Take control of your life – use your time effectively

Time Management is perhaps one of the most talked about subjects not just in the business world but in our social circles as well.

The concept or the idea has been elevated to the point that it has become an abstract principle or an ideal – much like those taught in monasteries and temples of ancient religions such as the 7 gates to inner peace or the secrets of energy flow – always to be sought but never to be achieved.

Some people will brag about how they are never late for appointments, but is this really the essence of time management?

Some people will talk about the increased profits and revenues from their business and present this as a proof of their mastery of time management.  Is this all there is to it?

Can you say that time is your ally when you come home late every night with barely enough time to eat, much more sleep?  Can you say that time management has truly been a big factor in your success when you’d give away your liver or one of your kidneys just so you can have a clone that could do what still remains to be done in what little time that you have?

What It Is and What It Is Not

Far from being an abstract idea or an ideal, time management is actually a practical method for managing our time.  It is composed of specific steps and sound principles that are easy to understand and follow.

Of course, as with diet formulas and leadership programs, your biggest enemy in catalysing or inducing this change is yourself, particularly your discipline and perseverance.

Contrary to popular belief, time management is not only about getting more things done.  In fact, as you read on, you will realise that you will have to let go of some of your most time-consuming tasks if you want to become an effective time manager.

In my complimentary eCourse at take control of your life I share some proven time management techniques.  Over 7, brief on-line lessons, you’ll gain access to some of the best tips to help you to maximise your productivity, overcome procrastination and take charge of your life!

Time management is getting more important things done efficiently.  It is not about working harder or logging in more hours at work; it is about maximising the potential value of time spent and investing in a time management system that will let you use time as efficiently as you can and thereby achieve optimum use of your time.

In the same light, although time management starts with ourselves, it is not limited to what we do.  In fact, most of the fruits of time management will come only after efficiently cooperating and synergising with other people.  In this sense, to be effective in time management, you will also need to be effective in dealing with other people.

Much like the way passive incomes grow from long-term monetary investments, so will passive work grow from long-term time investments in yourself, in things that you use and do, and in other people.

Lastly, time management is not and will never be a one-size-fits-all kind of program.  Something working well for other people is no assurance – no guarantee – that the same technique will work as effectively for you.

It is not like a toy or a gadget that you need to assemble only once to ensure results.  Rather, it is a personalised process of change that differs from one person to another.  It requires continuous assessment, feedback and adaptation on your part to work.

If you need a helping hand to get you started, just visit take control of your life for 7 brief, daily on-line lessons that’ll take you less than 5 minutes per day to read.  Don’t wait – do it now!