Time Management 101

24Jan10

Time Management is a term we come across often in our lives. We find people writing books, articles and giving us tips and telling us how to manage our time, yet so many of us are still managing our time poorly and living unbalanced lives.

When asked on  “what is your biggest productivity challenge? , many people spoke of challenges which eventually came down to poor time management.

If you’re an individual who has a problem with time management or self management, and living an unbalanced life, where you have highs and lows of productivity, and sometimes zero productivity, this series will insha-Allah help you get your life organized and in order!

If you are a student, daughter or a mother, wife, career-woman, juggling work, home, kids, this article will insha-Allah help you get your life balanced and be able to cope with everything!

Before we go on, let us become aware that time management is a misnomer. It’s not about managing time that’s important, it’s about managing yourself!When we manage ourselves, and take responsibility for our lives, it’s amazing how we begin to value our time and use it effectively!

So we know you living an unbalanced life with so much to do and so little time! But let’s really find out , how are you spending your time?

Steven Covey illustrates the 4 quadrants of how time is used:

 

 

 

 Quadrant1:

The place where we have deadlines to meet, we are stressed! We have left everything for lastminute and now have a mountain over us!People in this quadrant live a poor quality of life!

Quadrant 2:This is the place where you improve yourself and improve your life!You become a better person! You build better relationships!This is the place you suppose to be doing what you really have to do. Things in this quadrant are important to us, but nor urgent, hence we procrastinate it! People who build in this quadrant, live a great quality life!

Quadrant 3:Ever left everything and went to answer the phone, only to find out it’s someone calling “just to chat”. Well, this is the deception of Qaudrant 3! Thinsg appear important! They are urgent. That ringing telephone call is urgent, but was it important? That you had to leave your work to answer it, chatted to the person and before you knew it, an hour has already gone by with you chatting!Dont be decieved, this is a time waster!

Quadrant 4:This is the place we all like to relax in and kill time! Read all the unimportant fun emails, forward them to friends, or sit on facebook, cheking out what everyone is up to! Watch TV, chat on the phone to friends, have fun.Welcome to our biggest time waster quadrant! Do you spend time here? People who spend large amounts of time, doing nothing productive, achieve nothing much.

Awareness is the first step to change! Becoming aware of how you spend your time is the first step to change!

So how do you spend your time??

Is it Quadrant 1? Stressed out and then running to Q4 to “chill out”?

Is it in Quadrant 3 and 4? Doing something, but nothing truly Productive!

You need to leant to become a Q2 person! A person who has life balanced, building relationships, a person who is using their time wisely and smartly, managing themselves and has their life in control! You don’t have to lose out on fun activities,etc, you can have fun and achieve your goals! You CAN become this person!

Now that you know how YOU spend your time, get ready for Part 2…

Identifying your roles!

 

 

 

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