How to Avoid Common Time Management Mistakes

culled from:wikihow.com

Steps

1

Don't fail to plan. When you fail to plan, you have planned to fail. Planning is a process that does not end until you achieve your set goal. When you do not plan, you definitely do not have a sense of direction of what to do. You end up spending time on everything, even on things that are not important. Without adequate planning, it is difficult to understand what it will take to complete a project successfully. Lack of planning leads to inadequate preparation, unexpected problems and poor execution. Planning defines a path for you and helps in strategic management, as you begin to develop ideas on how to execute your plan.

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   Use your head. Most often people tend to do things from their head, with the belief that they can depend on their memory. It is good, but not effective. Under pressure, you tend to forget even the simplest of details. On the other hand you may remember all to be done, but you will be faced with the challenge of which is to be done first. The fact is that you simply cannot rely on your memory alone to keep track of records, without getting overloaded. It is best practice to have a written to-do list of your activities in order of importance.
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   Don't try to do everything. That you have planned does not mean it will be actualized instantly. Planning is a process that requires determination, dedication and patience. You cannot do everything at once, because not all things are important as far as your goal is concerned. When you attempt to do too much, you invariably end up shortchanging and neglecting important areas of your life that get left behind. Give priority only to those things that will positively take you closer your goal.
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   Learn to say no. There are so many reasons why people say yes, even when it is not convenient to. It might be to avoid offending some people or trying to please or impress others. Any activity that is not in your to do list should not be considered. Saying yes is like a commitment. If you cannot meet your commitments, you may lose your integrity. You could be giving away your free time that would have been spent with family or sleeping, without realizing it. Every time you choose to do something, you always give up something else you could have done with that time.