.
Summary
While these top 10 time management resolutions are simple, they are not necessarily easy. Changing a personal habit involves determination and desire - you have to be willing to pay the price in order to change a personal habit.
We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and the very best for 2009.
Kell and the team at Effective Time Management Strategies.