How To Build Effective Time Management Skills
With the world becoming more interconnected, people are busier today, than ever before. Developing time management skills can be vital.
The best way to develop good time management is to learn from other successful people.
Jonathan Osler is a nonprofit leader and educator, from California. Here are Osler’s thoughts on what is important in building time management skills.
Have a vision for the future
No matter how much planning is done, things will go wrong. This is where having a clear vision of the future comes in.
A vision should be used as a map. A rough guide for the start of all things to come.
Use the vision of the future to define values to strive for. Every step taken should align with those values.
Having a set of values can be a guide through tough times. Values can be applied to whole organizations.
Once values are well defined it is time to start planning.
Plan things out
Making a plan for the daily ups and downs is important. The process of writing out a plan will provide guidance. Knowing the next task to get done.
Planning makes it possible to limit distractions. With fewer distractions, there is more time to work on the task at hand.
Through planning, weaknesses can be identified. Dealing with a known weakness is much easier than working blindly to solve an unknown one.
Use the planning stage to work out ways to improve. This can be applied to individuals and teams.
Building a strong foundation from the start should be a top-level goal.
When all the planning is done, it is time to start working on the mind.
Learn to self-manage
Learning how to regulate emotions and attention is the next step. Getting one’s self under control is necessary for all the following steps.
Having control allows for every decision to be made with Integrity. With every step moving closer to the desired outcome.
Prioritizing tasks throughout the day becomes easy. A clear vision makes it possible to see what needs to get done. Self-control makes it possible to actually get those things done.
Making good decisions is the cornerstone to all types of success. Professionals should strive for effective ways of accomplishing objectives.
After a period of accomplishing objectives, it is time for the review.
Performance reviews
Having a vision is one thing. Being able to stay on track with that vision is a different matter. This is where reviews come in.
Once every few months it is a good idea to review how things are progressing. Doing this will enable insight into what is working and what is not.
If something is not working it is time to make a change. Correct any mistakes, and seek to learn from them.
Using reviews as a tool is a good way to quickly get back on track.
Jonathan Osler has over 20 years of experience working in nonprofits. With these four points from Osler, professionals can build effective time management skills.
