Day 1 of 10 Days to Prefect Time Management
Day One: Psychology of Time Management.
Firstly I would like to thank all those people who had made significance contribution in this field and all those surveys and researches conducted which I used here. I can't thank and mention them individually because of time and space limitations, so I'm using this space to THANK them. Thank You All...:-)
BUT BEFORE WE START, THERE'S ONE THING I ALWAYS WANT MY READER TO DO AND THAT IS "FOR THESE FEW MOMENTS WHILE YOU ARE READING MY ARTICLE, PLEASE EMPTY YOUR BRAIN FROM ALL YOUR PREVIOUS BELIEFS". MY IDEAS HAVE MY OWN APPROACH WHICH MAY BE AGAINST YOUR BELIEFS BUT JUST TRY TO GRASP THEM AS THEY ARE AND IF, EVEN AFTER THAT, YOU THINK THEY ARE WRONG... WELL, THEN JUST THROW THEM AWAY. :-)
My personal appeal, please read this 10 day guide in 10 days, one day - each day. I'm asking this because if you going to follow my methodology then you will grow steadily in uniform pattern and may also get to know yourself better. :-P
I'm writing this blog as a general 10 day guide for time management, so everyone can learn something here. No matter whether you are student, teacher, parent, manager, an employee or a business owner or even someone who just want to be more productive, you can easily take benefits from this 10 day guide.
Well, we all know that the time is very limited. A day's work has to be accomplished in finite 24 hours, still SOME of us do it, most do some of it, some others procrastinate and some never get around to it.
This guide has been designed to give you, only proven and working, ideas to become more and more productive and achieve whatever you to wish and to make your life more pleasurable.
All successful people have one thing in common:
THEY ALL PLACE A VERY HIGH VALUE ON THEIR TIME.
So we can say that success is only possible with an excellent time management skills and when you develop these skills, you will be simultaneously developing the habits that lead to high achievement and success in your health, wealth and every other aspect of your life.
As a great man once said- "Do you love life? Then don't waste time because that's the stuff life is made of."
As you read, try to remember things that suit you or you think will work for you. Take notes in writing, if possible.
On Day One, we focus on the Psychology of Time Management.
You must sincerely DESIRE for practicing time management in your life. Here are 4 reasons to do this:
1. You will gain, at-least, 2 productive hours everyday: Imagine 2 hours everyday, 14 hours in a week and 60 hours in a month. How much more you can achieve with that extra time!
2. Your income will increase by at-least 25%: 2 extra hours in a 8 hour working time means 25% extra input. If your current wouldn't pay you then some other boss will come along and pay you. As a great man said- "Time is money."
3. You will have more energy and less stress: You will have greater sense of control on your life. Researches show "you feel positive and enthusiastic about your self and your life to the degree you feel it is under your own control and you feel negative and stressed to the degree you feel it is out of your control and under external circumstances".
4. You will have more time: For family, friends, relaxation and for personal and professional development or for ANYTHING you want to do.
There could be many more reasons, depending and varying, from person-to-person, I had mentioned only the general type.
Now, its time for 3 MAIN psychological barriers people face:
1. Some believe it is too cold and calculating to be organised and efficient all the time. They feel you lack spontaneity but the fact is the people who are disorganized are not spontaneous, they are confused, frantic and in many cases under lot of stress.
2. Negative programming by your parents or other influential people especially when your were growing up. Did your parents always told you that you were a messy person, always late and you never finish what you start. When you are grown up, you may still be operating subconsciously like that. You may find yourself being a messy person and saying to others that "Oh! I have always been like that". But in reality, time management habits are learned, just as bad habits are learned. You just need to replace them with your bad ones.
3. Negative self concepts or self-limiting-beliefs. Many people believe they can't change or its a part of their background. But let me tell you that their is no gene that makes you perfect in time management. To prove this here's an example, consider some one gives a 1 million euro, for being punctual for 30 days. I bet, You are going to be the most punctual person on Earth, if the intent for the prize is high enough. That proofs time management techniques are learnt and repeated, till you internalize them and they become automatic.
