Time Management

Time Management: Are You Really Ready For It?

How many times have you tried a technique or plan to manage your time, only to find that you just can't stick to it, or it just doesn't work for you? How tired are you of not being able to keep things on track? Are you tired enough to make a conscious decision to do something different?

There are myriads of ways to manage your time. Numerous websites will tell you what time management is, ways to effectively use your time, tools to plan every moment of your life, how to set priorities, and how to manage day-to-day details. Making a determined decision to change the way you conduct the moments of your life, however, is a big and often overlooked part of the change itself.

Four points to consider for success in changing how you manage your time are:

Be committed and ready to make a change in your life. In order to exercise control over your time, you have to have a plan - a "proposed" or "intended" course of action. Closer observation, however, shows that these two words have different meanings. "Proposed" means that you are considering something, surveying your options. It does not mean you are decided on a course of action. On the other hand, "intended" implies a firm decision to follow a course of action. When you have the intent to act, it is almost certain that you will follow through on your chosen plan. Without the intent to change, all the planners, websites, and time management articles in the world will not make a real difference in your life.

Be committed to the time and effort it takes to change. Once you are determined to change the way you spend your time, be sure you are just as committed to investing the time and effort it will take to make change a part of your everyday life. Search for the system or plan that best fits your lifestyle, and be committed to making it work. Without this commitment you may stop using a new technique or system after only a short time, or when it fails to produce the results you expect. It may not be the system that fails. It may be your failure to have a committed attitude and the determination necessary to make the system or plan work for you. If you are committed to change and committed to invest time and energy in that change, you will be able to better direct your search for a time management plan that best fits your lifestyle.

Stay focused. Trying a new way to organize and manage your life may become frustrating as you move into the trial-and-error mode. Keep your focus on your goal - to make your life easier and more meaningful. It is often awkward to do things differently. But it will be easier to accept when you focus on the outcome of your efforts. Think about the freedom time management will give you. Focus on how great it will feel to have control of your life rather than letting your life control you. It takes time and effort to rearrange your normal way of doing things. To turn new behaviors into habits takes at least 21 days. Stay focused on why you are doing things differently and the how will take care of itself.

Remember that time management is not just a to-do list. Having a to-do list will help you accomplish more each day but it will not change your lifestyle. How many lists have you accidentally thrown into the trash, or set aside never to be seen again? Evidently the list was not that important. The outcome of having a list and accomplishing the things on the list is important. The outcome can mean more time to do the fun things you want to do, more time with your family, more time to work on a project without feeling rushed. The outcome can mean a smile on your face rather than sweat on your brow. To have control over your time involves both the personal and the business aspects of your life. It involves setting priorities and values. It is more than the tasks you must complete. It is a way of fitting these tasks into a meaningful lifestyle. Planning is a large part of this new lifestyle. To-do lists are a part of planning. They are not the plan itself. Proper planning will shape and determine what goes on your to-do list. Keep focused on how you can best spend your time the way you want to spend it instead of running around in circles trying to get a list of tasks done.

In conclusion, how to do something is often easier when we know why we are doing it. When you make time management a priority, think first about why you need it, and be committed to doing whatever it takes to make it happen. Then look for the technique or system that is most apt to produce the desired changes in your lifestyle.

Gilda Taylor is Manager of Client Services at Star of Hope Women and Family Emergency Shelter in Houston. The shelter is one of three Star of Hope facilities that provide services to the homeless of Houston. It provides room, board, referral services, and classes to families and single women. Mrs. Taylor holds a Master's Degree in Education with a specialty in Guidance and Counseling from Lamar University in Beaumont. She loves to study the Bible, read, and spend time with her seven grandchildren. She and her husband, Bernard, live in Houston as do three of her five children.