Time management or time management. Seek results, not effort

Hello! Today we will talk about time management or effective time management and answer the question of how to do everything!

The person is part of society. Each of us has certain responsibilities to ourselves, colleagues and relatives. 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 to solve. If you associate yourself with the squirrel in the 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 large business, manage a huge number of people and find time for leisure and family. “How do successful people manage to do everything?” you ask. Yes, all because they know and own the basics of time management.

Time management is the ability to rationally allocate your time resources. Translated from English 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 how to correctly distribute every minute in order to have time to complete all the tasks.
The motto of successful time managers can be considered the expression "Do more, work less."

Who can benefit from time management

People have different needs and different responsibilities. Do not 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 from childhood.

Let's remember at least the daily routine of the child. Surely many of the houses hung a poster "Lesson schedule and daily routine." Thanks to him, children observe the daily routine and are disciplined.

If you are asking questions: “How to work and manage to do everything around the house for 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 of the fair sex manage to keep track of three children, take care of themselves and their husbands, and some cannot even cope with one child.

Therefore, do 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 life.

History of time management

Since ancient times, people have tried to distribute their labor resources as efficiently as possible, so even in ancient Rome, the philosopher Seneca began to distribute the time spent, for the one he spent with benefit and useless. If a famous thinker did something useful, then such time was considered good, useless - bad.

Later, Seneca began to write down what he did and when. After that, I analyzed the time spent and evaluated its effectiveness. We can say that he was engaged in building an effective time management system.
In the 5th century, the famous Italian scholar Alberti argued that people who know how to manage their time usefully will always be successful.

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

Timekeeping allows you to analyze how much time a person needs to complete a specific task.

The main components of time management

Before you start learning the basic rules of time management, you need to know what parts it consists of. That is, what will need to be done, and thanks to which you will learn how to allocate 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 the rest period. This will help you better restore your strength, as well as make you feel happy, self-sufficient and successful.

Not every citizen of our country has even heard that one can skillfully manage one's time. Accordingly, many do not even suspect the existence of a time management technique. But if a person is still interested and superficially acquainted with the minimum information about this art, then he immediately becomes a hostage to many fears.
Consider the most popular fears associated with time management.

1. No one can control time, so life has gone on and will go on as usual. This is a false statement, because you yourself are the masters of your own destiny. It depends only on you how quickly the work will be done and how much time will be left for rest and communication with friends. By mastering good habits that help save time, you will not be in control of time, but of 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. Adhering to the rules of time management, you can turn into a robot. Many people think that if you fully plan your life, you can lose all human joys. In fact, time management does not take time, but rather helps to find an extra hour or two that you can spend on yourself.

Time management principles or how to do 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 the day of each person.

Plan your every day

Every day before going to bed, try to set aside a few minutes to make a written plan for the next day. You can do this on a piece of paper or on a demonstration board. Write down every minute of your time, not forgetting about rest and force majeure. Do not 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), periodically look at it and check whether you fit in the allotted time. Cross out or erase completed items. So you will feel self-satisfaction from 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, it is easier to achieve what they want.

For example, if you are an ordinary average office worker, but set yourself the goal of being a leader, then you need to get the appropriate education, prove yourself well to your superiors and do your job well. In this case, you have a great chance to move up the career ladder. Perhaps in the future you. And ideally, introduce a standard for corporate time management in your organization. The main thing is to really want it and not to 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. No need to dream that living in the outback and working in a small factory, you can become president in a couple of years. Set realistic goals and go to your cherished dream.

Learn to commit to your action plan

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

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

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

Drawing up such a diagram allows you to visually explain the scale of the work performed, so that workers are included in the process faster.

Prioritize

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

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

The most complex and important tasks should be scheduled in the morning, or the most productive period for you. The fact is that if the most difficult task is not immediately completed and constantly postponed until later, then the feeling of unfulfilled duty will emotionally put pressure on you. A well-known expert in the field of active time management B. Tracy advises to approach the solution of such issues in a tough and unambiguous manner. He is the author of the “Eat a Frog Breakfast” time management method, which is successfully used by a huge number of people.

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

The logical continuation of the frog method is the Pareto principle or law. It says that 20% of all the efforts we put in give a result of 80%, and the remaining 80% of the efforts are only 20% effective.

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 to prioritize. 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 must be done first. Because of their importance, they should not be entrusted to others. If you delay the completion of 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 planning can be carried out. But do not put off their implementation for a long time, because these things can turn into an urgent and important item;
• Urgent but not very important. Such cases basically take a lot of time, so they can be delegated, that is, delegated to someone;
• Unimportant and non-urgent. It is better to cross them off the list altogether so as not to waste your time.
  Try and you use these methods, and in a few days you will understand how effective they are.

Focus on the essentials and learn to delegate

Each person has a huge number of things to do during the day. Some of them may take you several minutes, and some require several hours. Try to take on all the difficult and important things on your own, and entrust the less important things to other people.

