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Time Management Tips To Proactively Take Charge Of Your Time
Do you feel like everyone controls your time except you? If you want to make time choices that work for you without alienating others, read on.
Finding time can open new possibilities. But if you feel out of control of your time, those possibilities will always be beyond your reach. See how many questions below you answer yes to. If there are many, ADD to your time using the following lessons.
Proactive Question #1: Do you feel like you spend most of your time putting out fires?
Proactive Question #2: Do you respond to other people’s priorities, leaving your own on the shelf?
Stop for a second. Think about ways that you are being reactive in your decisions about your time.
Reactive Time Choices - the 3 D’s
Bottom line, if your choices around time are reactive it will always be hard for you to create a plan and stick to it. When you set aside your own priorities to tend to others’ 3 D’s, be aware that you are responding reactively:
* Demands,
* Desires, and
* Difficulties
Be Proactive - ADD to Your Time
What can you do when faced with the 3 D’s? First, do not let someone else’s tone or urgency automatically overrule your own priorities. Stop and ADD it up for yourself.
1) Assess,
2) Decide, and then
3) DO!
Do not confuse being proactive with being rigid; and don’t make the mistake of equating being reactive with being flexible!
To become proactive while remaining responsive, look within to decide what time choices work the best for you. Your first challenge is to avoid being put on the spot.
Practical tips to help you be more proactive:
Tip #1: Weigh what you may hear others say, but allow yourself all the time you need before answering.
Tip #2: Take the responsibility to gage how significant or urgent the issue truly is.
Tip #3: Do not be overwhelmed by individuals who are highly verbal, have strong personalities, or may just be crisis junkies.
Tip #4: Try saying, “I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
Tip #5: Reserve the right to set a boundary for yourself.
Try This on for Size:
Perhaps your boss thrives on the excitement of last-minute adrenalin. After lunch, you are approached by your employer with an “urgent” job. You could say:
* I can see that you feel (X) is very important.
* I just want to let you know that if I do (X) now, I probably will not have time to do (Y) by the end of the day.
* Which of the two do you prefer I do first?
In this way, you:
* Acknowledge the request but do not react,
* Convey the consequences of not setting priorities, and
* Give your boss the opportunity to make a choice.
The way you spend your time is the way you live your life
People make time choices differently, depending on their values. To be more proactive, start by setting some reasonable boundaries for yourself. Experiment a little and learn from others’ examples. You will gradually develop the self-reference and collection of skills that make you a proactive expert on finding time.