Definition of time management Greenwich Mean Time. Time management: what is it? Focus on the main things

“We get tired and exhausted not because we work hard, but because we work poorly, we work unorganized, we work stupidly.”

Physiologist N.E. Vvedensky

Time - manager t is a time management technique that includes rules and principles that help a person properly organize his time and achieve maximum efficiency in any activity. With the help of time management, a person can consciously control the time he spends on different types of activities, while increasing the efficiency and productivity of his work or leisure. Planning, distribution, prioritization, and goal setting help a person cope with the crazy rhythm of modern life. Time management helps a person manage to do everything without stress and avoid chronic fatigue.

Initially, time management techniques were used only in running a business and organizing work activities. But now time management methods are also used in a person’s personal life in order to have time to cope with everyday issues and properly organize one’s leisure time and rest.

The history of time management

Back in the 20s, the Scientific Organization of Labor said that the efficiency of using time depends on the personal effectiveness of the person himself. The League “Time” appeared, which published articles in newspapers under the title “Fight for Time.” In the 70s, the timekeeping method developed by biologist Lyubishchev gained popularity. This method is a tool for developing effective human thinking, which contributes to the rational management of personal time and increasing personal efficiency.

In 2007, the first department of time management was opened in Moscow at the Financial and Industrial Institute. Today this direction has become very popular and popular. There are a lot of trainings, seminars on planning and rational time management.

Time manager this is a person who takes into account the psychological characteristics of people, working conditions and offers more effective work schedules. He is able to reveal all his hidden reserves in a person and suggest how to increase his effectiveness.

The process of communication between a time manager and a client is similar to a psychological consultation in which he listens to the person, gives tips and advice on how to allocate time, how much time to devote to rest, how to set priorities. How to plan your day so that you can get everything done without stress.

Time managers provide not only individual consultations. They are often invited by companies as experts to help improve the labor process. First of all, teach the manager to correctly distribute his working time and correctly distribute responsibilities in the team. They study the company’s activities and the required amount of time to solve certain problems. After collecting information and analysis, the time manager makes adjustments to the company’s daily routine.

  • Analysis of time spent on certain tasks.
  • Setting, formulating and defining goals.
  • Making a plan to achieve the goal, as well as setting priorities.
  • Realization of the goal. A hint on what steps need to be taken according to the plan.
  • Making lists of things that need to be done.
  • Recording time using timing.

What advantages does a person have who has learned to properly plan his time?

“Time wasted is existence; time usefully used is life.”

E. Jung

  • Achieves set goals.
  • Achieves his goals much faster than others.
  • Capable of achieving success in any field of activity.
  • Has more time to relax, communicate with family and friends.
  • Can do a lot more things in a given period of time.
  • He can increase his income and retire by correctly distributing responsibilities between employees.
  • Can get rid of chronic fatigue, is not subject to stress.
  • Always has a clear plan of action.
  • Has a sense of inner freedom and independently controls his life.

Types of time management

Now there are many different approaches to the problem of time management. Experts distinguish three main types:

  • Personal (personal) time management. It is associated with a person’s personal self-development, the ability to properly and fruitfully organize their day.
  • Professional time management helps a person do his job effectively, organize his working time correctly, or wisely distribute responsibilities in a team.
  • Social time management regulates interpersonal relationships or time management of several people. For example, corporate.

Basic concepts of time management

Time management concept- it is a way of understanding and perceiving time. The concept of time management helps to determine the reason and purpose why a person needs to learn how to manage his time. Realize the value of this process, as well as understand the basic principles of time management.

Time Management Techniques– a certain sequence of actions that will help solve a specific problem.

Time management system– a set of concepts and methods that will allow you to achieve your goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Improper organization of work or illiterate organization of activities by management leads to the fact that company employees feel a constant lack of time. This affects the efficiency and success of the enterprise as a whole.

Lack of time occurs in cases where:

  • There is no work schedule for the day.
  • If the assistant manager is not aware of his daily routine.
  • Phone calls and visitors often distract from core business.
  • If the manager does not know how to distribute responsibilities.
  • If the work is done in a constant hurry, which leads to rapid fatigue.
  • If employees are not suitable for their positions.
  • If employees inadequately assess their capabilities and speed of work.
  • If employees are not motivated (for example, the salary is too low).

To improve the efficiency of an enterprise, it is necessary to teach employees to draw up a work plan for the day. When drawing up a plan, you need to devote 60% of your time to main tasks, 20% to unforeseen and 20% to spontaneous matters. The main thing is to teach the team to make plans for the day systematically and regularly.

The effectiveness of time management in management depends on the extent to which employees are trained in planning, prioritization, control of time to complete tasks, as well as the correct order of tasks.

To solve these problems, you can invite an expert in time management or train the manager of your enterprise, who will himself assign tasks to employees and monitor the effectiveness of their work. The manager must issue both main and several backup tasks. At the end of the day, the employee submits a report on the work done.

Managing personal time in time management

As for managing personal time, there are basic rules of time management applied in personal life:

  1. Never take work home.
  2. Organize your daily life so that it takes minimal time.
  3. Plan your free time in advance. This should include emotional pleasure (going to the cinema, theater, concert, museum). And also physical (sports, dancing, etc.).
  4. For relaxation, use not only weekends, but at least one day during the week. For example, ride a bike after work or go to the sauna with friends.
  5. During vacation, limit calls, mail, and the Internet in order to truly relax.

1. The basic rule of time management is correct goal setting.

If you learn to clearly define your goals and also determine which tasks are secondary, you will save a lot of time.

If you spend your time on something, it means that at that moment you believe that it is very important. But is it? Ask yourself, will the outcome of this action help you get closer to your goal? What is a goal? A goal is a person’s desire for something, when the entire process is aimed at the final result.

When setting a goal, you must first decide on your main values.

Realize your capabilities and motivation. Analyze the problems, needs and difficulties that may arise on the way to the goal. Clearly present your goal in the smallest detail, its end result. Plan your actions, search for resources and begin implementation.

There are different methods for setting goals. But all methods have a common algorithm for setting goals:

  1. The goal should be as specific as possible with a clear end result.
  2. The need to achieve the goal must be justified. Why is this necessary and what will I get from it?
  3. The goal must be realistic and the mechanism for achieving it must be clear.
  4. It is necessary to clearly define the time limits within which the goal must be achieved.

2. The second basic rule of time management is prioritization.

Knowing how to prioritize is very important. There are things that are of less importance in achieving the goal, and there are those that play a major role.

3. The third basic rule of time management is planning.

After setting a goal, the next step is planning. Planning is an integral part of time management. It consists of the following main stages:

  1. Drawing up a time management plan.
  2. The stage of drawing up a project, during which you can maneuver and think through different options for achieving the goal.
  3. The stage of identifying the necessary resources.
  4. The stage of identifying people who can help you on the way to your goal.
  5. The stage of recording planning results in the form of a business project, map.

When a person begins to plan, thinking is activated and creativity is activated. When you make a plan, your goal becomes more specific, you begin to understand what you really want and how to achieve it. This is a kind of practical guide to action.

Until a person makes a plan for realizing what he wants, he is constantly thinking about this topic. But it is not thoughts, but actions that bring you closer to your goal. When a detailed plan is drawn up that takes into account different ways to achieve a goal, it gives you room to maneuver. It doesn’t work with some means and methods, you can try others. Planning develops flexibility and readiness for any situation in a person.

Making a plan gives you a high chance of success. Having a plan gives you confidence in yourself and your capabilities. All successful people and entrepreneurs plan.

Basic planning techniques. Short description

1. ABC planning is based on the fact that it is necessary to do the most significant things first (under the letter A), and then B and C.