For example, if no one in the family, except for mom, knows how to cook borscht, and in addition to dinner, you also need to wipe the dust and put away toys, then it would be rational to entrust cleaning to children or dad, while mom will cook 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 tap is dripping, then it is easier to entrust 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, that is, do not be afraid to shift some of your responsibilities to others.

Analyze the lived period and create your personal time management rules

Periodically look back and try to analyze the lived period. Pay attention to how rationally you spent your time, how quickly you reached your goal, what difficulties you encountered along the way, etc.
Regularly analyze your life and note how fast it moves, 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 happy and successful.

Don't forget to rest

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

Don't forget to keep in touch with friends and family. Don't give up on your hobbies and passions. A pleasant pastime helps to relax a person and makes his life brighter.

Plan your next day

Going 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.

Planning is best done in the evening. That is, you are thinking about the next one tonight. This allows you to significantly optimize temporary resources, in other words, you correctly allocate your time.

Last day

Try to live every day like it's your last. Don't put off important things. Cases for which there is always not enough time, sometimes, remain in the plans, that is, unrealized. So do your best every day. Thanks to this, you will not accumulate a lot of routine and uninteresting work.

Filter information

When studying certain information on the Internet or in printed publications, try to highlight the main aspects of the article and “run” your eyes over them. Very often, the information provided is overflowing with various advertisements, or excesses of the authors' reasoning, that is, "water". Learn to read "through the line", this will save you a lot of time.

time eaters

Modern people spend a lot of time viewing absolutely unnecessary information in social networks. networks and other Internet resources, as well as useless phone calls.

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

Of course, isolating yourself from everyone and cutting off communication with friends is also not an option. But try to minimize communication with really unnecessary people. Learn to say "no" to them.

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

Concentration on doing one thing

Try not to take on multiple tasks at the same time. So you will disperse your strength, and your attention will be scattered. You will take longer to complete each process. Take one thing and complete it completely, then move on to the next.

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

But there are processes that can and should be combined. For example, riding on 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 the goal, performing each task with high quality.

Learn your biological clock

The pace of life is different for every person. For some, the peak of activity falls in the morning hours, while someone sleeps until lunch, and starts working in the evening. Only you yourself know when you have the rise of strength and the highest performance. It is during this period that you try to carry out the maximum amount of pre-planned work. Do it at the same time.

Tidy up your workspace

All successful people have perfect order in their workplace. This applies to both a regular desktop and a PC desktop. Have you ever noticed how much time you spend looking for a document? Scientists have calculated that people who have a mess in their workplace spend 30% of their time looking for the necessary document, tool, etc.
Put things in order, dispose of unnecessary papers, get rid of garbage. Thanks to this, you will feel comfortable, and performance will increase.

Separate workplace

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

For example, if you are doing tailoring at home, then you should not scatter sewing supplies throughout the apartment. Finding the right thing will take a lot of time. Having arranged your workplace, you will save yourself from additional cleaning and constant searches.

Books about time management or time management

If you are serious about changing your life and want to learn more about time management, then you will benefit from reading the following books. They are the works of well-known experts in this field and are very popular:

1. "Master of Time" by Evgeny Popov.
2. "Extreme Time Management" by Nikolay Mrochkovsky and Alexey Tolkachev.
3. How to Get Things Done, or The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.
4. Time Drive by Gleb Arkhangelsky.
5. Effective Time Management, Quit the Squeamishness, 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 Live and Work in Time by Don Aslett and Carol Cartaino.
10. "Your time is in your hands" by Lothar Seivert.
11. Tough Time Management by Dan Kennedy.
12. "The Art of Keeping Up" by Alan Lacaine.
13. "Full order. A weekly plan for dealing with chaos at work, at home and in your head, by Regina Leeds.
14. “Work less, do more. Personal Effectiveness Program by Carrie Gleason.

Conclusion

If it seems to you that you will not 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 the planning of the day will turn into a good habit, without which you simply cannot live.

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

Time management for a modern person is the central concept of any system of personal efficiency and productivity, the Holy Grail for every ambitious person, whether he is a student, an entrepreneur or a housewife. The fast pace of life, especially in large cities, and huge amounts of data make it difficult to achieve goals that are important for each of us, whether it is a promotion, raising a child, or creating our own entrepreneurial project. If you have something to strive for, you are unhappy with your results, you just want to become a little more effective, or you need help overcoming procrastination (the habit of putting things off until later), then this series of lessons is created just for you.

The presented online training will introduce you to the basics of time management and its details, talk about how the most successful people on the planet manage their time and organize their lives. Completely free of charge, your attention will be offered various principles, methods, exercises, techniques and techniques that make up the most effective time management systems, and which will allow you, by putting them into practice, to notice positive changes in the very first days. This online time management course will become your personal guide to a world where you will forget about eternal fatigue, constant stress and lack of time. You will learn how to correctly set goals and plan to achieve them, manage to do a huge number of things in record time, enjoy work and manage to find time to relax. The course contains tips and methods for managing time that are truly effective.

