Tuesday 8 March 2016

Time Management - How Productivity and Self-Discipline Will Get You Rid of Procrastination, Save Time and Set You Free

Introduction

Thanks for choosing and downloading this book. This book is a great guide that helps you simplify your life with time management techniques. The book contains an amazing content with number of tips and methods that have been fantastically described and offer you great assistance in increasing your productivity levels.  This book contains proven steps and strategies to make small changes in your everyday work routines and make a significant and positive change in your life. The book contains the advises made by great people about time management as it is one of the most important aspects of everyone’s life especially in today’s busy world where one has to perform multiple duties at the same time. After reading this book, you will be a changed person with great enthusiasm to change your life towards a positive and successful path of your life. The book encourages you to optimize and focus on your own resources to have a better professional as well as personal life. Once you read this book, you will definitely want to apply the given advices in your practical life. You would really want to suggest it to your friends and family to encourage them to change their lives as well. In this way, this book is a life changer. I hope that you would love the book and its content.



Time Management Tips

        I.            Make records and lists

For those people that don’t finish all the job that they need to do, lists are an ideal way of getting all those things that need to be done out of your mind and onto a piece of paper. Once you have written them all down you can start to organize and prioritize them.  One approach to do this is to label them as
·         "A" tasks, which should be completed immediately
·         “B” tasks, which should be completed that week; and less important
·         “C” tasks, which essentially need to complete at some point in the following six months.

      II.            Unplugging your Internet

Simply unplugging your Internet connection during the time when you do not need it helps you to save many hours. Some strategies might not be for everybody but one is great for everyone.

Advices:

·         If there are things you have to look up on the Internet, save them on a list and search for each of them only once. 
·         When you are not working, turn off the ringer and text notification on your mobile phone for everyone, with the exception of work colleagues, family and very close friends. 

    III.            Be careful with individuals who suck up your time.

Are you fed up with the colleague who are bad performers and try to distract you from your work? If yes, then those people who take up a great deal of your time must be dealt with cordially but they must be told to respect your timetable.  Make sure they understand that you are busy and that you cannot assist unless it is a crisis situation.   

Advices:

·         You will probably also have to have a conversation with them about what constitutes a crisis situation. 
·         Manage your own tasks first; do not be tempted to help them before completing your own tasks.

Example:

Let’s say, if the door of your office is constantly open, individuals will always be strolling through it. Try to close that door and give instruction to everyone that they don’t let the door open once they leave your room.

   IV.            Realize your time is valuable

There's a simple formula to show you that your time is indeed valuable. 

Calculate:

Take your gross income for the year and divide it by 1760.  This will give you a rough idea of what your hourly rate is.

Fact:

Considering that individuals work at most for 33% of a work hour, increase that number by a factor of three.  Now you will realize that your time is truly valuable. You must treat and manage it that way.

     V.            Reduce your correspondence

Try to reduce the number of ways that you correspond with people.

Advices:

·         Pick one medium for your responses to contact irrespective of whether it's
·         telephone
·         calls
·         messages
·         social media
·         or email
·      Create a new telephone number or email ID and give that to your family and close friends only. 
·      After that, set up your holiday responders, voice message greetings, or auto text repliers using the old e-mail address or telephone number.  The message on your voicemail or e-mail auto-response must make it clear that you are no longer able to check those inboxes because of your present workload.  This can save up to 14 hours a week on e-mail alone. 

   VI.            Keep a log for a week

Keep a log that breaks your day down into 15-minute intervals. 

How to:

Write down everything that you do during the day and at the end of the week, you can analyze where you have invested your time during the week.

Results:

Now you can minimize all those interruptions that have eaten up your time and rather concentrate on those things that pertain to your objectives and interests.  

 VII.            Join what you do with your opportunity to your long term objectives

Many people spend a great deal of time on the internet.  This is rarely helpful and can distract you from your objectives very quickly.

Advice:

                Avoid using the websites that take up your most time such as social media.

VIII.            Attempt to accomplish something dynamic and physical consistently

Find time to exercise, in spite of the fact that it takes time, it enhances concentration, helping you to utilize your time more effectively and you also feel better about yourself.   A healthy lifestyle is the key to satisfaction in your day.

How to find time for exercise:

It is always advisable to either do the exercise in the early morning before going to office so that you can feel fresh all the day. If you have issues in getting up early in the morning, do it after the office so that you can have a deep sleep after the exercise.

    IX.            Turn the mobile phone off

Turn your mobile phone off while you are on work, and don't look at your emails, so that you are not distracted from your goals.  Many of the things can easily be put off and unless your job demands you be accessible by telephone and email throughout the day, set yourself a specific time when you manage messages, telephone messages, emails, writings, and social media.  All these distractions will simple waste your time and energy. 

For example

Keep the mobile off in the first phase of the day during the work and then switch it on during the break timings.

      X.            Stop procrastination

The basic rule of thumb for getting through all your tasks in the day is; Do the most important thing first, not the simplest thing on your task list.

Tips:

·         Take some time to prioritize your tasks. Then, try to do the important ones first then go for those tasks that are not so important or that can be done later.
·         It doesn’t mean that less important tasks are left undone. Always find time for such tasks as well.
·         You can also allocate time for each task so that you don’t waste time.

    XI.            Plan

Lastly, have a plan and know what you must complete every day.  Not only plan for each day, take a comprehensive view and plan for the next five years of your life. 

How to:

·         Spare some hours from your off days to plan out your week at work.
·         Similarly, you can plan out the entire month and then a year.



The Not-To-Do List:

Not-to-do lists are usually more compelling than to-do lists for getting finished. 

Reason of adopting this technique:

There is a straightforward reason to it: what one does not do figures out what he/she can do. Here are 9 troublesome habits that business people and office employees must work to remove.

I.            Try not to hold a cellphone all day

Take one day of the week and turn off your phone all day or better still leave it at home or in your car. 

Tip

Try doing this at the weekend and leave your phone at home when you go to a restaurant for a meal.  What will happen if you return a call and hour later?  What dreadful thing happened? The answer is simple; nothing.   .

II.            Try not to consent to gatherings or calls with no particular plan or ending time

There is no need to consent to meeting without proper plan.

How to

·         No meeting or telephone call should last more than 30 minutes. 
·         Meetings must have a strict agenda
·         The topics to be discussed should be clearly listed so everyone can come to the meeting fully prepared. 

III.            Don't over-speak with low-benefit clients

There is no absolute path to success but the fastest way to disappointment is attempting to please everybody.

Tip:

Critically examine your client base and determine that are the 20 percent that deliver 80 percent of the benefit, and who are the 20 percent that take up 80 percent of your time. Concentrate on the 20 percent that give you 80 percent of the benefit and for the 20 percent that waste your time and send them an email with new guidelines as:
·         visual cues
·         number of allowable telephone calls
·         email replying time
·         Least requests, and etc.
If they cannot accept this, then courteously direct them to another supplier.

IV.            Try not to check email continually — "cluster" and check at specific fix times

This is a very important point.  There is no need of checking the emails continually as it wastes a lot of your time and leads you towards producing undesirable outcomes at work.

Tip:

Set up an auto-responder that informs people that you will only check your e-mail two or three times a day. 

V.            Try not to answer calls from unknown telephone numbers

If you do not recognize the telephone number that is calling you, do not be tempted to answer it. 

Suggestion:

Consider using applications such as GrandCentral or Simulscribe to manage your calls. In this way, you can listen to a simple telephone message instead of getting bogged down in a long call from someone you do not know.  If the call is then business related you can answer when it is convenient for you. 

VI.            Try not to work more to alter overwhelming attitude— organize

When you do not have a plan, everything becomes important and has to be done immediately but this is simply not true. When you plan your day and prioritize your jobs, nothing can overwhelm you. Planning ensures that you complete all the important tasks as well as those tasks that you dislike but have to be done. The answer to the feeling of being overwhelmed is not to do more, it is to plan and organize properly so those things that are important to your job and career are done first.