Category A cases are the most important. They make up 15% of all cases and bring 65% of the results. B – important matters that make up 20% of all matters and bring 20% ​​of the results. Category C are matters of the least importance, they make up 65% and give a result of 15%.

2. Pareto rule or the “80/20” principle. This principle applies to any daily activity. 80% of the things you do in a day give you 20% of the desired results. And 20% of planned important things bring you 80% closer to the result.

For example: 20% of people own 80% of the capital, 80% of people own 20% of the capital. 20% of clients give a profit of 80%, and 80% of clients give a profit of 20%.

3. Timing- this method is that you need to write down all your actions minute by minute and how much time you spent on them. This will help you understand where and what your time is spent and how to adjust your schedule.

4. Making a list of tasks- This is the simplest planning method that allows you to plan both time and tasks.

How to make a correct to-do list and follow it?

  1. First, watch yourself. How much time do you need to complete different tasks?
  2. Write a to-do list for the evening.
  3. Write down specific points. For example: go to the store. Attach a shopping list to this item.
  4. Plan your entire day, not just work.
  5. Start your day by completing easy tasks. To immediately tick the boxes and cheer up for the whole day with the thought that following the to-do list is not so difficult. For example, doing exercises and preparing breakfast.
  6. The to-do list should always be visible.
  7. Don’t put more than 7 priority things on your list, so you don’t have to worry about not getting something done.

  • Try all planning methods and choose the most suitable one.
  • Keep records.
  • Don't try to do everything. Do the most important and priority things first.
  • Plan your every day. And also make an additional plan for the week.
  • Always carry a pen and notepad with you.
  • Keep a success diary, it will motivate you and remind you that you are on the right path.
  • Learn to say “No.” This will help you avoid communicating with unnecessary people and doing unnecessary things.
  • Before you do anything, consider how urgent it is, how important it is, and how this action will bring you closer to your goal.
  • Analyze your habits, actions that waste your time. By timing it is easy to track those actions that you need to get rid of.
  • Don't do other people's business. Don't be a tool to achieve other people's goals. Focus on your goal.
  • Make time for self-improvement.
  • Don't stop there. Once you achieve one goal, set the next one.

1. Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People considers time management as an element of self-improvement. Here are his tips:

  • Do what you have to do first. Don't put off important things until later.
  • Your goal should be a priority and important. Move towards her.
  • Perform all actions based on priorities.
  • Don't waste a lot of energy on achieving an insignificant goal. The resources spent and the final result must be commensurate.
  • Look for all the ways to make life easier.

2. David Allen advises organizing your workspace properly, acquire all the necessary stationery. Also, keep a file cabinet, create a corresponding folder for each case. Allen also advises writing 4 to-do lists:

  • Make a list of things that need to be done in the near future;
  • Add projects that require an integrated approach to a separate list;
  • Separately make a list of projects that, for one reason or another, cannot yet be completed;
  • "Someday" list.

3.Julia Morgenstern advises first assessing how much time you spend completing your tasks. What factors distract you? You may be distracted by social media, additional responsibilities, unrealistic deadlines, or psychological obstacles.

  • A time frame must be set for each action.
  • If you cannot complete some action, then analyze whether it can be postponed for a while, delegated to other employees, or abandoned altogether.
  • Sort things and things to do, clear the space of everything you can do without. Assign each thing its place, and each task a time.

"Eat a frog for breakfast"

To prevent your thoughts from returning all day to a task that you do not want to do or that is unpleasant to you, start the day with it. This way you will be freed from emotional stress and burden that you would have to carry all day.

"Elephant steak"

If you are faced with a global task that requires many actions to be completed, then divide this work into parts. Don't make a big deal out of a case, cut it into pieces. This will make it easier to start implementing the task. This approach also contributes to a better understanding of this problem.

Learn to say no

Time management teaches you not to have time to do as much as possible, but to have time to do what needs to be done correctly. Say “no” to unnecessary things and people. Don't become a tool for anyone to achieve their goals. Focus on your goals.

Strive for automation and maximum simplification of your activities.

Do similar tasks in a row, as the brain gets used to a certain area of ​​activity. And every time he copes with them faster.

Listen to your biological rhythms. Do work at a time when you feel a special surge of strength and activity. During periods of least activity, give yourself a rest. Listen to your body's needs. Sometimes a 15-minute break is enough to get a “second wind.”

The best books on time management that are worth reading:

  • Effective time management. B. Tracy
  • Time drive. How to have time to live and work. G. Arkhangelsky
  • Tight time management: take control of your life. D. Kennedy
  • Work less, accomplish more. K. Gleason
  • To hell with all of it! Take it and do it. R. Branson
  • Extreme time management. N. Mrochkovsky, A. Tolkachev
  • Practical course on time management. I. Abramovsky
  • How to work 4 hours a week and not be stuck in the office “from bell to bell”, live anywhere and get rich. T. Ferris
  • Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. D. Allen

The effectiveness of time management depends on your compliance with its basic rules, as well as a clear understanding of why you need it, how to manage your time and what benefits you will have.

There are many definitions of time management. Each author who tries to reveal the specified topic brings something new to the definition of the specified concept. However, the semantic load of this concept still remains the same. “Time management” as a process aimed at the conscious and responsible use of one’s time (business, personal, etc.), allowing one to set meaningful goals and achieve them in the shortest amount of time.

Time management can be defined as planning, organizing the distribution and monitoring the use of working time in an organization and the manager’s own time in order to increase the efficiency of individual departments and the organization as a whole.

Due to the fact that the market economy began to develop in Russia not so long ago, and also taking into account the mentality of Russian people in Russia, time management has its own characteristics. Plans have to be constantly revised; the goals facing the manager are not always clear and consistent. The multiplicity of goals, combined with the existence of different groups and interests, often leads to contradictions. The inability to set clear and consistent goals leads to a violation at the very first stage of self-management. Consequently, the planning and decision-making processes become difficult (unexpected tasks arise, it is impossible to clearly set priorities).

In our country, the share of time spent on routine work in the time budget of managers is high. This indicates problems with delegation among Russian managers. Many of them do not delegate routine work, either because subordinates are already overloaded with work, or because they believe that they themselves will do this work better. As a result, the manager does not have enough time for truly important, long-term tasks. Another feature in the use of working time is that in Russian companies friendly relations between colleagues are more common. Many people prefer to start their working day with informal communication with colleagues rather than with the most important tasks; discussion of the terms of the contract can smoothly turn into a friendly conversation. In Russia, the image of a leader has developed as a person who constantly lacks time, and the more time he lacks, the more significant he seems. Some managers enthusiastically claim that they work 12-13 hours a day, thereby expressing dedication to their work. Objectively, this only means that a person cannot set priorities and properly organize his time. Basically, how effectively a manager manages his time depends on his personality, on whether he wants to streamline his activities, consistently introducing the rules and principles of self-management into his work, because this does not require any supernatural efforts either for a Russian leader or for a person from any other country.

“Time management” includes the following elements:

1. Setting goals: the ability to single out what is most important from many, the skill of transforming problems into realistic work tasks with the subordination of secondary goals to the main one, using responsible formulations, creating adequate motivation and setting clear criteria for achieving the goal.

2. Focus on results: “Those who want to achieve, look for opportunities, those who don’t want to, talk about the circumstances.” The focus on results includes reasonable flexibility, which allows you to adapt to changes in the situation, nevertheless maintaining the course for the assigned tasks, everyday intelligence, which allows you to overcome various obstacles and adequately use even small periods of working time for productive activities, and the ability to deal with traditional sinks working hours.

3. Timekeeping methods and techniques - knowledge of the basic techniques for effectively recording one’s own working time: selection of the optimal timing details, a convenient form of recording, the ability to remove a protest against self-control, the optimal frequency of analysis and schemes for analyzing one’s own working time.

