By Rob Mead
That great quote from the famous English writer, Charles Colton, sums up the lives of most working Americans today. People think they have no time for anything constructive to do after working all day, shopping, working out at the gym, and cleaning their house/apartment day after day. People throw away any precious time that might actually have on watching TV shows and movies that have nothing to offer the viewer except mindless entertainment. Americans should use their "little patches of time" he alludes to in that quote to get their life goals met in an immediate fashion. Here are seven of the best ways to not only manage your time to produce better results in reaching the goals in your life, but they also show you how you can double your energy and free up at least 50% MORE hours in your life to achieve everything you've always wanted to accomplish on a daily basis.
1. If it's unnecessary, get rid if it! The people in this world who continue to procrastinate over matters like getting a better job or buying a better car are usually the ones who have a pile of useless magazines and books in their living room that are just taking up space. They just leave them there collecting dust and mold, along with the myriad other items they have in their homes like shampoos they've used once, broken furniture and computer equipment that have proven useless, and clothes they never wear. These people are usually called "pack rats", and if you really want to be successful in life don't ever become one. Unnecessary items are a huge waste of time and energy on your day-to-day life, but few people see it that way. Let's say you have a magazine subscription and you spend 2 days reading it, then throw it on the other pile of magazines. Those two days probably constitute 8 hours you could have used to research better employment opportunities at "Monster.com", or you could have gone out looking for a great deal on a used car, and gotten rid of your huge, gas-guzzling SUV that is broken down in the shop most of the time. That SUV is costing you more than just money. The time it takes to find a good repair shop, and the many hours you waste waiting for it to get repaired add up to 2-3 weeks of your time wasted on a yearly basis. The useless books that you sometimes read also throws away your precious time. If you spend 5 hours a month reading a Judith Krantz novel you have laying around, that adds up to 60 hours a year you could be doing something more productive. Every minute of the day that is wasted on items you have around the house builds up into hours of your life that you will never get back. Now that you have a better understanding of the time management lesson I am stating here, go to that pile of magazines/books and throw away everything you never really intend to read. Believe me, you'll never miss 'em! Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 6
2. Your life must be balanced. The problem with people who are called "work-alholics" is not that they're not getting their work done, their main problem is they will eventually burn out from the "all work and no play" rule. On the other end, you have people who party all the time and never set any real goals. They fail because they will run out of money, or become strung out on drugs and overdose, or even become homeless in the worst case scenario. You might be in the "work-alholic" category if you have a feeling that you're missing out on all the fun other people are having. So put aside one day a week to take in a movie, go to a new night club, or see a concert of a band you really love. As long as you are meeting your self-employment or regular employment goals, then you are on the right path career-wise anyway. Having a really fun time one day of the week always insures against the burnout factor that is so prevalent in high-pressure jobs like air traffic controller, police officer, office manager and other stressful positions. If you start a habit that you can adapt to enrich your life, by all means do it. And that includes treating yourself to life's pleasures on a continual basis. On the other hand, if you are feeling right now that you are about to go bankrupt, or you feel overwhelmed by the bills that are piling up because of your care-free lifestyle, you really need to manage more time to get to the income level that you need. Instead of going out to the bar and hanging with your friends every Friday night, you should instead be hitting the internet for self-employment ideas, or looking at job sites to find a part-time job that you would actually enjoy, like bartender or game tester at a video game company. Always look for balancing your weekly schedule to include both productive, hard-working hours and fun care-free hours and you will actually free up at least 5 hours a week of more productive time. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 5
3. Make sure you spend quality time on your health. Your health has a direct impact on the energy you will be able to expend on your productive hours of the day. Have you ever noticed how overweight people tend to do everything very slow, including walking, riding a bicycle, even talking? That's because they eat way too much fatty foods that contain animal products, which take a lot more time to digest than vegetables and fruits. The extra energy the body expends on that longer digestion period takes away from a person's overall body and mind energy. You lose mental and physical productivity from eating fast-food, so whatever you're eating that you feel is unhealthy, stop eating it right now! Many a great thinker over history has always said that a eating a light lunch gives you a huge advantage over your counterparts who lose energy throughout the day because they had a heavy meal. If you ever feel woozy, like you might actually pass out during the day, that is a big sign that your energy level is not high enough. You need to consult your doctor or dietitian about putting you on a healthier diet immediately. That will give you more productive hours in your week, because you'll have the energy to be quicker and more accurate at all your job/personal goals. Regular exercise is just as important as eating healthy. A healthy and energetic body is the real key to better time management than anything else, so you must have a daily exercise routine to keep your energy level up. Difficult tasks that come up on a daily basis are best handled by somebody that is in great physical condition, as opposed to somebody who is 50 pounds overweight. That should be common knowledge by now. It doesn't mean you have to work out at Family Fitness every day for 2 hours, you just have to do at least 30 minutes a day of either jogging, lifting weights or aerobics. Anything that makes your heart circulate blood flow is a damn good thing. By getting rid of body fat by eating right, and regular exercise, you should free up at least 8 more hours a week to going out there and getting those life goals accomplished. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 8
4. Multitasking should be a daily ritual. The various ways in which great businessmen multi-task are amazing when you think about it. The word "multi-tasking" didn't even exist eight years ago, but now it's the greatest catchphrase in the business and entrepreneurial world. The definition of the term is basically mixing two or more tasks that you do individually on a daily basis and doing them together. A good way to start applying this to your regular routine would be to start reading a self-help book or magazine on income opportunities while watching TV or listening to a cd. By combining these two things, you are actually doing something productive to enhance your life goals (reading a self-help book), while still enjoying leisure time (listening to the latest cd from "U2"). Take a magazine or news article from a business trade newspaper with you to a grocery store or car wash. While you are waiting in line or waiting for your car to be dried off, read the articles and take notes either in your head or on a notepad. This can free up countless hours of productive time every year if done correctly.