However, despite the fact that the presented course has great potential, time management itself, unfortunately, is fraught with unexpectedly many uncertainties and questions. First, why are there so many different approaches to time management? What is the difference between David Allen's GTD method and Gleb Arkhangelsky's time drive method? Why does every next “super-efficient” author invent something new, is there really nothing definite and accurate in time management?

Secondly, why does not everything proposed by specialists work? The authors unanimously speak about the effectiveness of their methods and techniques, but I don’t want to follow them at all. And then, even if you do everything exactly according to the instructions, something still goes wrong. What is the reason?

And thirdly, what to do with the unwillingness to live on the machine according to a once, but forever routine? How to adjust a clear system of organizing time to the constant changes that our life is so rich in?

This online tutorial series is not designed to answer all of the questions above, but is designed to help you answer them for yourself. And this is its most important value. And for the same reason, having studied the materials of this training, you can not only “pump” some of your individual qualities, but also have a complex impact on your personality.

And if you want to master time management methods as quickly and efficiently as possible, sign up for our.

Time management (organization of time, time management) is a time-ordering technology aimed at increasing the efficiency of its use.

The very concept of "time management" comes from the English "time management" and means the technology of organizing a person's time and increasing the efficiency of its use. More specifically, time management implies an action or a set of actions to train conscious control over the amount of time spent on certain activities and through which you can significantly increase your productivity and effectiveness.

Time management includes a wide range of activities, including:

• Goal setting
• Planning and time management
• Task delegation and resource management
• Time analysis
• Time stamp
• Prioritization
• Listing
• And many others

At the beginning of its appearance, time management concerned only the sphere of labor activity or business. But, as it developed, the term began to expand and included various aspects of a person's personal activity. Today, time management is a necessary component of the development of absolutely any project. serves as a determining factor in calculating its scope and time required for its implementation.

In Russia, the revolutionary and public figure A.K. Gastev, who in the 1920s was the director of the Central Institute of Labor, first began to talk about time management. He began to develop ideas about the individual's personal effectiveness and the efficient use of time. Already in the early 70s, the first method appeared that allowed you to manage personal time, called "Timekeeping". Over time, the topic began to rapidly gain more and more supporters and be introduced into various areas of people's activities. All this led to the fact that time management became an independent direction, and in 2007, the department of time management was created at the Moscow Financial and Industrial Academy (today the university).

Time management has its own structure, consisting of several important processes:

• Analysis
• Development and formulation of strategies
• Planning and prioritization
• Process Implementation
• Goal achievement control

It is important to note that time resource management allows you to effectively manage not only working time, which is the main part of the life of an ordinary person, but also free time that a person uses for recreation. Applying it in everyday life, you can organize your life much more efficiently, plan weekends, arrange various events. Skillfully managing his time, a person can even make a mini-vacation out of his weekends. Together, this has a very positive effect on the emotional, mental and physical health of a person and significantly improves his life.

To date, special schools for teaching effective time management have been created and are successfully operating. Standard training takes place on the following main topics:

• Strategic planning
• tactical planning
• Evaluation of personal effectiveness
• Assessment of managerial effectiveness
• Defining personal mission as an emotionally motivating factor
• Determining the main factors for developing your own plan
• Ability to prioritize
• Mind Mapping Tool
• Training in the basics of using software designed specifically for planning (MyLifeOrganized, MS Project, MS Outlook and other programs)
• Analysis of what has been achieved
• Studying methods for improving the process of achieving goals

To teach people the basics of competent time management, various trainings and seminars are being held today, programs and courses are being developed, books and other publications are being published, and various Internet resources and online trainings are being created, such as the training presented on our 4brain website, for example.

Application of time management

In the modern world, personal time is a key human resource, often having a much higher value than money, since, unlike money, it cannot be accumulated or restored. That is why the ability to make the best use of your time and manage it is of essential value for any person. And it is important to learn how to apply this skill in all areas of life: work, business, creativity, family relationships, etc.

The skill of time management provides a person with a huge number of different benefits. Below we list just a few of them.

So, a person who knows how to manage his time:

• Achieve goals more often than others
• Achieves his goals many times faster than people who do not have such a skill
• Able to achieve success in any field of activity
• Has much more time to relax, be with loved ones and do things you love
• Able to perform many different tasks in a short period of time
• Has the ability to increase his income, build capital and retire as soon as possible
• Can get rid of the feeling of constant fatigue and improve your health
• Much less affected by stress and negative factors
• Positively perceives the world around and the events taking place in it
• Can devote more time to spiritual development and self-improvement
• Always has a clear plan of action
• Has inner freedom and has the ability to choose
• Able to create favorable conditions and independently control their lives

This is only part of the positive impact that the ability to manage time has on a person's life. It is not just that there is an opinion that people who do not know how to allocate their time cannot find a single free minute, and are constantly busy with something, but all their employment does not bring any sensible results. And people who are able to skillfully manage their time resource can always set aside time for something or for someone, and all their activities continuously move them towards their goals and achievement of success.