4. Methods and techniques of planning - the ability to set priorities, understanding of the Pareto principle and familiarity with B. Franklin’s system of setting life goals, the Alpa method, the Eisenhower matrix and ABC analysis, knowledge of the rules for compiling a to-do list, the use of small and medium time.

5. Self-organization techniques at work - tactics of using external support and negative stimulation, organizing the environment: “reminders”, fines and positive reinforcement, ways to create a positive emotional mood.

6. Working with information - skill in targeted search, ability to work with text, highlighting main points from secondary information, knowledge of the features of Internet search engines, presenting information in a form acceptable to the customer.

7. Organization of the workplace - spatial organization of the workplace, efficient work with papers, ways to conveniently store correspondence, eliminating interference in work.

8. Working with an organizer - knowledge of the features of paper and electronic organizers, choosing the optimal model, rules for keeping records in the organizer, mastering how to work with the organizer.

9. Distribution of time and responsibilities: the ability to say “No”, a sense of the right to give tasks and ask for help, concern for timely rest, careful use of other people’s time and understanding of the appropriateness of delegation, the ability to negotiate with employees and superiors.

10. The ability to organize people and situations: understanding the appropriateness of a formal and “human” approach, the habit of understanding before reacting, the tactics of using requests and demands, the ability to play on interests and integrate one’s own goals into the goals of other people.

11. Effective leadership: the ability to establish contact with employees, the use of an individual approach, the skill of a positive approach, targeted and thoughtful assignments, the ability to set specific and feasible tasks, demanding performance discipline, the use of samples and other methods of background training for employees.

12. Organization of meetings and group work - the skill of setting a clear goal for the meeting and formulating the agenda, knowledge of typical obstacles in the effective organization of meetings and the ability to overcome them, the ability to work with the personal ambitions of participants.

Many researchers who study the problems of organizing working time identify the following reasons for the lack of working time:

1. Constant rush. In a state of constant haste, the manager does not have time to focus on the task he is performing at the moment. He follows the path that first came to mind, instead of thinking about other, perhaps more rational ways to solve a given problem.

2. Lack of a clear distribution of work according to their degree of importance. At the same time, the leader begins to do the easiest and most enjoyable, not so important things. As a result, he does not have enough time to solve key, long-term problems.

3. Constant improvements to the house. The work of a manager relates to a certain extent to intellectual activity, so it is difficult to divide the mental processes associated with this activity into those carried out during working and free time. This leads to the penetration of working time into free time. At the same time, the employee does not have time to rest, which affects his performance and health.

4. A large flow of routine tasks, often urgent, the work on which takes a lot of time.

5. "Thieves of time" - unforeseen and caused by insufficient planning. The biggest time thieves are phone calls, uninvited visitors, and tasks that the manager takes on because he cannot refuse the request.

6. Fussiness. This is the result of poor organization of the day, and sometimes also depends on the impulsiveness and characteristics of the person.

7. Weak work motivation. The consequence is low productivity, which creates a chronic lack of time.

Time use analysis will help identify temporary losses, show the strengths and weaknesses of the practiced working style. Such an analysis is simply necessary if it is not known how time is spent, it is not known how long it takes to complete certain tasks, it is not known what factors stimulate or limit performance. To analyze a problem, you need reliable time tracking. The most effective way to track time is by keeping records. It is most advisable to keep notes while working, because... If you do this in the evening, you might miss something. The level of detail in the records should be such that one can judge the importance and necessity of each type of work. To get the most objective picture, you need to take notes over a period of a week (or longer, if necessary). In the sheet... it is necessary to record not only external interference, but also cases when the initiator of the disruption of the work day was the manager himself. Strengths in the use of working time need to be highlighted and applied in daily work. For weaknesses, you need to develop a strategy to overcome them. First of all, each job needs to be analyzed using the following questions:

Was the work necessary? (if more than 10% of working time was spent not on necessary work, this indicates problems with delegation and prioritization);

Was the time investment justified? (if more than 10% of the working time consisted of tasks for which the time spent was not justified, you need to analyze the reasons why the time spent was too large and try to take them into account in future work);

Was it worthwhile to do the work? (if more than 10% of working time was spent on tasks the implementation of which was impractical, then you need to pay attention to planning, organization, and self-realization);

Was the time frame for completing the work deliberately determined? (if more than 10% of working time was spent on tasks, the time interval for which was determined spontaneously, then there are problems with planning working time).

The more mobile and changeable the external environment, the greater the need for planning as a means of developing a certain line of behavior in this environment. American researchers have established a high positive correlation between planning and success in human life. Indeed, a person who clearly understands what and when he needs to do has obvious advantages over someone who is forced to randomly move from one issue to another, not noticing that the lion's share of time is spent on solving secondary tasks that could be delegated to subordinates .

Planning is carried out in stages, first for a long period of time (several years), then this period is divided into smaller time periods. The shorter the period of time, the more detailed the plan should be. After a plan has been drawn up for the next few years, a yearly plan is drawn up, and then a quarterly plan is drawn up, which serves as a tool for monitoring the annual budget. Based on the indicators of the quarterly plan, a monthly plan and ten-day plans are drawn up, including specific quantitative indicators that need to be achieved for the upcoming period. The last stage in planning work time is the daily plan, which represents the most important stage of planning. It is a list of specific tasks that need to be completed during the day, and also involves breaking things down into groups according to their importance and highlighting tasks that need to be delegated.

Principles and rules for planning your working time:

1. Ratio (60:40).

Experience shows that it is best to draw up a plan only for a certain part of the working time (60%).

Events that are difficult to foresee, distracting moments (“time sinks”) cannot be planned entirely without reserve.

2. Bringing tasks together - an action plan.

To make a good plan for spending time, it is important to always have an idea of ​​​​the upcoming tasks. It is advisable to divide them into long-, medium- and short-term tasks, set their priority and act in accordance with it.

3. Regularity - systematicity - consistency. You need to work on time plans regularly and systematically, consistently bringing to completion the work you have started.

4. Realistic planning. Those. You need to plan only such a volume of tasks that the manager can realistically cope with.

5. Replenishment of lost time. It is better to make up for lost time as soon as possible, for example, it is better to work longer in the evening than to make up for what was lost the day before over the next whole day.

6. Recording results instead of actions.

You need to record results or goals in plans, and not just any actions, so that efforts are initially aimed directly at achieving the goal. This will help avoid unscheduled activities.

7. Establishment of temporary standards.

Experience shows that, as a rule, as much time is spent on work as is available. Therefore, it is necessary to set exact time standards, to provide in the plan exactly as much time for this or that task as it really requires.

8. Deadline.

To avoid procrastination and postponing, you should set precise deadlines for all activities.

9. Reprocessing - rechecking.

The plan must be constantly reworked and rechecked from the point of view of whether certain tasks can be completed in full.

10. Coordination of temporary plans. In order to more successfully implement his plans, the manager needs to coordinate them with the plans of other people (secretary, boss, subordinates, colleagues).

Setting a goal- the most important stage in planning, since a clearly formulated goal serves to concentrate efforts on important areas. Goal setting requires expressing our explicit and hidden needs, interests, desires or goals in the form of clear intentions and in precise formulations, as well as orienting our actions and actions towards these goals and their implementation.

Setting a goal means looking to the future. Orientation and concentration of our forces and activity on what needs to be achieved. Thus, the goal describes the end result. It's not about what a person does, but about why he does it. Goals provide a challenge and motivate a person to take action. Without goals, there is no Evaluation criterion by which effort could be measured. Goals, in addition, are also a scale for assessing what has been achieved. Even the best method of work is worthless if you do not clearly and unambiguously define in advance what a person wants to achieve.