The new crop of audio books written by business gurus like Donald Trump and Steve Forbes are a perfect tool for developing skills you want to master. Just get in your car, pop in the cd or audio cassette, and you are on your way to better reaching those business skills for your new self-employment venture. You should only use multi-tasking at the appropriate time, such as cooking dinner, air travel or waiting for your car to be repaired at the local Goodyear. If you think this exercise is draining on your energy level, nothing could be farther from the truth. Multi-tasking actually tends to make people much more energized in their daily lives, so make sure it's a part of yours too! Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 25
5. Concentration on the work at hand is essential. When people are working either at the office, or at home, they tend to get distracted by their surroundings or the people in their immediate radius. If people are being loud or rude, just go up to them and tell them politely that your are trying to do some important work, and please take their conversation elsewhere. If you are being distracted by a loud TV or radio in your home, have the person watching the TV or listening to the radio turn it down immediately. They have to know that what you are working on is very important to meeting your business goals, and if they don't respect that, then there will be a problem that you will gladly solve one way or another. Don't be timid when it comes to this. Most people will respect another person's personal space. Another way to concentrate for better productivity is by re-energizing yourself. If you've never heard of the phrase "power nap", it is a great way to take a 15-minute break from the heavy workload you are working on during the day. That short of a rest period perfectly re-energizes your mind and body so that when you wake up, you can get another 4 or more hours of great productivity into the remainder of your day. Eating some fresh fruit periodically revives your body and gives you more energy as well, allowing you to concentrate better on your work, thus giving you more productive minutes every hour in your workday. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 5
6. Every second of time is precious: guard them with your life! Your productivity in your daily life is only enhanced by having major chunks of uninterrupted time to use for your accomplishing your tasks at hand. It doesn't matter if the tasks are work goals or general life tasks, I cannot stress enough how important you need those designated times when nobody and nothing interrupts you. The ideal amount of time per day for uninterrupted time blocks would be 120 minutes. Give the people around you due notice when the time of day comes up for your own personal time chunk to start. Try to figure out a time frame when your roommate is working, your kids are in school, or your husband/wife is out for the day/night. It is a well-known fact that it takes at least 15 minutes to enter a state of real productivity, and another 15 minutes to get back into it if somebody or something interrupts you. You cannot fully appreciate uninterrupted productivity time until you've experienced it for yourself. I am actually writing this article now using the time I've blocked myself away from my roommate who I know will be at work for the next five hours. Think about the schedule that the other people in your home have right now, and write down a good time frame to do an important task when the other person isn't around, and see for yourself how much more productive you can be. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 9
7. Always be aware of your goals at all times. The great businessman, Bo Bennett once said, "Success is about enjoying what you have and where you are, while pursuing achievable goals." That statement could not be more true. Even if you do have a certain amount of success in your life, you need to keep pursuing achievable goals and be aware of what they are on a day-to-day basis. Your goals need to be specific and they need to be put in writing. Daily journals are a must for most business people to be aware of their goals they need to accomplish every week. I would suggest you go to Staples right now and spend the 10 bucks on a decent journal or daily notebook and jot down your goals for this coming week. If you have a calendar in your room, and you have an important deadline you need to reach, write down what goal you need to accomplish on that day in bold red ink in the calendar. That will really get the message through to your brain to achieve that deadline goal, and you will be more aware of wasting too much time on the internet, or watching TV, thus freeing up more productive time. If your goal this month is to hit $12,000 in sales, then the other things you are involved with that does nothing to achieve that sales figure will be thrown away by the wayside by your ability to concentrate on that sales goal. If you are still waiting around for the universe to tell you what to do to achieve your dreams in life, wake up now before it's too late. Concentrate on what your clear goal in life is: Is it more money? Is it more personal time with your kids? Write down what you want, and you will get it someday! Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step:8
So there you have it. A perfect list designed for you to use time to it's utmost advantage. By following these simple steps, you are that much closer to achieving perfection in your life, or about as close as you'll be able to get. Good luck!
