"Time Management"
Successful people are successful at time management!
I'm here to share with you some practical steps for efficient time management based on the Time Management (Lecture for MBA Students) lecture by Sebastian Schabowski.
What is Time Management?
Here is a surprise for you! Time management is not about managing time. It is about managing energy!
4 Different Types of Energy
1. Physical : How you feel physically. Are you tired? Have you had enough sleep? Did you work your body too hard?
2. Mental : It is about being able to think clearly. Sleep is a very important aspect of renewing mental energy.
3. Emotional : Feeling good about yourself. Are you feeling depressed? Are you thinking about a situation from the past instead of focusing clearly on your task?
4. Spiritual : It does not have to do with religion (although religion may help renew your spiritual energy). It is a question of "why?". Why you do your work, what you want to achieve in the future by doing your work. Do you know what you want?
Productivity Equation = P*M*E*S = Productivity Index
Your productivity index can be expressed in a math equation of your physical energy times mental energy times emotional energy times spiritual energy. Each must be a number from 0 to 10: 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.
Here is an example of how it works:
Let's say that my physical energy right now out of 10 is: 3.
and my...
mental: 4
emotional: 7
spiritual: 10
3 x 4 x 7 x 10 = 840
The maximum productivity we can achieve is 10 000. (10 x 10 x 10 x 10)
840 = 8% of 10 000. Therefore, in my case, I am only 8 percent productive of my ability! I can be 92 more percent more productive if I renew all my energies!
The Solution
Developing habits that renew energies will increase our score, thus increasing our productivity.
Here are some things we can do to renew each categories
Physical - Taking breaks, relaxing, naps, meditation, getting enough sleep
Mental - Sleep, drinking lots of water, doing mentally challenging activities
Emotional - Do things that you like to do (talk to friends, go out)
Spiritual - Take a minute everyday just to sit and think about your purpose. It can be in the form of writing down your vision and long term goals to even prayer.
What's Important?
The most important question in time management is "What is important?"
Selecting the most important task to do.
The 2 Enemies of Time Management
1. Distractions : Doing something that is less important than the most important thing.
To avoid distractions, it is important that we are focused on the task on hand. Set a weekly review time where you sit down and think about the project and come up with things you need to do. Then, when the time comes, focus on the task you are handling at that moment.
2. Interruptions : Having interrupted time at work from others.
To avoid interruptions, let others know that you are focusing on something--put sign on the door saying "Please do not interrupt"
Delegating and Automating
Delegating : Giving tasks to others so you can focus on your MAIN thing. Specialize and focus on ONE thing. If you are spending majority of your time doing things that somebody other than you can do, start delegating.
Automating : Setting things ahead of time so tasks are completed automatically at the right times. For example, auto-sending emails.
Stress-Free Productivity
It is extremely stressful for us when facing consequences due to forgetting to complete an important task. We could easily be fired because of that one mistake, and lose trust in a relationship because of that one appointment you forgot about.
***Have a system that you review everyday assuming you'll forget everything. It could be on paper, on your planner, on your computer, or on your calendar! Review it EVERYDAY. :)
Blocks of Time 60/60/30
Set your timer so you'll focus on your task singlemindedly until you move to your next task! You can download free timer apps online.
Book Recommendations
1. The Power of Full Engagement - It talks about the energy theory.
2. Getting Things Done - It's about organization.