Goals are the “instigators” of actions, the motives that determine human activity. If an individual has set a goal for himself, then as a result a state of tension arises which acts as a driving force and which disappears only when the goal is achieved.

To set goals, you need to think about the future. Traditional thinking within the framework of specific tasks can lead to a person getting lost in details. Thinking in terms of goals promotes the subordination of the particulars to the whole. It becomes clear in which direction to move and what the end result should be.

Goal setting is a permanent process, since goals are not set once and for all. They may change over time, for example if, during implementation monitoring, it turns out that previous representations were essentially incorrect or that requests turned out to be too high or too low.

Setting goals means consciously carrying out one's actions in accordance with a guiding line or guideline. Fundamental to this is the awareness of where a person wants to go and where he does not want to go (i.e., self-determination), so as not to end up where others want to take him. The goals serve to concentrate forces on truly key areas.

Knowing your goals and pursuing them consistently means focusing your energy on what really matters, rather than wasting your energy.

Knowing your goals can mean significant self-motivation for your work. Random successes are good, but rare. Planned successes are better because they are manageable and happen more often.

A prerequisite for planning - and therefore success - is knowing exactly what, when, and on what scale needs to be achieved. Goal setting is an absolute prerequisite for planning, decision-making and daily work.

Many researchers in the field of “time management” identify the following rules for setting goals:

1. Scope of goals.

Management goals are determined by the planning period. If a plan is drawn up for the future, then the most general, strategic goals are set here. They reflect the most important, global results that a person must achieve in order to fulfill the tasks assigned to him.

When drawing up a plan for a period of 3-5 years, goals are formulated more specifically and many of them have very specific quantitative characteristics. These goals may relate to improving the well-being of the person himself, for example, purchasing an apartment, a car, or enrolling a child in a prestigious educational institution.

The most specific goals are those that need to be achieved within a shorter period of time. In this case, completely specific tasks are developed and indicators are established that need to be achieved.

As the planning horizon approaches a specific day, the scope of goals narrows. While setting goals for a given period, a person is simultaneously engaged in time planning, establishing in what time intervals each specific result should be achieved.

2. Clarity, specificity and measurability of goals.

The easiest way to ensure effective achievement of a goal is to present it in a way that makes it quantifiable. Finding and defining personal life goals means giving your life direction. This will create conditions for an objective assessment of the progress of work, as well as those measures taken by a person to achieve this goal. One of the methods for specifying goals is their written registration, which helps to often record more or less bold ideas and desires. Thus, a person learns to constantly pursue his goals and clarify them. In writing, goals are also visually captured and are less likely to be forgotten. If the goals are clearly defined, then they automatically become binding: recorded on paper, they encourage permanent analysis, double-checking and revision.

3. Achievability of goals.

The goals that management sets for the organization and its employees must correspond to the available financial, production and other resources. Otherwise, an organization that raises the bar too high may find itself in a catastrophic situation.

4. Mutually supporting goals.

Goals should not contradict each other, but on the contrary, they should support each other so that the achievement of one goal does not interfere with the achievement of others. This allows you to more effectively control the process of completing assigned tasks; if any problems arise, you can quickly find and eliminate the cause.

In order to achieve success, you need to learn how to choose the right goals. Each person has one main, most important goal, which is divided into many small intermediate goals of a lower level, the achievement of which ensures the achievement of a higher level goal and, ultimately, a higher goal. It is necessary to establish clear, mutually agreed upon goals that can be turned into direct actions so that they can be directly planned. Clearly defined goals recorded on paper automatically become binding and encourage constant analysis, rechecking and revision.

To achieve something and be successful, you need to spend time and money. Certain methods and careful disposition are necessary in order to achieve the goal as well as possible and in an acceptable time:

    What goals do you want to achieve?

    Do they agree with each other?

    Are there a so-called highest goal and certain intermediate goals on the way to the main one?

    Do you know what you yourself can do for this (strengths) and what you still need to work on (weaknesses)?

Finding personal goals can be accomplished through the following four steps.

(1) Developing general ideas about life aspirations.

(2) Differentiation in time of life goals.

(3) Development of guiding ideas in the professional field.

(4) Inventory of goals.

There are rules for organizing the working day, which can be divided into 3 groups:

rules for the start of the day, the main part of the day and the end of the day.

Rules for starting the day.

1. Start the day with a positive mood. Try to find something positive to start every day, because the mindset with which you approach the challenges ahead is essential to achieving success. Ask yourself three questions every morning:

1. How can this day bring me closer to achieving my goals?

2. What should I do to get as much joy out of it as possible?

3. What can I do today to maintain my lifestyle (to support my health)?

Creating a positive attitude usually does not take more than two minutes. Give yourself these two minutes before starting your “standard morning routine.”

2. Have a good breakfast and go to work without rushing. Without sleep, without breakfast, going to work as quickly as possible - such a start can simply ruin the day! Don’t say that you don’t have time for a leisurely breakfast, because this is a matter of setting priorities (in order to get enough sleep and have time to have a hearty breakfast, you just need to go to bed earlier).

3. Start work at the same time. This is an element of self-discipline that promotes the mobilization of strength.

4. Double-check your daily plans. Use the ABC analysis method or the Eisenhower principle. It has been established that ten minutes of preparation for the working day can save up to two hours of working time. So win these two hours! In addition, when drawing up a plan for your working day, consider the following rule: you need to plan no more than 60% of your time, and 40% is a reserve fund for unexpected and urgent matters.

5. Get down to business without hesitation. You should categorically refuse such “morning ritual” as repeated greetings, lengthy discussions of the latest news, etc. (Think about time wasters). Social contacts, of course, are needed, and you are not a robot. However, they can be rescheduled for less stressful times, such as lunch and afternoon.

6. First, the key tasks. You should start your working day with tasks from group A; all other tasks can wait. Don't look at your correspondence first - incoming business mail rarely deals with matters that have the highest priority and must be completed immediately.

7. Coordinate the daily plan with the secretary. A secretary, if you have one, is your most important partner when it comes to creating optimal operating conditions. You should devote the first time of your working day to it, even if it’s a couple of minutes. The secretary should be aware of your affairs. Agree with him on all deadlines, priorities and plans for the day. A good secretary doubles the efficiency of his boss, and a bad one reduces it by half.

Mid-day planning rules.

1. Prepare your desk for work. Remove from the table all papers that are unnecessary for solving group A problems. There should be no more than six documents on the desktop at the same time. This is psychologically justified: firstly, extra papers consume time, and secondly, order on the table stimulates order in thoughts.

2. Set deadlines. Sometimes tasks are entrusted to you, because you are also someone’s subordinate. So, the deadlines set for solving a problem are very often accepted unconditionally, even if they do not fit well into your plans. But we must try to adapt them to our interests and “bargain for time.” In short, ask for twice the amount of time needed to complete a given task; this is often easier than you think. As for assigning tasks to subordinates, I advise you to give them about a third less time than you think is necessary to solve the problem. If this is enough, you will save time, if not, you will still not lose.

3. Avoid actions that cause a backlash. Many leaders tend to engage in more and more new activities, problems and ideas, and thereby cause a corresponding reaction to their actions, and this can have an impact on the time schedule. For example, very often, having participated once (out of pure interest) in a meeting, a manager receives additional responsibilities not included in his plan. He may be entrusted with something, included in a working group, etc. Therefore, it is best to double-check all actions (letters, telephone conversations, coordination of deadlines, etc.) from the point of view of their necessity and the danger of a response.

