The Big Benefit of Time Management
Effective time management requires–you guessed it–time. It seems a bit of a paradox, doesn’t it? To develop effective time management skills and effectiveness, you must take more time out of your busy schedule which already contains more tasks than you have time to accomplish. The investment of time used to schedule and better organize your time will create more time available to you in the long run.
So if you’re already overwhelmed by your to do list, and you find yourself making excuses not to do what you know must be done, then you need some motivation. You can find that motivation in the Big Benefit of Time Management.
And what might that big benefit of time management be, you ask?
Happiness!
Think about it for a moment. Why is it that when you can’t seem to drag yourself out of bed at 7:00 to get to work by 8:00, you will jump out of bed with great enthusiasm on a weekend at 5:00 to spend a day in your favorite hobby or pastime? Because the leisure activity brings you joy and happiness. You are motivated to get out of bed because you know the day will bring you happiness, as opposed to a workday which brings negative feelings, or even in some cases, misery.
So, in order motivate yourself to exercise effective time management, you must use the carrot of the Big Benefit of Time Management rather than a stick — you will then benefit from increased productivity. Remember, the more time you can free up, the more time you will have for your favorite activities.
To develop effective time management skill, start with what motivates you. Don’t worry about mundane tasks or activities that increase productivity, but rather think about the things you love to do. Think about the things that drive you to try and earn more money so you have more money to spend on them. Then make those things your priority, schedule them first, and schedule other things around them.
There are many places on the Internet where you can download a daily planner template or a free printable daily planner. Don’t get too caught up too long with what tool to use. A legal pad or wall calendar is good enough for now. The important thing is to get into the habit of planning your time and writing it down.
Let’s say the activity that brings you the most enjoyment is camping. First, decide how many days this year you want to spend camping. Then decide what times of year you want to use those days. Now that you have the number of days and the seasons, take a look at the calendar and begin planning which days specifically you want to spend camping. Block those days out on a calendar.
Next you must think about and evaluate what you need to accomplish so that you can spend that time camping. If you’re going to be away for a week, what must you do beforehand? Consider the “must do” items only, write them down, and then schedule the necessary time for those activities.
This is a simplified example, but you will notice how much more motivated you are to schedule other tasks when you first schedule your favorite activities. You are motivated because there is a reward of the Big Benefit of Time Management. Happiness!
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