Wall clocks - photo by Nick J Webb (flickr.com/photos/nickwebb)

3 simple time management tips

How often have we heard people complain about not having enough time?

I am often guilty of this too, wishing I could clone myself many times over, and hoping the hours would stretch more so I can catch up on some unfinished tasks.

So how do I manage my time?

The answer to this timeless (hah hah) question is crucial to many aspects of life; from balancing an online education to just finding time to learn how to cook.

I am not a time management expert but since I answered ‘yes’ to some of InspirationBit’s test questions in her time management group writing project, I am glad to share my three simple time management tips: Prioritize. Delegate. Say no.

1. Prioritize

Focus on your To Do list or whatever is written in your schedule first before doing other less important activities.

2. Delegate

Don’t sweat the small stuff. We are not super heroes, we can’t put our hands on everything that claims our attention. Let go of things that can be passed on to others such as phone calls or simple computations. You can also train others to do part of your work so you can focus on the more important things.

3. Say no

If your schedule is fully loaded, and you have lots of pending tasks that needs your personal attention and they can’t be delegated, learn to refuse additional workload, responsibilities or unnecessary distractions.

My favorite time management guru is Stephen Covey and I learned a lot from the principles he taught in his book ‘First Things First’ about the compass (vision) vs. the clock (schedule) and efficiency vs. effectivity. I’ve learned about centering your goals on a personal mission statement which serves as your inner compass, your reference point on what matters most in your life.

What about situations that do not depend on you, but on external circumstances and other people – how do you manage your time when things don’t turn out according to your schedule? I have written about this dilemma before, you can read about it in ‘Warning! Do not delay!: Lessons in Time Management for goal-driven fanatics’:

So, it’s absolutely fine to have a goal, BUT when things don’t go according to your timetable, and things are beyond what you can manage, don’t fuss. Stay pretty (or else you’ll age faster and those unwanted wrinkles would start appearing). Keep your cool. You might be in for a pleasant surprise.

Related posts:
33 timeless ideas on time management
Warning! Do not delay! : Lessons in time management for goal-driven fanatics
The wisdom of the perfect time