4. Dismiss additional pressing problems that arise. At every enterprise, in every department, various kinds of urgent circumstances or unforeseen situations arise. It should be remembered that distraction by so-called urgent circumstances leads to temporary forgetting of planned important matters. Whether it is worth doing this - decide in each specific case, depending on the circumstances.

Time management, basic, especially relevant rules.

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It’s no secret that we live in a world where events, days, years replace each other with great speed and often give up because you feel like you’re spinning like a squirrel in a wheel and never get anything done.

How often do you wish there were at least 30 hours in a day. And how often a lack of time leads to growing dissatisfaction with life, with oneself, and this is a direct path to depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and illness.

Is there a way out of this situation? Let's figure it out.

Time management - those who don't have time are late. How to get everything done in a day

In the modern world, time is the main wealth and resource, the correct use of which leads to success. And for an information businessman, time is money, and if you catch yourself thinking that you are sitting at the computer for 2-3 hours, but in fact have done nothing to benefit your Internet business, then this can be equated to losing money.

If such thoughts occur every day, it means that every day you are losing money. And this situation needs to be changed. Time is a limited resource, if you lose it today, you will not be able to make it up tomorrow.

And in general, each of us is given a certain amount of time, and we cannot increase this limit for any amount of money. So let's learn to use our time productively.
How many things have not been done, and how many still remain to be done. Joke.

And so that the joke does not become an everyday ballast that pulls you back, we begin to study ways to manage everything in a day, how to put things in order in our heads and accustom our bodies to a consistent series of actions.

Time management - time management

There is a special teaching - time management, which teaches techniques for properly managing your time. There are a large number of trainings and seminars on time management.

There are separate areas of Time management: time management for women, time management for children, time management for managers and even extreme time management.

If you think that the problem of lack of time and the ability to manage it is only a problem of our time, it is not so. So, back in the 20s of the 20th century, entire institutes were created that studied the scientific organization of labor and the efficient use of time.

A central labor institute was created, the director of which was A.K. Gastev. The method of biologist A.A. was known. Lyubishchev - timing, which consists of analyzing the amount of time a person spends on a particular action and developing the most effective management of his time.

Department of Time management

There is also a department of time management, which was opened today in 2007 on the basis of the Synergy Financial and Industrial University.

In modern days, effective time management is an important area and necessary knowledge, without which a successful business cannot be built, which is very important, including for beginning information businessmen.

After all, the task of an information businessman, and indeed of any person conducting his business via the Internet, is freedom, that is, the opportunity to spend more time doing what he loves, being with his family, traveling, and here one cannot do without having time management skills.

I want to warn you right away, do not hope that after reading a bunch of popular books on time management, you will immediately be able to organize your life the way you want.

Yes, gradually it will happen, but first you will have to work hard. To do this, you need to acquire a skill - the skill of regular actions that will save a lot of time and allow you to perform more useful actions, distinguish the important from the secondary and choose priorities.

Time management, or how to manage everything at work in a day. Time management for managers, women, children

His motto is to have time to live and work. When organizing time, Gleb Arkhangelsky pays great attention to organizing recreation. And both breaks during the working day, and vacation and even sleep. Believing that proper rest increases productivity.

The famous information businessman has a book “Extreme Time Management”, which is easy to download on the Internet. I recommend to read.

In electronic form, the book by Nikolai Mrochkovsky and Alexey Tolkachev “Extreme Time Management” can be downloaded by clicking on the link and clicking the social network button below

The essence of the book by Nikolai Mrochkovsky is that in a light, unobtrusive form it is described as in a week the loser Gleb, who does not manage to do anything in life, under the guidance of his successful neighbor Max, changes his life.

Moreover, in all areas, at work, with relatives, with girls, following Max’s recommendations, Gleb changes and becomes more successful.

The book is easy to read as it is written in an artistic style.
For myself personally, after studying the works of various authors on time management, I formulated the following rules, which I try to adhere to.

Time management rules

  • First Rule of Time Management

Decide what you want and why you need it. Set goals. It should be noted that the goals must be real, even if you have several of them, one will flow into another, but you must know exactly how to achieve these goals.

  • Second Rule of Time Management

Are planning. I do this on a marker board, which is in front of my eyes while working. I write what needs to be done the next day before going to bed. The marker board is divided into two columns.

On the left is a column with hard tasks, on the right is a column with soft tasks, that is, secondary ones.

In the hard tasks we include a mandatory task for the next day, which cannot be done, unless, of course, force majeure occurs (the wife gives birth, the neighbors are flooded, a meteorite falls on the house, the car is stolen).

By the way, the football game of your favorite team does not change your plans. You need to do the task and that's it. There can be no other way.

Or add football to your list too. The point is clear planning and developing execution skills.

A strict task in terms of execution time should not take more than half a day. In this regard, it is necessary to more realistically assess the volume of work.

It comes with experience and cannot be called difficult. If solving a problem requires several actions, then it is better to divide it into stages. Why is it better to write on a marker board?

It’s convenient when you always have a priority task hanging before your eyes. When the job is done, you wash it, feeling satisfied.

Celebrating small achievements

And the greatest thrill is when in the evening you have a completely clean board in front of you, on which there is space to write things to do for the next day. That is, motivation trainers even have a mandatory condition for success training - celebrating small achievements.

Thus, by celebrating small things, solving small problems, we eat pieces of the big elephant - our global goals that we strive for.

Previously, I wrote about an information businessman who has a useful motivational video where he tells how to eat a big elephant. Watch this video, it's impressive.

Planning should be done on time, because what’s the point if you do everything you plan, but at the same time deprive yourself of sleep and health activities.

Therefore, plans must be realistic and feasible within the allotted working time. Yes, this is possible, because, having a clear plan of action, you will not be distracted by things that are not planned, which means you will manage to do everything.

After all, if you analyze how much time is spent communicating on social networks, ICQ, smoking breaks, breaks, distractions on other matters, then it becomes obvious why you don’t have time to do anything.

Check your email and social media pages once in the morning and don’t engage in empty correspondence. Anyone who does not plan will always be behind schedule, distracted by unimportant tasks, and will be a failure, blaming others, although the point is the inability to organize their work.

The second rule of time management turned out to be as detailed as this. Let's move on to the third rule, a very important rule of successful people - the rule of setting priorities.

  • Third Rule of Time Management

We distribute all tasks according to their importance. At the top we have the most important things, and then the secondary ones. We do the most important things in the morning.

Not a task that is easy to do or quick to complete, but the most important thing for today. It is very important.

There is even a rule from a famous business consultant (about whose success story you can read an article on the blog) called “eat the frog.”

To put it simply, if you did the most difficult task at the beginning of the day (ate a frog), then it will be much easier later, because the most unpleasant thing has already happened to you.

This is how David Eisenhower’s matrix or square also works here. The idea is that all matters are divided into four groups: important and urgent, important and non-urgent, unimportant and urgent, unimportant and non-urgent.

In addition, it happens that some unimportant or non-urgent things, as they say, dissolve, that is, lose their relevance, for a number of reasons beyond your control, and you simply don’t need to do them anymore.

Here it should also be mentioned that you need to determine for yourself a list of those things that will not bring you closer to your goal at all, but will take up your time.

It’s better to make a list of such things and gradually, while analyzing your day, add more and more new things to it that you can say no to.

The Third Rule of Time Management also didn’t work out well for us, as it is very important and requires reflection. Let's move on to the Fourth Rule of Time Management.

  • Fourth Rule of Time Management

Order and success in business means order in your workplace. Yes, yes, the connection is direct. Think about how much time you spend searching for the paper you need or the file you need on your computer.

Organize your workplace so that you enjoy being there.

I display all program shortcuts in the top horizontal line, and put the recycle bin shortcut at the bottom right. I have nothing except this plus the weather and time widget.