If you get acquainted with the features of the life and work of successful people, you will certainly find that all of them, as one, say that the most valuable asset that a person has is his time, and you will probably notice that they all keep diaries, make up plans, think over further steps and do it all the time. They are always full of ideas, and the amount of their cases is simply amazing. But, at the same time, they are happy, smiling, positively disposed; everything they do, they do it with enthusiasm and enjoy it; and are in good health. If you are a person who strives for self-development and personal growth, then it is likely that you would like to achieve similar results, otherwise you would not be here. And there is great news for you - YOU CAN DO IT. You just need to set yourself the goal of learning how to use your time efficiently.

How to learn it?

It's no secret that we are all born with a set of different abilities and predispositions. But, of course, these abilities and predispositions are different for everyone, and while some people are initially inclined to effectively manage the time of their lives, others have to develop and hone this skill. Whatever the case, it can be done. And again, good news - YOU CAN DO THIS INDEPENDENTLY, i.e. without resorting to being trained in specialized institutions or buying expensive training courses. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to have some special talent or genius, but you can simply go through an online training, the introduction to which you are now reading.

There are two important points in taking this course. This is:

Theoretical base- the information that you can get from the lessons we offer.

Practical development- putting what you learn into practice in your daily life.

Based on these important points, we have developed this training. Each lesson is designed so that you can learn the theoretical material, which is presented in an interesting and completely understandable and accessible language for any person. And also to ensure that you have the motivation and the opportunity to apply everything that you have learned, not waiting for some opportune moment, but right here and now. All you need is the desire to master a new skill and some free time, which you will need to find for this, which we, of course, have no doubt about.

Do you want to test your knowledge?

If you want to test your theoretical knowledge on the topic of the course and understand how it suits you, you can take our test. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question.

Time management lessons

Having studied the experience of teaching time management to many people, we came to the conclusion that, as we have already said, you can learn its basics on your own. Having introduced some adjustments and even more adapted the material for self-study, we have prepared a series of lessons aimed at developing useful competencies for the full mastery of this skill. Below is a short description of each lesson:

The purpose of this lesson is to help you understand the features and nuances of time management as much as possible, as well as to understand and feel at a deep level how effective organization of your time can contribute to the achievement of goals, help develop the potential of your personality and have a beneficial effect on life in general.

The lesson will consider such issues as the goals of time management and its prerequisites, the main stages and features of this process. In addition, you will learn a lot of tips for improving personal efficiency and will be able to choose those that will suit you.

As you know, any human action is directly related to the fact that he spends a certain amount of time to complete it. And if the information from the first lesson will teach you to determine and fix your time costs and understand the structure of the distribution of a temporary resource, then the knowledge that you will receive from here will help you learn to separate what you need to spend your time on from what you do not need. .

Here we will talk about the goal-setting process: you will learn to determine your true goals and secondary tasks, which means you will be able to do what will allow you to eliminate wasting time, and even your minimal efforts will bring you maximum results.

Achieving any result is a process that always has its own characteristics and characteristics. It is important to understand that not all actions are effective. You need to be able to see prospects, calculate your steps and set priorities. Having a goal also means having a plan to achieve it. This lesson is devoted to these and other interesting questions.

From it you will learn about what is the process of planning cases, what are the methods of prioritization, get acquainted with the most effective techniques for making plans and lists. In addition, you will learn some important principles that will help you learn how to save time, improve your results, and avoid many of the mistakes that are common to people who have embarked on the path of good time management.

Despite the fact that the concept of “time management” came into the Russian language not so long ago, many prominent figures have paid and continue to pay attention to the very fact of organizing personal time in order to achieve goals and increase productivity. Perhaps that is why they were able to achieve significant success, because the ability to manage the main resource - time - often depends on a person's ability to cope with all matters, work hard and efficiently in any situations, and emerge victorious from them.

One way or another, everyone planned their employment (artists, writers, politicians - well-known and not so), but B. Franklin became the creator of not a universal daily routine, but one of the first integrated time management systems. He showed by his own example how important it is to set goals and develop a plan to achieve them. About his and other author's time management systems, which combine the principles of goal setting, planning and motivation, will be discussed in this lesson.

A. Herzen wrote: "Theory inspires conviction, an example determines the course of action." In fact, time management systems lesson 4, the basics of goal setting lesson 2 and planning lesson 3 as the main components of time management would be no more than elements of a coherent theory if they were not supplemented by specially developed general methodological and practical tools within individual techniques. Following them, applying them in their daily lives, everyone will be able to acquire not only useful knowledge, but also create their own system for setting, evaluating and implementing strategic goals.