Tip:

Make a list of tasks you are about to do and categorize them according to their importance. Then, put more focus on the important ones and try to complete those tasks first and then consider less important ones.

VII.            Don't do first email in the morning or last one during the night

Tackling your e-mail first thing in the morning has a tendency to disrupt all your plans for the day, just as tackling it last thing at night will disturb your rest.

Suggestion:

Try to do at least one of your important tasks first and after that g see your e-mail around mid-morning.

Why it is important:

When you put more effort in checking and responding the emails, much of your time is wasted. It is suggested that you must complete at least one task before checking emails so that you know that you have spent a quality time on one task and you feel relaxed somehow.

VIII.            Try not to let individuals ramble

When somebody calls you, avoid common phrases such as “How is everything going?”  Be assertive and use a phrase such as “I'm deeply involved with getting something done, however, what's going on?" Remember most of GTD is GTP — Getting To the Point.

IX.            Try not to anticipate that work will fill a void that non-work connections must be

Your work associates should not be your only companions.  Your colleagues should not be your just companions.

Tips:

·         Plan life and protect it pretty much as you would a conference.
·         Never let yourself know "I'll simply complete it this week. You must do work in tight hours so your per-hour productivity remains same and does not fall.
·         Complete the basic few things and get out.
·         Messaging all weekend is no real ways to invest the little energy and time you have in your life.
It’s hip to focus on getting things done, but it’s only possible once we remove the distractions. If you have trouble deciding what to do, just focus on not doing something. Different means, similar end.

X.            Make a timetable for yourself

If you have issues with time management, the most effective method to manage your time is to make a timetable for yourself. It must be a weekly diary with a page for each day.  The objective is to both take out and decrease interruptions that waste your time while ensuring you deal with yourself and work, the social life and close connections.

Suggestion:

By putting work and commitments into your plan you can stop them scattering and assuming control over your whole week.

Example:

For instance, any meetings, gatherings, or arrangements you need to do, do them on a Monday. Yes, Mondays are busiest and constant. But you have whatever is left of the week allow you to analyze and do.

Time Management in Social Events

Here's a case of two or three days from everyday plan while you are working on an emergency. It is understandable that this may not have any significant effect to those with office jobs, yet the general thought can be altered to manage any work routine and way of life.

I.            Turning off your phone

Consider unplugging and turning off your phone and putting it far away from you. 

II.            Allocate special time

Every day you must allocate time to gain some new and useful knowledge, to accomplish something physical, to complete work, to be innovative, to be outside, and to socialize.

Example:

The last hour (let say 4 pm – 5 pm) at the office is usually less productive. So, make it productive by learning something new. This is how you can make your last hours more productive.

III.            Plan your meals

Furthermore, every day you must have a different set lunch, either it is home cooked or delivered. You do not need to take the time to choose what to eat.

Example:

You can make a list of your favorite foods and give it to your maid or spouse and she can cook it for you. Paste that list in the kitchen so that the cook knows the schedule of your lunch. If you want to get delivered the food, you can make a list and keep it in your mobile phone and can order by simply viewing that list.

IV.            Friend’s gathering (Once a week)

A way to manage time to socialize is hosting a dinner or lunch gathering once per week. Weekdays are more suitable as everybody is available. There is another advantage of this that can make the presence of each of your friend as most of the people are busy on weekends. So, there won’t be anyone who is going to invite them on weekdays and this is why all of your friends must be free in weekdays after the office.