You say that you have a lot of programs and the icons barely fit on five lines. This means that you should have two or three folders: a folder with browsers, important programs, and a folder with rarely used programs.

Most shortcuts can be placed in these folders and, as needed, you can open them by opening the folder.

Look at the screenshot of how it looks on my computer. The screenshot is clickable and can be enlarged.

This way, you will get rid of the clutter on your desktop and the clutter in your head. Without order, be sure that there will definitely be a mess in your head.

Once upon a time, my desktop was completely different. Thanks to the “Antikasha in the Head” training, which helped me understand the importance of order.

Not only do I have good reviews about the “Antikasha in the head” training, my partners also speak positively about the benefits for themselves after completing the training.

And we move on to the Fifth Rule of Time Management.

  • Fifth Rule of Time Management

Don't forget to use your travel time, for example, driving or waiting for something.

You can listen to audiobooks while driving or on public transport. For example, Nikolai Mrochkovsky “Extreme Time Management”, or Gleb Arkhangelsky “Time Drive. How to have time to live and work.”

And put the advice into practice in the workplace.

  • Sixth Rule of Time Management

If someone can complete your task at a lower cost than you yourself, delegate this task to him. In the time management system, this is called the delegation method.

For example, when blogging, you can give some articles to copywriters to write. Read the article about, where there are links to content exchanges. There you can order an article.

  • Seventh Rule of Time Management

We use a scientific approach in building our business, namely the Pareto law. It lies in the fact that 20% of efforts lead to 80% of results, and the remaining 80% of efforts lead to 20% of results.

Thus, we concentrate on the first 20% of efforts. For example, we single out those clients or those cases that bring 80% of the profit and concentrate on their implementation.

If you are engaged, then do what brings you money. In the remaining time, you can engage in blogging, SEO optimization, promotion and blog promotion.

  • Eighth Rule of Time Management

Love yourself, give yourself bonuses for completed tasks. Moreover, let these rewards not be at the end of a big business, but in the middle or even at the beginning, in advance.

The best books on time management

I present a selection of useful books on time management.

  • David Allen: Getting Things Done. The Art of Stress-Free Productivity"
  • Gleb Arkhangelsky “Time Drive”
  • Brian Tracy "Leave the disgust, eat the frog"
  • Tracy "Effective Time Management"

  • "Manage your Time"
  • Matthew Edlung Time is money. How to subjugate time and make it work for you: in business, in creativity, in your personal life"
  • Julia Morgenstern “Time Management. The art of planning and managing your time and your life"
  • Steve Prentice "Integrated Time Management"
  • Don Aslett, Carol Cartaino “How to manage life and work”
  • Lothar Seiwert “Your time is in your hands”
  • "Tight time management"

  • Timati Ferris “How to work 4 hours a week and not be stuck in the office from bell to bell, live anywhere and get rich”
  • Alan Lakein "The Art of Keeping Up"
  • Regina Leeds “Complete order. A weekly plan for dealing with chaos at work, at home and in your head"
  • Carrie Gleason “Work less, accomplish more. Personal effectiveness program"

Many of our contemporaries strive for hyper-productivity.

Surely, you know people who rush from task to task, constantly checking email, organizing something, calling somewhere, running errands, etc.

People who do this often share the belief that “being constantly busy” means you are working hard and becoming more successful.

This belief can only be true to a certain extent, and it often leads to mindless “productivity”, that is, a constant need to do something and a tendency to waste time on small tasks. But it's better to take a different approach.

We need to work smarter, not harder.

The old adage says you have to work smarter, not harder. This statement should be taken as a basis when approaching work of any kind.

Instead of a robotic approach to solving problems, you need to ask yourself what can be done more rationally or completely excluded from the list of planned tasks.

By managing your time effectively, you don't wonder how you can accomplish more tasks in a day, but try to simplify and speed up the process to avoid overexertion.

It's about making room in your life for relaxation and quality time.

There are indeed enough hours in the day to do everything you want, but you need to find that time.

We hope this list of 21 tips will push you in the right direction.

Remember that there are countless tips and tricks to effectively manage your time. We find these tips helpful, although you may have your own opinion on the matter.

Let this list serve as a catalyst for you to regularly think about how to improve your own productivity.

1. Focus on the main things.

Do the most important tasks first. This is the golden rule of time management. Every day, identify two or three tasks that are a priority and complete them first.

Once you complete them, the day can already be considered successful. Move on to other things or put off the rest until the next day, because you have already completed the most important things.

2. Learn to say no.

Taking on many tasks in a limited amount of time can teach you how to juggle different projects and manage your time. And that's excellent.

3. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.

Some people think that sacrificing sleep is a good way to increase productivity and free up a few extra hours in the day. But this is not the case.

Most of us need 7-8 hours of sleep for both our body and mind to function optimally. You will feel it, listen to your body. Don't underestimate the importance of sleep.

4. Concentrate completely on the task at hand.

Close all other browser windows. Place your phone on silent mode out of sight. Find yourself a quiet, secluded place to work, or turn on music if it helps you (for example, I sometimes like to listen to classical music or sounds of nature).

Concentrate on one single task, immerse yourself in it. Nothing else should exist at this moment.

5. Start early.

Almost all of us suffer from procrastination syndrome. It seems that the task is so simple that you always have time to complete it and end up procrastinating.

Get rid of chronic procrastination, as it is much more pleasant to avoid overexertion by completing planned tasks in advance. It is not that difficult, just your strong determination is enough.

6. Don't get distracted by minor details.

We often procrastinate on projects by obsessing over small details for too long. This is typical for perfectionists.

But it is much more effective to move forward, complete a larger scope of the project, discarding the previous desire to constantly delve into something. It’s better to complete everything as quickly as possible, and review individual points upon completion.

7. Make regular tasks a habit.

If you have regular responsibilities (like writing articles for your own blog, etc.) you can schedule them and make them a habit. Do this daily and do not change the routine, then your brain will be disciplined and the activity will turn into a habit. It becomes completely natural and pleasant. Try it!

8. Control the amount of time spent on TV / Internet / games.

Time spent on social networks, playing games or watching TV can and should be monitored. Try to determine for yourself the number of hours spent on the listed activities. They tend to distract you far more than you'd like.

9. Set a time limit for each task.

Instead of just sitting on a project thinking: “I’ll sit here until I finish everything”, try rephrasing: “I will work on this task for three hours”.

The time constraint will push you to be more focused and more efficient, even if you come back and rework a little later.

10. Leave time gap between tasks.

When we rush from task to task, we find it difficult to evaluate our actions and stay focused and motivated.

Taking a break between tasks can be a breath of fresh air for our brains. You can go for a short walk, meditate, or do something else for mental relief.

11. Don't think about the totality of your to-do list.

One of the surest ways to overwhelm yourself is to think about the enormity of your to-do list. No matter how much you think about it, it will not become shorter.

At a specific moment in time, you need to focus on one thing. This is one and only task. Do everything step by step. Keep calm.

12. Exercise and nutrition.

Numerous studies link work productivity to a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet will boost your energy levels, clear your mind, and make it easier for you to concentrate.

13. Do less.

« Do less" is another way of saying " do what matters most" This tactic again involves focusing on the things that matter most.

Stop, prioritize your tasks, and pay attention to them. Do fewer things, but they should be a priority and have more value than the rest.

14. Take advantage of your days off, but don't overdo it.

If you think about it, you might be surprised at how much you can reduce your workload during the week by doing a little work on the weekends. Just 2-4 hours a day. Your leisure time will hardly suffer.

15. Systematize the process.

Being organized will save you a lot of time, and you don't have to be the most organized person in the world to do it. Systematizing your work is not at all difficult.