The recommendations, tips, tricks, techniques, as well as time management services and programs collected in this lesson are taken from various sources, but are universal tools and are equally useful both in terms of time management and personal development in general: self-discipline training , character, attitude to life priorities and goals.

How to take classes?

All our lessons have one important feature - they are designed in such a way that absolutely anyone can apply them. But you must certainly keep in mind that how successfully you master the material depends, to a large extent, on your attitude. If you treat it negligently, from the position “if there is time, then of course I will do it,” then the result will be completely mediocre, if any at all. But in the event that you approach the study of the material with all responsibility and understanding the importance of what you are doing, then the result will be your rapid personal growth and an increase in the performance of all personal characteristics, not to mention the fact that you will learn to manage your time perfectly.

In order to get the most out of the training, we recommend that you study one lesson every two days: on the first day you just need to familiarize yourself with the lesson, and on the second day you will use what you have learned throughout the day, each time using new techniques. and combining them. In total, the entire course will take you about ten days. But it is also important here that, having taken up the training, in no case should you miss classes. Set yourself the task of completing this course to the end. This alone will already become your practice of time management, and in addition, it will begin to develop in you such qualities as purposefulness, commitment, diligence and punctuality. Remember that theory and practice are two sides of the same coin. Only in this way can you learn what you want, and only in this way have all successful people done at all times. And one more thing: prepare a notebook and a pen in advance, because in the matter of planning you can’t do without it.

Additional material

Time Management Books

In this supplementary section, we'll take a look at some of the most popular books on the topic of time management. Each of them is a unique collection of useful information, practical tips and instructions, effective techniques and techniques for managing time. Some of them are written by professional authors and have already earned their reputation not only among Russian readers, but also among readers from all over the world. Others have been published quite recently, and their authors are not yet so famous, but undoubtedly deserving attention people. Any of the books reviewed will be a great addition to our training.

Many of our contemporaries strive for hyper-productivity.

Surely, you know people who scurry from task to task, constantly checking e-mail, organizing something, calling somewhere, running errands, etc.

The people who do this often share the notion that "keep busy" means you work hard and become more and more successful.

Such a 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.

Work smarter, not harder

The old adage says to work smarter, not harder. This statement should be taken as the basis for approaching work of any kind.

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

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

It's about making room in your life to relax and have fun.

There are indeed enough hours in the day to do whatever you want, but this time needs to be identified.

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

Remember that there are countless tricks and tricks to plan your time effectively. 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 ways to increase your own productivity.

1. The main attention to the main things.

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

Once you complete them, the day can already be considered successful. Move on to other things or postpone the rest for another day, because you have already done the most important things.

2. Learn to say no.

Solving a large number of tasks in a limited time can teach you how to juggle various projects and manage your time. And it'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 couple of extra hours in the day. But this is not the case.

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

4. Concentrate fully on the task at hand.

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

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 wasting time.

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

6. Don't get distracted by minor details.

We often drag out projects by dwelling on small details for too long. This is typical for perfectionists.

But it is much more effective to move forward, to complete a larger scope of the project, discarding the previous desire to constantly go deep into something. It is better to complete everything as soon as possible, and at the end to revise individual points.

7. Make regular tasks a habit.

If you have regular responsibilities (such as writing articles for your own blog, etc.) you can plan them out and make them a habit. Do this daily and don't change your routine, then your brain will be disciplined and the activity will turn into a habit. It becomes quite natural and pleasant. Try it!

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

Time spent on social media, gaming or watching TV can and should be monitored. Try to determine for yourself the number of hours spent on the listed activities. As a rule, they distract you much more than you would like.

9. Set a time limit for each task.

Instead of just sitting on a project thinking: “I will sit here until everything is done” try to rephrase: "I will work on this assignment for three hours".

Being limited in time will push you to focus and be more efficient, even if you come back and refine a little later.

10. Leave a time gap between tasks.

As we rush from task to task, it's hard for us 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 take 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 particular 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, exercising, and eating healthy will boost your energy levels, clear your mind, and make you more focused.

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 tasks, and pay attention to them. Do fewer things, but they should be prioritized and of more value than the rest.

14. Use the weekend, but don't overdo it.

If you think about it, you will be surprised to find how much you can reduce the load during the week by working a little on the weekend. Only 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. Organizing your work is not difficult at all.

Create a system in document registration. Make sure all items are stored properly. Unsubscribe from unwanted emails and unload your email. Optimize, streamline and streamline.

16. Fill free time.

As a rule, everyone has unfilled time. These are hours spent in waiting rooms, in grocery lines, on public transport, on elliptical trainers, and so on.
Find things you can do while doing it. Most often, reading will 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 do something is to lock yourself in your room. Isolation helps a lot.

18. Stick to a plan of action.

In part, we mentioned this, but it will not be superfluous to repeat. Don't deviate from your plan!

Resolutely stick to the planned cases, be a professional and go to the end. A strong will and steadfastness will lead you to your intended goal.

