It's only human to put things off and most of us do. Even,
highly successful people find ways to waste time, but
procrastination and lack of planning are "time killers." You can
use the following principles for goal setting, in your place of
work, or on your next home improvement project.
Another problem, with procrastination, is it can become a life
style. Do you know someone who always puts anything off that
they perceive as difficult? How successful is that person? Do
you want to model yourself after that person?
You know the logical answers to all of those questions, so it's
time to take action. To make maximum use of time, it is wise to
develop a system. If you take the following steps you will get
much more accomplished and have some free time to enjoy your
family, friends, and hobbies.
Plan everything for the following day and into the future. Life
doesn't always go according to a plan, but you can develop a
template to avoid wasting time and you can plan free time to
read, meditate, play, or socialize.
When you do your planning, make a list of priorities, and
itemize them accordingly. Then, post it somewhere that you will
refer to every day. You know your own life style, but here are
some suggestions: In your place at the kitchen table, on your PC
desktop, in your pocket, on your desk calendar, or on the PDA.
You get the idea - it has to be, "in your face." It is amazing
how many clients, I coach, that spend the first four hours of
the day getting ready, but getting nothing done. Some business
owners show up to work early, and walk around in circles,
without a plan.
How many times does this happen to you, in a grocery store? If
it happens at all, you need a list. You also need to organize,
itemize, and prioritize your grocery list. This works the same
way in all aspects of life. It comes down to the old saying
about, "putting all your ducks in a row."
Which brings me to the next key: Make sure all of the components
needed for a project are ready and waiting. My Grandfather was a
general contractor and I learned much about the sequence of
events required to construct a building.
For one thing, roofing materials are not important, at the
beginning of the project, but you cannot afford to forget the
forms of the foundation, in the early stages of construction.
This causes delays, waiting around, retracing steps, and
possibly doing one, or more, tasks twice, all because you forgot
a step.
The next key is to finish work that you perceive to be difficult
first. When possible, put this before the tasks you like to do.
You will feel like a prisoner released from your own jail.
Once you have your tasks cleared, use your free time wisely. If
you know of something that will be a major priority tomorrow,
take preemptive action whenever it is possible.
This carries into the last key: Go to bed early, and use solo
time, in the morning, for quiet projects, when you need to
concentrate. Reading, writing, and planning can be focused on,
at this time, without any disruption. Later in the day, you will
not be frustrated by daily interruptions because these "focusing
tasks" are finished.
Many successful people take speed-reading courses, to stay
current on the latest techniques in their field. What separates
the successful from the not so successful? Knowledge, putting it
to use, planning your time, and controlling the sequence of
events, are the largest contributors to success.
© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
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