Create a system for document registration. Make sure all items are saved appropriately. Unsubscribe from unnecessary mailings and unload your email. Optimize, streamline and rationalize.

16. Fill your free time.

As a rule, everyone has unfilled time. These are hours spent in waiting rooms, in store lines, on public transport, on elliptical trainers, etc.
Find things you can do while doing this. Reading will usually do, and don't forget about audiobooks to listen to while you wait.

17. Isolate yourself.

No distractions, no excuses. Sometimes the only way to get anything done is to lock yourself in your room. Isolation helps a lot of people.

18. Stick to your action plan.

We mentioned this in part, but it wouldn’t hurt to repeat it. Don't deviate from your plan!

Stick to your plans, be professional, and follow through. Strong will and steadfastness will lead you to your intended goal.

19. Complete related tasks together.

Let's say that over the weekend you need to complete two programming assignments, write three essays, and make two videos. Instead of taking on tasks spontaneously, identify groups of similar tasks and complete them sequentially.

Different tasks require different types of thinking, so it makes sense to let your brain continue to perform typical tasks rather than switching to something else.

20. Find time for silence.

In today's world, too many people are constantly on the move and don't take the time to simply stop. However, the practice of silence has amazing effects. Both action and inaction must play a key role in our lives.

Hello! Today we’ll talk about time management or effective time management and answer the question of how to manage everything!

A person is part of society. Each of us has certain responsibilities to ourselves, colleagues and family. Sometimes it seems that life is a kaleidoscope of identical days, with a large number of tasks for which there is always not enough time. If you associate yourself with a squirrel in a wheel, then you will be interested to know that time can be effectively managed.

What is time management or time management

Look at rich and successful people. They own a big business, manage a lot of people and find time for relaxation and family. “How do successful people manage everything?” you ask. Yes, all because they know and master the basics of time management.

Time management is the ability to rationally distribute your time resources. Translated from English it means “time management”. Of course, people are not magicians and do not know how to turn back time or stop it. But we can learn to properly distribute every minute in order to manage to complete all assigned tasks.
The motto of successful time managers can be considered the expression “Achieve more by working less.”

Who can benefit from time management?

People have different needs and different responsibilities. Don’t think that the problem of lack of free time is a problem only for managers and wealthy people. In fact, learning to do the maximum number of things in a certain period of time begins in childhood.

Let's remember at least the child's daily routine. Surely many people have a poster “Lesson schedule and daily routine” hanging at home. Thanks to him, children follow a daily routine and are disciplined.

If you are asking questions: “How to work and manage to do everything around the house as a woman with a child,” “How to learn to do everything faster and not get tired,” then these questions are relevant for you, especially if you are a young mother. Some representatives of the fair sex manage to look after three children, take care of themselves and their husbands, and some cannot cope with even one child.

Therefore, you should not think that time management is a useless science that is unlikely to be useful to you in life. In fact, if you learn to control your time, you will find happiness and harmony in all areas of your life.

History of time management

Since ancient times, people have tried to distribute their labor resources as efficiently as possible, therefore, back in Ancient Rome, the philosopher Seneca began to distribute the time spent between that which he spent usefully and that which was useless. If a famous thinker did something useful, then such time was considered good, useless - bad.

Later, Seneca began to record what he did and when. After this, he analyzed the time spent and assessed its effectiveness. We can say that he was building a system of effective time management.
In the 15th century, the famous Italian scientist Alberti argued that people who know how to manage their time profitably will always be successful.

Already in the 19th century, a labor institute was created, where many famous personalities worked. For example, biologist Lyubyashchev A.A. invented the timekeeping method. It is now successfully used in a large number of enterprises, analyzing the working time of each specialist.

Timing allows you to analyze how much time a person needs to complete a certain task.

Basic components of time management

Before you begin to study the basic rules of time management, you need to know what parts it consists of. That is, what you will need to do, and thanks to which you will learn to manage your time:

  • Strict accounting of all time;
  • Optimization of working time resources;
  • Daily planning of your day;
  • Constant motivation.

You need to manage your time not only during working hours, but also during rest periods. This will help you better restore your strength, and will also give you the opportunity to feel happy, self-sufficient and successful.

Not every citizen of our country has even heard that you can skillfully manage your time. Accordingly, many people are not even aware of the existence of time management techniques. But if a person nevertheless becomes interested and superficially familiarizes himself with the minimum information about this art, then he immediately becomes hostage to many fears.
Let's look at the most popular fears related to time management.

  1. No one can control time, so life has and will continue to take its course. This is a false statement, because you yourself are the masters of your destiny. It depends only on you how quickly the work will be completed and how much time will be left for relaxation and communication with friends. By mastering useful time-saving habits, you will manage not your time, but your life;
  2. Thanks to time management, you will have to work more. Some people are really afraid that if they have free time, they will have to do more unplanned work. In fact, time management allows you to optimize all processes, and you are unlikely to have time to do unplanned work;
  3. By adhering to the rules of time management, you can turn into a robot. Many people think that if they completely plan their life, they can lose all human joys. In fact, time management does not take up time, but rather helps you find an extra hour or two that you can spend on yourself.

Principles of time management or how to manage everything

The art of managing your time- This is a rather complex science, the study of which can take more than one year. But we tried to highlight the basic principles of time management that will help to properly organize each person’s day.

Plan your every day

Every day before you go to bed, try to take a few minutes to write down a plan for the next day. This can be done on a piece of paper or on a display board. Write down every minute of your time, not forgetting about rest and force majeure circumstances. Don’t forget to devote enough time to these particular points, because no one is immune from unforeseen difficulties.

Always carry your plan with you (if it is written in a notebook or diary), look at it periodically and check whether you are within the allotted time. Cross out or erase completed items. This way you will feel self-satisfied with the work done.

Set a goal

Every person has a dream that turns into a specific goal. People who set themselves certain goals and know what they are working for find it easier to achieve what they want.

For example, if you are an ordinary average office worker, but your goal is to be a leader, then you need to get the appropriate education, prove yourself well before your superiors, and do your job well. In this case, you have a great chance of moving up the career ladder. Perhaps in the future you. And ideally, you will introduce a corporate time management standard in your organization. The main thing is to really want it and not sit idly by.

It is important to learn how to set goals correctly. First, think about what exactly you want. Your goal should be specific, achievable, relevant, measurable and time-bound. There is no need to dream that living in the outback and working in a small factory, you will be able to become president in a couple of years. Set realistic goals for yourself and go towards your cherished dream.

Learn to fix your action plan

You already know about the importance of making plans, now let’s look together at how to properly plan your affairs.

The Gantt Chart will help us with this. This is, at first glance, a difficult method that not everyone can handle. But it's actually quite simple. Let's look at how this method works using an example.

You need to build a house. You prescribe all stages of construction (design, laying the foundation, ground, finishing work, etc.) After which you enter the data into a table and indicate the timing and order of their implementation. Some small processes, the implementation of which does not affect the quality of work, can be combined, thereby reducing the time for their implementation.

Drawing up such a diagram allows you to clearly explain the scale of the work being performed, thanks to which workers get involved in the process faster.

Set your priorities

To achieve a goal, each person has to perform a number of tasks of varying severity. Therefore, you need to learn to prioritize and highlight the most important processes.

In order to properly plan your day, you can use a simple principle. It's called the ABCD method.
Its essence is as follows. You make a plan for the day, starting with the most important things. That is, by “A” we mean the execution of the most important process, by “B” - less important, “C” - not very important, etc.

The most difficult and important tasks should be scheduled for the next morning, or your most productive period. The fact is that if you don’t complete the most difficult task right away and constantly put it off until later, then the feeling of unfulfilled duty will weigh on you emotionally. A well-known expert in the field of active time management, B. Tracy, advises approaching such issues strictly and unambiguously. He is the author of the “Have Frog Breakfast” time management method, which is successfully used by a huge number of people.

