People around the world often ask me about the essentials of long-term success and effective time management. So, I’ve decided to make a list in a form of ABC, which covers these most important aspects, and will help you to remember it easily.
Fundamentals of effective time management
A – Action is what makes things happen. Don’t procrastinate – take action on the things you know you should already be doing.
B – Break your day into blocks of 1½ -2 hours, so you can focus on important tasks without distractions.
C – Create a visual dashboard where you clearly see your most important goals and dreams, and your progress. Pin it somewhere that you can see it most of the time throughout the day.
D – Delegate tasks to someone who can do them better, faster or cheaper. But do it right, otherwise you will spend even more time correcting mistakes.
E – “Effectiveness is doing the right things, efficiency is doing things right” – Peter Drucker. Effectiveness is your primary goal. Define what the right things are and make them happen.
F – Focus on the most important things – the rest can wait or be left undone.
G – Get away from the office on a regular basis to spend time alone. Use this time to evaluate your dreams, goals, progress and plan of action.
H – Have a clear plan of action for reaching your most important goals.
I – Internal meetings should be minimized as much as possible, since most such meetings are unnecessary. Participate only in meetings that will move you closer to reaching your objectives.
J – Journal your ideas, meetings notes and project progress details, so you can have everything in one place and don’t waste time searching for them when needed.
K – “Kill” notifications on your smartphone and computer. Turn them off. Every distraction costs you an additional 15-20 minutes on a task or project.
L – Limit the number of times you check your social media and email. Try to check it just 3 times a day.
M – Minimize distractions when you are trying to focus on the most important tasks. It will help you achieve results faster and with higher quality.
N – “No” is a word you should learn to say often. It will help you greatly in protecting your time.
O – Optimize your time by grouping similar activities into one block of time (e.g. scheduling several meetings in one afternoon) or by combining important activities (e.g. going to the gym with a friend).
P – Plan weekly, review daily.
Q – Quit doing things that do not get you closer to your most important goals in life and business
R – Rest enough on a daily or weekly basis to get your energy back and enable you to keep going.
S – Set measurable goals in life and business. “A goal properly set is halfway reached” – Zig Ziglar
T – Track your time to see where it goes and what can be improved.
U – Use your rhythms of natural effectiveness by intentionally planning complex tasks at “peak” periods when your creativity and strategic thinking are at their best.
V – Vision and dreams are the most powerful motivators to keep you focused throughout the day. Put them on paper and remind yourself of where you are going.
W – “Why do I do what I am doing right now?” – should be a question you ask yourself every day.
X – X-ray your habits and lifestyle to see if you have any unhealthy trends.
Y – Your precious time and life are YOUR responsibility. Use them wisely.
Z – Zoom into the future to determine the future you want to create and what activities and tasks you should engage in today and this week to make that future a reality.
Have a meaningful day! 🙂
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