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Time Management in 3 Simple Steps

Everyone’s heard the saying, “time is money.” Time is a precious commodity that can be used effectively to produce dollars for your company, yet it’s also a sunk cost. Once you’ve spent the time, it’s gone and there’s no getting it back. So, how do you manage your time? Does your time produce profits or burn a hole in your wallet? The process of managing your time effectively can be a difficult skill to master, so to make it easier for you, we’ve pointed out the 3 most important steps towards effective time management:

1. Plan your goals for the day/week/month
Creating a list of tasks you want to accomplish is the first step towards using your time efficiently. Your list doesn’t have to be pretty – write it on a napkin, a post-it note, your hand, a calendar, a PDA, or whatever you are most comfortable using. Make sure you take the time to list all of your tasks, big or small, whether you think you have the time or not. With your list of goals, you’ll feel more in control and be less inclined to procrastinate.

2. Prioritize your goals
Prioritization is the most important element of time management. Creating a hierarchy of tasks allows you to direct your efforts to the most important tasks first. Don’t know how? One common way to do this is by organizing your tasks numerically, where each tasks is assigned a number – “1” for highest priority, “2” for the next highest priority and so on. Another method is categorizing your tasks into groups, where “group A” is most important, “group B” is the next most important, and so on. You can also combine the two methods by first categorizing your tasks into groups and then putting them in numerical order within each group (ie- A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, etc.). Or, you may have your own unique way of prioritizing your list by colors, shapes or symbols. There’s no single method that you must use, so find out which method works for you.

3. Be efficient and proactive in achieving your goals
Once you have your prioritized list of tasks, it is important to follow through with your plans. Your list is insignificant to you if you don’t intend on using it. Be proactive by attacking the task and staying ahead of it instead of letting it build up into a task that will take twice as long. If you do run into a task that feels too big to handle, break it down into smaller tasks that are more realistic. As you complete each task, eliminate it from your list and move on to your next task with the highest priority. When your time frame expires, reevaluate your goals and start over with the first step.

Start planning your goals today and get more out of your time. With dedication and persistence, you’ll soon find yourself with an empty to-do list and an extra hour on the clock.

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