How to Plan for 2012 - Part 3

Time management is the process of deciding how to spend your minutes, hours and days so you can achieve your goals. Without time management skills, the process of starting and eventually finishing a project is longer and more frustrating. If you want to plan your life better, it's helpful to learn a few basic time-management techniques.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Write down all of your long-term goals along with a corresponding timeline for each entry. It's important to get an "at-a-glance" view of your goals along with the estimated time when you want them completed, so you can then break down those goals into smaller time units. For example, if one of your long-term goals is to start a business within a year, you can then break down that goal into smaller time units and shorter-term goals. So, for instance, one of your shorter-term goals could be to register your business with the state that week, learn how to set up a website the next week and take training classes the week after that.

   • 2

     Set out your day in blocks of time instead of just "going with the flow" of the day. It's helpful to set these blocks either right before you start your day or the evening before. Break it down by each specific task. For instance, if you work from 9 to 5, you could break the day into two- to four-hour blocks for each major task.

   • 3

     Use a countdown timer whenever you're completing each task. Set the clock to small 20-minute to half-hour segments inside of each of the two- to four-hour blocks you set in the previous step, take a five- or 10-minute break in between and then proceed. This counting timer helps to keep you on track and motivated to complete the task.

   • 4

     Take an hour break at some point in your day to recoup, refresh and recharge. Allow your mind to rest before you get back to the task. Review your progress at the end of the day to note how much you've accomplished, and plan your tasks for the next day.

• 
  

Posted in: