HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TIME

Many of us have a problem using our time prudently. Did you ever notice most procrastinators are hard workers? 

They also tend to be perfectionists, fear failure or success, and they are not clear about their priorities. They frequently doubt their ability to do the job or doubt the importance of doing the job. In any case, procrastination is self-defeating. If you put off a task for too long, it becomes more difficult to do. If you are a procrastinator or know a procrastinator, here are 12 tips that will help you or your associate:

1. Realize Procrastination Is Futile - Don’t spend time and energy avoiding the task. Starting it and completing it will reduce your anxiety.
2. Eat the Elephant - Take a large overwhelming task, break it up into little pieces, and do one piece at a time. “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
3. Get the Unpleasant Out of the Way - You will never feel like doing an unpleasant task. There is never a good time to do it. Think of how relieved you will feel when it is finished.
4. Set Short Time Limits – Decide how long you will work at a task. If you decide on 10 minutes and feel some accomplishment, you will probably continue.
5. Do the Easy or Interesting Parts First - This will at least get you started. You might then decide to continue because you are part of the way to completion.
6. Commit to Someone Else - Set a concrete time for completion with your boss, an associate, or subordinate. Because we don’t like to disappoint others, this can motivate us to get to work.
7. Remember the 80/20 Rule - 20% of your effort will complete 80% of your work. Decide on how “perfect” the task must be before putting in all the extra effort. Perfection can sometimes be too costly. Decide when the job is “done.”
8. Be Your Own Cheerleader - Give yourself a pep talk. This can be the push toward getting started.
9. Listen to Your Excuses - Verbalize your excuses. Say them out loud to yourself. If they sound lame, don’t accept them. Treat your excuse as you would treat anyone else’s.
10. Thrive on Momentum - When you get started and you are accomplishing a task, let the momentum move you forward. Postpone your other plans and keep working.
11. Get in Touch with Your Feelings – Find out why you are procrastinating. What are you afraid of or what don’t you like about doing the task? Realize you are allowing these feelings to interfere with your accomplishments and the results of procrastination can be more distasteful than doing the task.
12. Reward Your Performance - Choose an appropriate reward you will give yourself for completing the task. Make sure you give yourself the reward you promised.

Remember, all of these tips have two of the most important dictums of time management in common, Do It Now and Complete What You Start. These tips will help you deal with procrastination only if you apply them consistently. Keep this list and refer to it periodically to remind yourself.