19. Do related tasks together.

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

Different tasks require different types of thinking, so it makes sense to let your brain continue to perform typical tasks, rather than switch 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 just stop. However, the practice of silence has an amazing effect. Both action and inaction must play a key role in our lives.

In the context of the rapid development of society and the daily receipt of a large amount of information, a person needs more and more time to use the resources provided in full. The acceleration of the pace of life leads to the fact that people must either sacrifice something for the benefit of the main goals, or build activities in the most rational and efficient way, reducing time costs. In this they can be helped by time management as a kind of direction or time management technology that allows you to use this most valuable resource in the right direction.

Randomness in the construction of activities, disorder in the schedule of operations and the lack of a well-thought-out action plan lead to the fact that a person does not have time to do all the necessary things. As a result, there is tension, nervousness, a waste of time and energy, which negatively affects the results of people's life.

Time management is aimed at streamlining your actions and operations, as well as building a schedule for their implementation in order to achieve your goals as fully as possible and with minimal time.

The history of time management

Even in ancient times, people tried to build their mode of activity in such a way as to take the necessary measures in a short time and at the same time achieve the maximum effect. However, time management was not given due attention, since there was no particular need for it.

Interesting fact: The Roman philosopher Seneca was the first to think that the rational use of time can increase human productivity. The concept of time management in the historical sense originally belonged to a philosophical trend, and then it became a separate area for study, having not only a theoretical basis, but also a practical knowledge base.

With the development of scientific and technological progress and the acceleration of the pace of life in society, a new direction of thought appears - time management is the science of time management. The formation of this concept dates back to the second half of the 20th century. (70-80 years), when both scientists of the world community and our compatriots began to seriously deal with this issue.

In the 21st century, the theory and practice of time management is widely used by different categories and groups of people. These include employees of enterprises, and freelancers, and housewives, and people engaged in free creativity, that is, almost every person should study in detail the rules and methods of time management to increase productivity at work and at home.

The purpose and objectives of time management

The main goal of time management, based on the essence of this concept, is to manage time and achieve the most positive result. In accordance with the goal, time management solves the following tasks:

1. arrangement of operations and actions in order of priority for a person;
2. ranking goals in order of importance;
3. distribution of duties and responsibilities between members of a group or team;
4. scheduling operations as the most efficient way to plan time (see?);
5. building the most rational model of behavior when using a temporary resource;
6. increase in labor productivity, and, as a result, its efficiency and effectiveness;
7. search for hidden reserves of time that can be used more efficiently.

The listed tasks are enlarged areas of activity, and therefore each block can be divided into many smaller subtasks. What exactly they will be is up to each person individually. The main thing is that they all must obey the main goal.

By solving these problems, each person can learn how to properly manage their time, using it as efficiently as possible. Such activities allow you to learn self-control and analysis, independent study of various methods and practices, organization of personal time for work and rest.

Like any other field of knowledge, time management is based on certain principles developed by experts and taken as the basis for use. The following principles of time management should be highlighted:

1. Planning

Effective time management is possible only if it is clearly divided into certain periods for performing any actions. At the same time, for convenience, you can use various planning methods - write in a notebook or organizer, in special applications on your phone or computer. Visual planning allows you to give a visual assessment of the drawn up schedule, which helps to analyze it in more detail for effectiveness.

Important: Some people, although they make a plan for the day, do not write it down, but keep all the points in their heads. This method of planning is ineffective, because, in the end, you can miss any moments or confuse the points of the plan in places, which can result in the irrational use of time resources.

1. Determining the complexity of tasks

When drawing up a plan, it is necessary to focus on the fact that some tasks and operations are more complex, requiring maximum concentration or a large amount of time. It is they that should be performed first of all and preferably in the first half of the day, since during this period a person has more strength, he is concentrated and his performance is much higher.

After completing complex tasks, you can already engage in simpler operations that can be performed in a semi-automatic familiar mode. If you build a schedule in the opposite form, that is, first do easy things, and then difficult ones, then with a high degree of probability a person will not be able to do hard work, because he simply will not have the strength;

1. Breaking down complex processes into simple ones

If during planning there are especially difficult points that require a large amount of resources, it is best to divide them into smaller ones. In this case, a seemingly unsolvable goal will be fulfilled when the execution of a set of simple subgoals is achieved;

1. Search for hidden reserves of time

Often people don't notice that some of the time could be used more productively, and instead they spend it on useless things. The scourge of modern society is social networks and the Internet, in which there is so much information (useful and not very) that sometimes a person does not notice how he can spend several hours at a computer or phone in a row.

This time could well have been used more effectively. It is necessary to identify for yourself those operations that are ineffective and unnecessary, and begin to reduce the time spent on them. Instead, you can come up with activities for yourself that would really give some kind of positive result.

