Effective Time Managements Tips For Achieving Balance in Your Work and Family Life
By Adebola Oni
In surveys done across many job categories, including
construction, service industries like hotels and restaurants,
small business owners and corporate moguls, a large percentage
of those surveyed said that they felt they needed to improve
their time management skills so that they didn't need to spend
as much time at work.
Many wanted to reduce the time they had to spend reworking tasks
they had already performed because they had done it wrong the
first time.
You will find a few simple tips below, to get your time under
control.
If you do these things, you will find that, even in the most
stressful and time-consuming jobs, you can reduce the hours you
spend at work, and arrive home in a less stressed, more
family-friendly frame of mind!
Make a 'To Do' List - Then put these items in order, starting
with the most critical. If you could only get one thing done
today, what would be the most important? Cross the items off the
list as you complete them, and don't be distracted. Stay focused!
Since we all have interruptions, be sure that, if you don't
accomplish the items toward the bottom of you list on that day,
you add them to your list the next day so you don't drop them.
Use a daily planner if that makes things easier.
Don't Waste Time - Use your spare minutes well. Take the train
to work instead of driving and use that time to read critical
reports you may have to review, or read your new equipment
training manual on the bus on the way home.
If you are going to take a break during the day and there is
someone you have to see, stop by their office and grab them to
go for coffee, then talk about the issue and resolve it while
you are walking out in the sunshine and enjoying your java.
You'll feel like you took a break AND got something accomplished
at the same time.
Just Say 'No' - If your boss wants you to work late and you have
a family engagement, but you could work late the next night or
come early in the morning, suggest alternatives and see if those
will work.
Don't be so quick to accept the command without probing to find
out if there is another way to handle it.
If a co-worker asks you to lunch and you MUST finish a report by
3:00, politely decline the invitation and suggest dinner or
coffee later instead, and get the report done.
That way you don't have to give up the pleasurable experience,
but you won't be stressed out and working until 9:00 p.m. with
your boss standing over your shoulder bemoaning the delay.
If the project your boss dumps on your desk is a 'rush' but she
already gave you something that must be completed today, ask for
clarification on priorities and give your boss a reasonable
projection of how long it will take to do both projects and
whether you can do both.
Don't just take the project on and then not finish the other
task she gave you, or you will both be unhappy. Speak up!
Know Your Brain - Do you know what the Circadian Clock is? It's
that little clock in your brain that controls when you feel the
most wide awake and when you want to go to sleep.
If you are a morning person, attack the most difficult problems
in the morning when your brain is the sharpest. That way you
won't have to rework the problem the next day when you discover
that the 'afternoon you' made the wrong decision about the
budget.
Get Enough Sleep - Your brain can operate on a short nap for a
day, but if you are not sleeping enough, you will not think well
or process information and you'll make mistakes and end up
staying late to fix them.
Advertise Your Schedule - If you hate getting phone calls first
thing in the morning, before you get your day organized and have
your first cup of coffee, then let your calls go to voicemail
until you feel ready to take the calls.
You will be more focused and get more accomplished, instead of
having to say, "I'll have to get back to you on that" after
hearing a ten minute explanation of the latest crisis.
Be Your Own Master - Sit down with a pencil and paper or a
calendar and figure out how much free time you have.
Schedule and plan your activities at work and get your personal
and family obligations on the calendar. Treat these personal
obligations with the same respect you would treat a business
meeting.
Don't cancel personal appointments unless it is a real work
emergency and, in the case where you MUST cancel, reschedule
immediately and apologize to your friend or family member.
Explain what is happening so they don't think they are
unimportant to you. And be sure to keep the appointment you make
with them the next time!
Did you learn something wonderful from this article? Will
anything you have learnt make the year a Successful one for you?
Well, I want to tell you that this is just a tip of the iceberg.
There are so many more tips in the report I want you to have a
look at and you can do so by visitng the link below
http://www.the-lessons-of-life.com/balance/balance.html
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