Tip:

a. Meet all friends at once
In the event of having seven friends and each one wanting time to see you, you could end up with your whole week wasted.  Rather arrange a dinner one evening and invite everyone at the same time or better still, choose a restaurant that everyone can afford and arrange to meet there.  Those one or two special friends can then find the time to be with you aside from a general gathering

Productivity & Creativity Tips

I.            Set short objectives

Developing a product or a business is a huge and overpowering task. Furthermore, the overwhelming feeling does not contribute to inspiration. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, break your day in to small pieces that you can cope with such as initiate one customer, compose one blog entry, or fix one problem.  When you reach this goalpost, you will be prepared to do another.

Example

Writing a book is a mind-boggling task; that is the reason some authors write only a few pages every day though some write many pages in one day.  Schedule each of your group gatherings on one day.

Suggestions

·         You need to carefully schedule all meetings. 
·         If you cannot arrange to have them all on one day, leave the other days for reaching your objectives.
·         Try to schedule them for first thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon.  This will restrict their interference in your day.  

II.            Assume no one cares

Whenever keeping in touch with work, one must expect nobody thinks about you, you thoughts, the theme, whatever. In spite of the fact that you preferably understand an agony point for clients, expect they couldn't care less.

Example

If you’re arranging the task according to your suitability and preferences and you know it well that you are doing it right way then do not ever think of people around you that what would they say about you. You must be focused on work rather than what other people think of you.

III.            Set due dates with results

Things tend to take longer than you think if there is not set delivery date.  Everything takes longer than what you expect everyone of is realize that. But, maybe, when there's something enthusiastic about the line. Particularly in case you are starting as a side task, discover somebody to consider you responsible to your own particular courses of events.

Example:

Let say you are a sales person and you have a target of selling 100 units of mobile phones each month. You can simply divide the 100 unit into 4 weeks and then you can set a target to sell at least 25 units of mobile phone each week. You can further cascade your target by dividing it for each day so that at the end of the day you know whether you have achieved the target or not.

Suggestion

You can help your friends to adhere to their delivery dates if you offer a small reward to meeting the targets.  One can help friends to remain stick to their objectives by giving them a reward.

IV.            Shorten all your social commitments

Business people struggle to find time to socialize but it is important that you do so.  Rather than struggling to find the time to meet each friend individually, plan a dinner and get everyone together at the same time. The insecure way is the protected way
This cannot be taken much a tip as a motivation. It is just a quote from author Joseph Campbell. In any case, when you carry out work and you profit and you lose that job, it means at the end you lose the money and you don't have anything. You must pick enthusiasm, it really doesn't make a difference whether you profit or you lose since you are continually going to have your energy to be well. New companies are surely unreliable; however what is the option for you? A job with having life into another person's thoughts? Seeking after your dreams might be less dangerous than you might suspect.

Time Management Tool: RPM

When you have effectively understood the techniques to manage your time you will also understand that you have the power to accomplish your targets. Your success depends on action and what you are required to do. What encourage you regularly makes your experience of life. In any case, excessively numerous individuals trust that they don't have sufficient time to manage the time that can offer them some assistance with creating genuine, good results and accomplish their goals.

RPM is an abbreviation of?

The RPM stands for Rapid Planning Method, which is a result centered, energy driven, action plan for time management.

Why it is used?

This framework is used for a dynamic way of life and about seminars, a solid relationship and one’s prosperity. A huge number of business people have adopted this system to effectively face their own particular busy calendars and begin accomplishing more noteworthy objectives.
What RPM does?
The RPM framework concentrates on the outcomes and results you need then instructs you on why it's imperative to make reliable moves to accomplish them. When problems arise, RPM gives you the drive to complete and achieve the outcomes you desire.  
How does RPM help?
RPM intends to help you contemplate any objective and find a way to turn it into a reality.  It can help you to concentrate first on what it is you genuinely need, before helping you efficiently decide the best game-plan to accomplish it.
RPM Life Planner
If you have not grown or accomplished your objectives consider throwing out your to-do lists.  The issue with by far most of the time management systems that are available at this time is the error of concentrating on one particular inquiry: What one needs to do? With to-do lists, you are busy and mark off a lot of tasks but it can give an illusion of growth. If you have finished everything on your schedule and still felt like you haven't accomplished much you need to understand the difference between action and accomplishment.