In addition, you can effectively combine two classes, if they do not interfere with each other. For example, if a person is waiting in line, he can simultaneously read an informative scientific article in his profession or start making a plan for the next day;

1. Motivation

A motivated person performs activities with much greater productivity. Intrinsic motivation is a kind of lever or catalyst, due to which a higher degree of perseverance, concentration of attention, and focus on obtaining the final result is manifested (see).

Motivation can be expressed in a specific form, and most often it is a financial result, that is, receiving money for the work done. To motivate yourself, you can think of what benefits the money will be spent on.

In addition, motivation can also be purely emotional, when a person receives psychological or physical satisfaction from the result of his activity (see).

Effective time management involves following certain rules of conduct, which are as follows:

• use various means and methods of planning your time;
• keep the workplace clean so as not to waste time searching for documents;
• do not study information that is not needed to perform a specific task;
• do not waste time on useless browsing of social networks;
• do not do several things at the same time, concentrate on one;
• learn to refuse people if they ask you to do work you don’t need (see);
• determine the periods in which you have the highest mental and physical activity - do difficult work at this time;
• take time to rest and learn to relax completely, not in fits and starts.

Time management rules are aimed at defining the tactics of organizing the workflow in a general way. Their application is necessary in order to effectively increase the productivity of a person and formulate a line of his behavior in the implementation of the work process.

Time Management Methods

Time management is a guide to action aimed at managing time, and it contains specific methods for carrying out this activity. Among them, the most commonly used methods are:

• Biorhythm-based work schedule method - "owl" or "lark". He suggests that each person belongs to one of two types of biorhythms, the activity of which is manifested at different times of the day. It is necessary to form a work plan and schedule in such a way that the most complex and time-consuming tasks are performed during a period of increased activity of the body.

Interesting fact: Leonardo da Vinci did not use the traditional practice of sleep and wake. Instead, he worked for four hours straight, followed by 15-minute breaks to sleep. During sleep, the body gained strength and brain activity increased.

• First step method is based on the fact that starting a difficult business is always difficult, but for this you just need to take the first step. Further progress will be easier, because it is always difficult for a person to start exactly. For the first step to be successful, a specific template should be created, according to which it will be possible to carry out similar operations;
• Limit Method, which helps to make decisions in case of uncertainty. If a person does not know what decision to make in a particular situation, he sets himself a certain limitation - for example, in 10 minutes to choose from two options or if he does not decide to do this particular action;
• Complex notation method suggests that all entries must be made in one notebook or organizer, and not on many scattered pieces of paper. So it will always be easier to find the information you need, and it will never be lost, being fastened with all the necessary information;
• Graphic Recording Method suggests that sometimes it is easier and more convenient to display information using a diagram or graph. So it will be more understandable and easy to remember, and much less time will be spent on fixing.

Disadvantages of time management

Time management planning always gives tangible results, but at the same time it has a number of disadvantages. These should include things like:

1. Emerging force majeure circumstances may disrupt the schedule. But, if the tasks are planned, they still need to be solved, and then a new search for free time begins. Violation of the drawn up schedule can lead to nervousness and irritability, and, as a result, a deterioration in a person’s well-being;
2. The release of free time involves using it to perform new tasks, in connection with which a person deliberately overloads himself with work. In a situation of increasing volume of operations and increasing productivity, there may be an increase in fatigue that can turn into a chronic degree;
3. A clear schedule is good, but it can feel like every day is Groundhog Day. A person needs to do many different things every day, after which everything will start all over again.

TOP 5 books on time management

1. Work Less, Do More - K. Gleason
2. Extreme time management — N. Mrochkovsky, A. Tolkachev
3. The art of being on time - A. Lakein
4. Time drive. How to have time to live and work - G. Arkhangelsky
5. Hard time management. Take control of your life - Dan S. Kennedy

"Keep time: it is the fabric of which life is made."

S. Richardson

We are taught discipline from childhood, and one way or another, we are forced to adhere to certain restrictions all our lives. Eating and sleeping according to the daily routine, scheduled classes, work and rest in the allotted time. We easily obey someone else's rules of the game, in fact, helping someone else achieve his goal. But when it comes to self-discipline, many are not ready to give up even small weaknesses, like the habit of sleeping an extra 10 minutes in the morning.

Skill limit yourself to achieve certain goals- a valuable skill that not many people possess. But only they, in the end, succeed. Well-known politicians, businessmen, actors have gone their way to fame only thanks to daily work in the name of their goal. Ability, talent, even genius is only one percent of success, the other ninety-nine is hard work.

Self-discipline is the first step to personal freedom

Time management is the main component of the personal effectiveness system for any ambitious person. It doesn't matter what the goal is: lose weight, get a red diploma, start your own business... none of these things is possible without self-organization skills. Time management is a practical guide to action, thanks to which you can determine your own life priorities, create your own vision of success. The development of effective motivations allows you not only to save time, but to develop as a person. Self-discipline - living by strict rules that a person sets for himself, in his own interests. Such rigid frameworks, oddly enough, do not limit the personality. Against, it is the only way to true freedom.