Its essence is as follows. You perform the most difficult and time-consuming tasks (“frogs”) first. This is necessary so that you have time to do all the planned things, and your emotional background remains normal throughout the day.

A logical continuation of the frog method is the Pareto principle or law. It says that 20% of all our efforts produce 80% results, and the remaining 80% of efforts produce only 20% results.

That is why the main task of everyone is to identify the most effective 20% and concentrate on their implementation.
There is another method that helps you prioritize everything. It's called the Eisenhower Matrix. The famous successful politician was famous for his practicality. He divides all his affairs into 4 categories:

  • Urgent and important. These things need to be done first. Because of their importance, they should not be entrusted to others. If you delay in completing such tasks, this may be fraught with negative consequences in the future;
  • Important but not urgent. Pay attention to this point. It is from this category of tasks that you can perform planning. But you should not put off their implementation for a long time, because these matters can become urgent and important;
  • Urgent but not very important. Such things generally take a lot of time, so they can be delegated, that is, entrusted to someone;
  • Unimportant and not urgent. It’s better to cross them off the list altogether so as not to waste your time.
    Try using these methods, and within a few days you will understand how effective they are.

Focus on the main thing and learn to delegate

Every person has a huge number of things to do during the day. Some of them may take you a few minutes, while others may take several hours. Try to take on all difficult and important tasks yourself, and entrust less important ones to other people.

For example, if no one in the family except mom knows how to cook borscht, and in addition to dinner, you also need to wipe off the dust and put away toys, then it would be rational to entrust the cleaning to the children or dad while mom prepares dinner. In this situation, everyone is fed, and the apartment is cleaned.

Or another example, if you earn several thousand rubles a day every day and your faucet is leaking, then it is easier to entrust the repair work to a plumber and pay him a couple of hundred, while you will earn several times more during this time.
Master the principles of delegation, i.e. do not be afraid to shift some of your responsibilities to others.

Analyze the period you have lived and create your own personal time management rules

Periodically look back and try to analyze the period you have lived through. Pay attention to how rationally you spent your time, how quickly you achieved your goal, what difficulties you encountered along the way, etc.
Analyze your life regularly and note how fast it is moving and whether you are completely satisfied with your actions.
Based on the basic principles of time management, create your own rules that help you optimize your time resources and feel like a happy and successful person.

Don't forget to rest

Plan your vacation as one of your main tasks. The quality and speed of the work performed depends on how well you have restored your strength. Don't neglect sleep. An adult should sleep at least 8 hours a day. Otherwise, you are guaranteed depression and loss of strength, and these are the main enemies of productive work.

Don't forget to communicate with friends and loved ones. Don't give up on your hobbies and interests. Having a pleasant time helps a person relax and makes his life brighter.

Plan your next day

When you go to bed, outline the tasks that you would like to accomplish tomorrow. It is better to write down all the points so as not to miss anything, because a person is not a robot and he tends to forget some little things.

It is better to do planning in the evening. That is, in the evening of today you are thinking about the next one. This allows you to significantly optimize your time resources; in other words, you manage your time wisely.

Last day

Try to live every day as if it were your last. Don't put off doing important things. Things for which there is constantly not enough time sometimes remain in plans, i.e., unrealized. Therefore, give your best every day if possible. Thanks to this, you will not have a lot of routine and uninteresting work to accumulate.

Filter information

When studying certain information on the Internet or printed publications, try to highlight the main aspects of the article and “skim” over them. Very often, the information provided is filled with various advertisements, or excesses of the authors’ arguments, i.e., “water”. Learn to read “through the line”, this will significantly save your time.

Time Eaters

Modern people spend a lot of time viewing absolutely unnecessary information on social media. networks and other Internet resources, as well as useless conversations on the phone.

But time is a resource that cannot be replenished. In order to understand how expensive it is for you, calculate approximately how much you earn per hour. Now think about how much time and money you are wasting in vain. Even if you don’t translate all this into a monetary equivalent, think that instead of empty chatter on the phone, you could read a book to your child or play with him. And this is much more useful and will bring more satisfaction.

Of course, isolating yourself from everyone and stopping communicating with friends is also not an option. But try to minimize communication with truly unnecessary people. Learn to say “No” to them.

Analyze your habits and identify your “time wasters”. Gradually get rid of them, learn.

Concentrating on doing one thing at a time

Try not to take on several tasks at the same time. This way you will scatter your strength, and your attention will be scattered. You'll take longer to complete each process. Take one task and complete it completely, then move on to the next.

History knows some people who could do several things at once (for example, Julius Caesar), but they are just the exception to the rule.

But there are processes that can and should be combined. For example, riding public transport takes a lot of time for most people. Why not educate yourself at this time? After all, you can listen to an audiobook, or read an interesting magazine.

Experts advise not to grab everything. It is better to slowly and confidently move towards your goal, completing each task efficiently.

Study your biological clock

The rhythm of life is individual for each person. For some, the peak of activity occurs in the morning, while others sleep until lunch and begin to work in the evening. Only you yourself know when you have the best energy and highest performance. It is during this period that you try to complete the maximum amount of pre-planned work. Do it at one time.

Tidy up your workspace

All successful people have perfect order in their workplace. This applies to both a regular table and a PC desktop. Have you ever noticed how much time you spend searching for a document? Scientists have calculated that people who have a messy workplace spend 30% of their time searching for the necessary document, tool, etc.
Clean up, recycle unnecessary papers, get rid of trash. Thanks to this, you will feel comfortable and your performance will increase.

Separate workplace

If you work at home and think that your entire home is a workplace, then you are deeply mistaken. While you're working, you may be distracted by a lot of little things. Try to arrange your own corner where all your things necessary for the work process will be stored.

For example, if you sew clothes at home, then you should not scatter sewing supplies throughout the apartment. Finding the necessary item will take a lot of time. By arranging your workplace, you will save yourself from additional cleaning and constant searching.

Books about time management or time management

If you have seriously decided to change your life and want to learn more about time management, then you will find it useful to read the following books. They are the works of well-known specialists in this field and are very popular:

  1. “Master of Time”, author Evgeny Popov.
  2. “Extreme Time Management”, authors Nikolai Mrochkovsky and Alexey Tolkachev.
  3. "Getting Things Done or the Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen.
  4. “Time Drive”, author Gleb Arkhangelsky.
  5. “Effective Time Management”, “Leave the Disgust, Eat the Frog”, “Manage Your Time”, by Brian Tracy.
  6. Time is Money by Matthew Edlung.
  7. "Time management. The art of planning and managing your time and your life,” by Julia Morgenstern.
  8. Integrated Time Management by Steve Prentice.
  9. How to Manage Life and Work by Don Aslett and Carol Cartaino.
  10. “Your time is in your hands”, author, Lothar Seiwert.
  11. Tight Time Management by Dan Kennedy.
  12. "The Art of Getting It Done" by Alan Lacain.
  13. "Full order. A weekly plan to combat chaos at work, home and in your head, by Regina Leeds.
  14. “Work less, accomplish more. Personal Effectiveness Program by Carrie Gleason.

Conclusion

If you think that you won’t be able to organize your day using time management tips, then you are deeply mistaken. Of course, any undertaking requires discipline and self-control, but you will quickly get involved in this process and begin to enjoy it.

The main thing is not to quit what you started. Try to hold out for 30 - 40 days, after which planning your day will turn into a good habit that you simply cannot live without.

Learn to manage your time correctly. Then you will have time not only to work, but also to relax, communicate with loved ones and have fun with friends.