To over come these psychological blocks, first thing you have to do is to make a decision to become excellent at time management. You have to make decision right now that you have to become excellent in time management skills.
Here's some psychological techniques to change your negative psychological habits of time management:
1. Positive self talks. They are the commands, you say out loud in your mind with full emotion, faith, acceptance and belief as new operating instructions for your subconscious.
Example: Repeat to yourself: a. I'm excellent at time management. b. I'm always punctual for my appointments. etc.
2. Visualize yourself as an excellent time-manager. Our subconscious mind is only activated by mental pictures. So visualize yourself as being very productive, efficient and well organised. Get those feelings on your mind. Picture yourself in mind, when you were very efficient and productive. The very best time to do this is, of-course, late at night, when you are going to sleep.
3. Act the part. In this you have to act as someone whom you really find very effective and good at time management. Act as if you are already using your time well and an expert at time management. As a saying goes, "Fake it, until you make it." You will see that the actions, which are under your control, will eventually make your mind believe that you are good in time management skills. This includes copying someone's pattern or method whom you admire.
4. Imagine you going to be teaching a course in time management in one year from today. This is a very effective method of learning something very quickly. And as a popular adage goes "You become what you teach." I suggest find someone with whom, you can share what you learn.
5. Lead as an example. Consider you have to put yourself as a good example for others or for your children, friends, students or employees etc. This is the quickest way to make changes in yourself.
Self-esteem to the rescue:
Self-esteem is the core quality of a healthy personality. It means how much you like or respect yourself. Whatever we do is either to improve or protect our self-esteem. It is the essence of every success.
Here's 3 factors affecting your self-esteem:
1. Your values. Living your life with your inner convictions is self esteem. People who really value their lives and who really value themselves, use their time well. And as per law of reversibility people who really use their time well, tend to value themselves even higher.
2. Mastery of life. You will good about yourself to the degree you feel you are good at what you do. Time management will give you that extra productive time which you need to master your skills.
3. Goals and activities. Doing things which you feel that are right and the things which you feel you are good at.
Important observation:
The quality of your life is largely determined by the quality of your time management.
Here's some benefits of good time management:
1. It enables you to increase the value of your contribution. Our self-esteem increases as our value of contribution increases. We feel good when we that we are giving more than we are taking out.
2. Your rewards both tangible and intangible are always equal to the value of your contribution. The more input you give, the more output you will get. This is in accordance to the law of sowing and reaping.
3. Focus on results needed rather than mingling with activities.
4. Your levels of achievement and performance both depends on your ability to use your time effectively. So good time management means good achievement and performance.
5. You get TIME. Time is scarcest resource of accomplishment. People have money but they don't have time.
6. Time management develops judgement, foresight, self reliance and self discipline which are all part of effective leadership and character.
7. It makes you result oriented which is a peak quality of top performers.
8. It enables you to work smarter and not JUST harder.
9. Good time management is a source of energy, enthusiasm and a positive mental attitude.
10. You grow as person according to demands you place on yourself. Better demands you place with good time management means growing as a better person.
11. Lasting motivation only comes from success. And continuous success comes from good time management.
Here's few ways to develop the habit of time management:
1. Your self image determine your performance, so always see yourself as u wish to be.
2. Every new habit formation takes 21 days. So repeat it till becomes a habit, get internalized and becomes automatic.
3. Promise yourself to be more efficient, productive and punctual and then to others. This way you will always know that you are being watched by others and thus your self-esteem will play its part. ;-)
4. Try in just one area in which poor time management is holding you back. Later with improvement in that area, other changes will happen automatically for good.
5. Launch your new habit strongly and never allow an exception.
6. Use trial-and-success method rather than trial-and-error. Learn from your failures and improve back on them. Study your limitations and get back on your track.
7. Last and most important, to believe in yourself. Nothing is possible without it and nothing is impossible with it. :-)
Bye meet you tomorrow...:)