1. If it's unnecessary, get rid if it! The people in this world who continue to procrastinate over matters like getting a better job or buying a better car are usually the ones who have a pile of useless magazines and books in their living room that are just taking up space. They just leave them there collecting dust and mold, along with the myriad other items they have in their homes like shampoos they've used once, broken furniture and computer equipment that have proven useless, and clothes they never wear. These people are usually called "pack rats", and if you really want to be successful in life don't ever become one. Unnecessary items are a huge waste of time and energy on your day-to-day life, but few people see it that way. Let's say you have a magazine subscription and you spend 2 days reading it, then throw it on the other pile of magazines. Those two days probably constitute 8 hours you could have used to research better employment opportunities at "Monster.com", or you could have gone out looking for a great deal on a used car, and gotten rid of your huge, gas-guzzling SUV that is broken down in the shop most of the time. That SUV is costing you more than just money. The time it takes to find a good repair shop, and the many hours you waste waiting for it to get repaired add up to 2-3 weeks of your time wasted on a yearly basis. The useless books that you sometimes read also throws away your precious time. If you spend 5 hours a month reading a Judith Krantz novel you have laying around, that adds up to 60 hours a year you could be doing something more productive. Every minute of the day that is wasted on items you have around the house builds up into hours of your life that you will never get back. Now that you have a better understanding of the time management lesson I am stating here, go to that pile of magazines/books and throw away everything you never really intend to read. Believe me, you'll never miss 'em! Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 6
2. Your life must be balanced. The problem with people who are called "work-alholics" is not that they're not getting their work done, their main problem is they will eventually burn out from the "all work and no play" rule. On the other end, you have people who party all the time and never set any real goals. They fail because they will run out of money, or become strung out on drugs and overdose, or even become homeless in the worst case scenario. You might be in the "work-alholic" category if you have a feeling that you're missing out on all the fun other people are having. So put aside one day a week to take in a movie, go to a new night club, or see a concert of a band you really love. As long as you are meeting your self-employment or regular employment goals, then you are on the right path career-wise anyway. Having a really fun time one day of the week always insures against the burnout factor that is so prevalent in high-pressure jobs like air traffic controller, police officer, office manager and other stressful positions. If you start a habit that you can adapt to enrich your life, by all means do it. And that includes treating yourself to life's pleasures on a continual basis. On the other hand, if you are feeling right now that you are about to go bankrupt, or you feel overwhelmed by the bills that are piling up because of your care-free lifestyle, you really need to manage more time to get to the income level that you need. Instead of going out to the bar and hanging with your friends every Friday night, you should instead be hitting the internet for self-employment ideas, or looking at job sites to find a part-time job that you would actually enjoy, like bartender or game tester at a video game company. Always look for balancing your weekly schedule to include both productive, hard-working hours and fun care-free hours and you will actually free up at least 5 hours a week of more productive time. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 5
3. Make sure you spend quality time on your health. Your health has a direct impact on the energy you will be able to expend on your productive hours of the day. Have you ever noticed how overweight people tend to do everything very slow, including walking, riding a bicycle, even talking? That's because they eat way too much fatty foods that contain animal products, which take a lot more time to digest than vegetables and fruits. The extra energy the body expends on that longer digestion period takes away from a person's overall body and mind energy. You lose mental and physical productivity from eating fast-food, so whatever you're eating that you feel is unhealthy, stop eating it right now! Many a great thinker over history has always said that a eating a light lunch gives you a huge advantage over your counterparts who lose energy throughout the day because they had a heavy meal. If you ever feel woozy, like you might actually pass out during the day, that is a big sign that your energy level is not high enough. You need to consult your doctor or dietitian about putting you on a healthier diet immediately. That will give you more productive hours in your week, because you'll have the energy to be quicker and more accurate at all your job/personal goals. Regular exercise is just as important as eating healthy. A healthy and energetic body is the real key to better time management than anything else, so you must have a daily exercise routine to keep your energy level up. Difficult tasks that come up on a daily basis are best handled by somebody that is in great physical condition, as opposed to somebody who is 50 pounds overweight. That should be common knowledge by now. It doesn't mean you have to work out at Family Fitness every day for 2 hours, you just have to do at least 30 minutes a day of either jogging, lifting weights or aerobics. Anything that makes your heart circulate blood flow is a damn good thing. By getting rid of body fat by eating right, and regular exercise, you should free up at least 8 more hours a week to going out there and getting those life goals accomplished. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 8
4. Multitasking should be a daily ritual. The various ways in which great businessmen multi-task are amazing when you think about it. The word "multi-tasking" didn't even exist eight years ago, but now it's the greatest catchphrase in the business and entrepreneurial world. The definition of the term is basically mixing two or more tasks that you do individually on a daily basis and doing them together. A good way to start applying this to your regular routine would be to start reading a self-help book or magazine on income opportunities while watching TV or listening to a cd. By combining these two things, you are actually doing something productive to enhance your life goals (reading a self-help book), while still enjoying leisure time (listening to the latest cd from "U2"). Take a magazine or news article from a business trade newspaper with you to a grocery store or car wash. While you are waiting in line or waiting for your car to be dried off, read the articles and take notes either in your head or on a notepad. This can free up countless hours of productive time every year if done correctly.