Learning

With the RPM system, you can figure out how to:
• Move from an action to an outcome
• Replace your schedule with a successful day by day plan that expands your time and achievement
• Make an intense sense of reason, drive and satisfaction consistently
• Rise your level of efficiency
• Create a great activity plan to accomplish balance and gain predictable growth
• Regain conviction in every part of your life
• Manage your advancement, gain from past experiences and enjoy your achievements
The RPM will instinctively manage you through the RPM process and assists you in building up the important things to involve in the huge activity framework into your everyday life. Complete with great and convincing illustrations, helpful accessories and thorough structures, your RPM system might soon get to be the most important aspect of your life and success.
A Different View of Time Management Approach   
There is a different approach of time management which is a test to ordinary perspectives of time management. We do not generally require more time management but we rather truly need is thought management.
No Time to Get Work Done?
According to this time management approach, the issue is a sense that we have lot to do, and insufficient time to do it. Why do individuals say that there is no opportunity & sufficient time to complete their work? Since they have greater work load to do as compared to the work they assume they need to do. So consider what numbers of tasks are in your thoughts. Numerous individuals are pushed by the load of incomplete tasks, either deliberately communicated or approaching in their intuitive. From the unremarkable to the genuine, such tasks are inadequately characterized and uncertain. The psychological confusion of such tasks records makes it troublesome for us to legitimately oversee them, to organize, to meet due dates, or to finish them by any means. For whatever length of time that our minds are involved in confusion, it's practically difficult to deal with our considerations and in this way our task, appropriately.
Thought and Action Management
It is not time management we ought to be trying to adopt. What truly matters is thought management and also the way to deal with our activities. Time management begins with getting our observations out of our minds and writes them on a piece of paper. This is going to help you in two different ways.
·         Firstly, we get to understand what we are attempting to adapt to.
·         Secondly, at that point, this can be utilized as a springboard in order to begin making a move.

What thought action does?
Sometimes, the time management at work offensively influences by busyness. All things considered, maybe we can offer assistance. This approach incorporates some incredible tools to take back your time. This helps to:
•           Evaluate your time needs and deal with your activities.
•           Create adapting methodologies to dodge the constraints of busyness.
•           Handle the effect of other individuals' requests on your time.
•           Develop ways to deal with "completing things".
•           Assist other people to deal with the time.
Steps to Optimize Focus and Resources
Technology offers us some assistance with accomplishing big tasks in less time; however this similarly implies that laborers are accountable for expanding duties and tasks, and the outcome is a frequently overpowered workforce. Following are the steps to optimize focus and resources:
•           Take a note pad and tip each assignment asking for your consideration into note pad.
•           Develop on the result you need from everything. If you can check any of tasks from the list in just in two minutes, you must do it now.
•           Make reminders for all tasks in the list.
•           Review your undertakings week after week.
•           Having caught your works along these lines, "convey your consideration and resources fittingly".
Work and relaxation
In today's reality, yesterday's strategies simply do not work. The productivity of people is specifically corresponding to their capacity to get relax. Just when the minds of people are at comfort and their considerations are sorted out, they would be able to accomplish more productivity and discover their innovative potential.
 Conclusion

This book deals with one of the most important factors of today’s business life. This book describes about the productivity and self-discipline that helps to get you rid of procrastination, save time and set you free. This book has productivity & creativity tips, time management, the not-to-do list, and much more that all helps you to manage your everyday tasks and set yourself free. There are multiple approaches through which you can easily manage your work and that can help you to make your life easier. All you have to do is to make changes in your lifestyle and work related habits. Most of the suggestions given in the books are easy to adopt and takes no time, however their outcomes are significantly bigger. After reading this book, reader must be capable of performing better in his/her job or business as well as in his/her personal life. Managing the work well in time leads to have more free time that can enhance your ability to deal with private and personal life. This is a wonderful guide that leads to a prosperous life.