Time Management Cure
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The first hack is perhaps the hardest one to achieve: just say “no”. Often, we tend to get caught up with requests for our attention from various sources. Each request for attention comes with a price tag, that is, our time and energy. There are times when it’s hard to say “no”, but you must learn to do so. Since your time and energy are finite resources, you can’t just give them away for nothing. Now, this isn’t to say that you must always get something in return. What this is saying is that if a request for your attention is going to be a waste of your time and energy, then you need to politely decline. The last thing you want to be is a people-pleaser. You will never be able to please everyone.
The second hack is to leave a buffer time in between tasks. This is especially important if you are moving from one tough task to another. Think about the types of tasks which take you hours to complete. After a grueling session, you need a break. Taking breaks helps you to clear your mind and refocus on the next task at hand. This buffer time can be short; 10 or 15 minutes might be enough to help you reboot your brain and get back into the fray. After all, why do you think sports games have breaks? They do it so that players can recharge and refocus. You ought to do the same whenever possible.
The third task is to simply do less. What this means is that you need to focus on what really counts based on the contribution individual tasks make to your overall goals. So, if a task is only a waste of your time and energy, then you need to give it the heave-ho immediately. This will help you make more efficient use of the 80/20 rule. So, don’t be shy to deep-six a task. The sooner you clean up your to-do list, the sooner you will get on the tasks which truly matter to you.
The fourth task is to make better use of “dead time”. Dead time is the time which is spent on meaningless tasks. For example, standing in line, or sitting in traffic, are classic cases of dead time. During these times, there really isn’t much else you can do, or is there? Let’s assume you are sitting in traffic. You can listen to podcasts which can provide you with information that will help you learn something new or hone your skills. What about standing in line somewhere? You can use any number of apps on your phone to help you practice a skill, read something new or just stay up to date on the latest information. Whatever you choose to do during these periods, make sure you fill them in with something productive. That will allow you to pick up something new.
The fifth hack is batch tasks together. This is very useful especially if you have a number of related tasks. By doing them all together, it helps you get into a groove. Once you get into this groove, you can do them more efficiently since you are already in the right frame of mind. On the other hand, if you are jumping from one unrelated task to the next, you will be forcing your brain to switch channels needlessly. This makes for inefficient use of your brain power. If you cannot batch tasks together, then you could make more efficient use of your brain power by working on smaller tasks which won’t require quite as much brain power. This will make the transition from one topic to the next a lot easier.
The hacks which we have outlined in this chapter are quick and easy to implement. They will help you get a jump on things. Most importantly, they aim to make efficient use of your brain power and energy. Given that these are finite resources, you need to make the best possible use of them. That is why these hacks will get you moving today.
Action plan for this chapter
Things to keep in mind:
Time and energy are finite resources
Learn to say “no” to tasks which will only drain your resources
Batching related tasks together will save you considerable brain power
Things to try out:
Leave a small amount of time as a buffer between tasks; even 10 minutes can go a long way toward helping you regroup and refocus your attention
Stay away from people and events which are a drain on your time and attention
Identify which tasks depend on each other or are inter-related; this will help you take advantage of the momentum you build
Conclusion
Thank you for making it through to the end of Time Management: The Ultimate Guide to Stop Procrastination, Increase Productivity, and Get Things Done. I hope this book was as informative and enjoyable as possible.
Your next step here is to apply these principles to your everyday life and then to continue on with your education on this subject. There is always room for improvement when it comes to time management, so you should always be striving to get better with it. Thank you again for downloading this e-book. Hopefully, the concepts laid out here take you as far as you want to go.