The new crop of audio books written by business gurus like Donald Trump and Steve Forbes are a perfect tool for developing skills you want to master. Just get in your car, pop in the cd or audio cassette, and you are on your way to better reaching those business skills for your new self-employment venture. You should only use multi-tasking at the appropriate time, such as cooking dinner, air travel or waiting for your car to be repaired at the local Goodyear. If you think this exercise is draining on your energy level, nothing could be farther from the truth. Multi-tasking actually tends to make people much more energized in their daily lives, so make sure it's a part of yours too! Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 25
5. Concentration on the work at hand is essential. When people are working either at the office, or at home, they tend to get distracted by their surroundings or the people in their immediate radius. If people are being loud or rude, just go up to them and tell them politely that your are trying to do some important work, and please take their conversation elsewhere. If you are being distracted by a loud TV or radio in your home, have the person watching the TV or listening to the radio turn it down immediately. They have to know that what you are working on is very important to meeting your business goals, and if they don't respect that, then there will be a problem that you will gladly solve one way or another. Don't be timid when it comes to this. Most people will respect another person's personal space. Another way to concentrate for better productivity is by re-energizing yourself. If you've never heard of the phrase "power nap", it is a great way to take a 15-minute break from the heavy workload you are working on during the day. That short of a rest period perfectly re-energizes your mind and body so that when you wake up, you can get another 4 or more hours of great productivity into the remainder of your day. Eating some fresh fruit periodically revives your body and gives you more energy as well, allowing you to concentrate better on your work, thus giving you more productive minutes every hour in your workday. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 5
6. Every second of time is precious: guard them with your life! Your productivity in your daily life is only enhanced by having major chunks of uninterrupted time to use for your accomplishing your tasks at hand. It doesn't matter if the tasks are work goals or general life tasks, I cannot stress enough how important you need those designated times when nobody and nothing interrupts you. The ideal amount of time per day for uninterrupted time blocks would be 120 minutes. Give the people around you due notice when the time of day comes up for your own personal time chunk to start. Try to figure out a time frame when your roommate is working, your kids are in school, or your husband/wife is out for the day/night. It is a well-known fact that it takes at least 15 minutes to enter a state of real productivity, and another 15 minutes to get back into it if somebody or something interrupts you. You cannot fully appreciate uninterrupted productivity time until you've experienced it for yourself. I am actually writing this article now using the time I've blocked myself away from my roommate who I know will be at work for the next five hours. Think about the schedule that the other people in your home have right now, and write down a good time frame to do an important task when the other person isn't around, and see for yourself how much more productive you can be. Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step: 9
7. Always be aware of your goals at all times. The great businessman, Bo Bennett once said, "Success is about enjoying what you have and where you are, while pursuing achievable goals." That statement could not be more true. Even if you do have a certain amount of success in your life, you need to keep pursuing achievable goals and be aware of what they are on a day-to-day basis. Your goals need to be specific and they need to be put in writing. Daily journals are a must for most business people to be aware of their goals they need to accomplish every week. I would suggest you go to Staples right now and spend the 10 bucks on a decent journal or daily notebook and jot down your goals for this coming week. If you have a calendar in your room, and you have an important deadline you need to reach, write down what goal you need to accomplish on that day in bold red ink in the calendar. That will really get the message through to your brain to achieve that deadline goal, and you will be more aware of wasting too much time on the internet, or watching TV, thus freeing up more productive time. If your goal this month is to hit $12,000 in sales, then the other things you are involved with that does nothing to achieve that sales figure will be thrown away by the wayside by your ability to concentrate on that sales goal. If you are still waiting around for the universe to tell you what to do to achieve your dreams in life, wake up now before it's too late. Concentrate on what your clear goal in life is: Is it more money? Is it more personal time with your kids? Write down what you want, and you will get it someday! Weekly number of productive hours gained by using this step:8
So there you have it. A perfect list designed for you to use time to it's utmost advantage. By following these simple steps, you are that much closer to achieving perfection in your life, or about as close as you'll be able to get. Good luck!
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