When it comes to time management, there is a basic principle that you need to keep in mind: if we don't manage our days, our days will manage us. And it's really easy waste time having one's agenda dictated by someone else (who can influence us directly or indirectly) or by external circumstances.
Time is the only real capital a human being has, and the only one he cannot afford to lose.
Thomas Edison
Wasting time hurts you: here's how to take control of your days
I spotted one set of aspects on which it is necessary to work in order to regain control of one's days and thus avoid wasting time unnecessarily.
Learn to say no
If you want to stop wasting time, you need to know how to say no. Of course it is certainly easier to say yes, because in this way we avoid disappointing the people we care about and we appear even more sympathetic. But in doing so we end up spend a lot of time trying to free ourselves from commitments that we should have avoided right away. Never allow your mouth to overload your back! I have already talked about it in depth in another article that you can read by clicking here.
Keep the different areas of your life separate
Another way that will allow you to regain control of time is as follows: when you work, work, and when you have fun, play around. Never make the mistake of confuse the two floors; you would only end up deceiving yourself in both situations. If when you work you think about leisure, you do not get the best possible results and thus you lose the satisfaction deriving from professional gratifications; if, on the other hand, when you dedicate yourself to leisure you think about work, you give up that sense of liberation typical of pure leisure. The ideal in a week would be to work hard, staying focused on professional goals, 5 days and then indulge in 2 days of total leisure. If you do a free activity, and you can afford it, don't give up on other extra days to devote to leisure (at least 2-3 days a month). If you travel for work, first attend to work commitments with the utmost dedication avoiding distractions and then, once you're done, take the opportunity to enjoy your surroundings.
Know yourself
If you want to learn to control time, you have to know yourself. Each of us has our own biological clock, which regulates the peaks and falls of our productivity. Only you can know which time of day you have the most energy. For example, if you are more productive in the morning, plan your main activities so that they are done in the morning. Conversely, if you still struggle to give your best until lunchtime, dedicate yourself to your most important projects in the afternoon or evening. Knowing yourself also means being aware of your limits. You can't be good at everything and you don't have to be ashamed to say it openly delegating those tasks that would only waste you a lot of time (I already suggested in another article to use the power of delegation).
The cellphone
Il phone is an amazing tool as it allows us to reach anyone in a few moments and make us immediately available to others. But it is precisely this that can mess up any daily plan. Despite having incredible potential in terms of effectiveness, the mobile phone can also waste us time. Phone calls, applications, social networks, photos and videos are all daily distractions! You have to make sure that your mobile phone serves you and your goals first and foremost. It is a means, and it should never become an end. Always try to have total control over its use: you must not be a slave to calls, text messages or "text messages" on social networks. It doesn't have to be others who determine when it's time to get your attention; it is you who must decide when it is time to dedicate your time to them. Un practical advice I say disable notifications from social networks and answer calls and text messages only if urgent or useful for what you are doing. Keeping your cell phone away from you while you are doing an important task is also a productive thing. If you become a slave to the mobile phone, you allow others and even automated systems such as applications to control and dominate your time, at any time of the day. This means that if you're not careful, anyone can intrude on the time you spend on work, family, and play. Don't let this happen. In real-life socializing moments, don't let virtuality distract your attention. It is really sad to see people sitting around a table who, instead of enjoying each other's company and interacting with each other, isolate themselves by looking down at a display. Reserve only certain time slots of your day for "virtual" activities and the use of your mobile phone. You also have an agenda for calls in order to manage your outgoing calls as well. You might as well write down the main points you want to touch during the conversation; in the workplace this trick will allow you to be more professional and prepared.
Information technology
I computer are very powerful tools of effective time organization. You can increase your time control ability through the increase in productivity and efficiency that computers can generate. Don't just use your pc to surf the internet, download mail and write documents. It would be like getting in your car to go to your neighbor! With a computer you have one enormous potential in terms of time savings, but you need to know how to use it for that purpose and what software to install. Therefore, aCarefully analyze how to use IT tools, trying to get those most useful for your daily productivity. And if your business is complex, get help from an expert.
Ask the right questions
When dealing with personnel management (at work) and with social relations (in private life), one of the most important factors in saving a lot of time is asking the right questions. Behavioral psychology teaches us that everything we do is the result of something else. And when we are faced with a critical situation, it is usually a clue under which an even deeper problem lies. The best way to understand a problem and get to the bottom of an issue (without wasting time) is not to come to the conclusion right away, but to ask the right questions. Therefore, always try to get to the heart of the matter by becoming skilled in asking the right questions: you will get to the root of the problems much more quickly.
The time you have is yours; only yours and nobody else's. Then keep it jealously! Never allow others to steal it from you.