Time - management is the best tool for self-improvement. First of all, planning teaches control over external events, environment, time and space. The self-control skills gained as a result of working on oneself allow you to manage your own feelings, momentary desires, bad habits. And self-control is a sign of a strong, strong-willed nature. The development of concentration skills allows you to achieve better results at work, while spending less effort. Thus, time is freed up for the improvement of the intellectual and spiritual. Isn't that the meaning of human life?

Self-discipline skills are not acquired overnight. Moreover, you can develop them in yourself only by constant training of willpower. The same goes for the time management system. Anyone who wants to achieve success in life is simply obliged to treat time carefully.

The 7 Most Popular Time Management Techniques

“If I had 9 hours to chop down a pine, I would spend 6 hours sharpening my axe.”

Abraham Lincoln

There are many techniques for efficient use of time. We bring to your attention the most popular techniques, without which no time management system can do.

Eisenhower Matrix

The technique got its name in honor of US President D. Eisenhower, who divided all the tasks that he faced into 4 categories, guided by their urgency and importance.

Based on this, the cases were arranged in the cells of the simplest matrix as follows:

• Category A - urgent and important, which must be resolved immediately;
• Category B - their decision can be postponed for a certain period, but it is not worth delaying with them;
• Category B - tasks, the execution of which can be delegated to third parties;
• Category D - things that are better to send to the trash right away, because they are not worth the time and effort.

According to experts, the mistake of most people is the wrong prioritization. They are more willing to take on the tasks of the last two categories, since it is much easier to do these things. Rapid results contribute to the development of an incorrect assessment of personal effectiveness. It turns out that the man expends effort on secondary activities leaving behind what really matters.

Timing technique

Recording the time of employees in order to improve labor discipline has been used for more than a dozen years. Automation and accounting programs record the timely arrival and departure, the duration of the employee's working day. But modern technology has gone even further. Today you can not only find out if a person is present at the workplace, but also check what he is doing.

Hundreds of such control systems have been developed to date. Programs are able to automatically register: absence due to illness, business trips, vacations, time off, work on a flexible schedule. The system takes into account the duration of the lunch break, untimely leaving or being late, absenteeism.

For all their perfection, time tracking modules provide only superficial timing, while spyware like "Maxapt QuickEye" helps keep track of computer work. With their help, the manager will immediately understand that Maria Ivanovna from the accounting department is busy not working on the report, but communicating on the Odnoklassniki website. Of course, even with the help of such programs, it will not be possible to make a minute-by-minute timing, taking into account smoke breaks, tea parties, heartfelt chatter of other “garbage time”, but most often there is no need for this.

Pareto Method

Vilfredo Pareto's Law states: “20% of your efforts provide 80% of the result, while the remaining 80% bring only 20% of the result.” You can interpret it in another way: "20% of employees bring the company 80% of the profits." Simply put, only 1/5 of the team works effectively. The efficiency of the vast majority of workers is very low. Their work is just an imitation of violent activity. If you direct this energy in the right direction, overall productivity will increase significantly.

The Pareto method is to isolate from the whole mass of 20% of the main cases and focus on them. The decision about what is considered important and what is secondary will be individual in each case. The Eisenhower matrix or the ABC analysis method, which is most often used in combination with the Pareto method, allows you to categorize cases. ABC analysis is the simplest way to rank cases according to their current importance.

ABC - analysis

This method is considered the most productive and visual way to sort cases. It allows you to weed out all unnecessary, focus on achieving the main goals. According to this method, all cases are divided into categories:

• Group A has the highest priority, these are important and urgent matters. Such issues must be resolved as soon as possible. The contribution of these cases to the achievement of the final goal is 65%, although it will take only 15% of the time to complete them. That is, more than half of all work will be completed in the shortest possible time.
• Group B includes cases that are not urgent, but necessary for execution. The solution of such tasks can be entrusted to third parties. It is important to control the time of their execution, since group B cases tend to move into category A if the deadlines are violated.
• Group C - tasks that are commonly called "office routine". It is on them that the lion's share of the working time of the staff and the manager is spent. Although a person with low qualifications can easily cope with reporting, purchasing stationery and other routine work.

Independent organization of working time

Self-management is perhaps the most effective of all time management tactics. It is applicable both to a single subject and to the collective as a whole. To ensure that the employee worked productively, the system of material incentives and punishments allows. In layman's terms, fines or bonuses well stimulate the individual to perform the task assigned to him. It should be noted that the employee himself should also be interested in the competent organization of the work process.

The most important goal of self-management is the maximum realization of the potential of each person in work, creativity, and personal life. Using this method provides the following benefits:

• Time and effort to complete work tasks is reduced;
• Increased productivity;
• Reasons for stress, emergency work, haste are eliminated;
• Moral satisfaction with work activity increases;
• Qualifications increase, there is an incentive for personal growth.

Self-management begins with a work style analysis that includes a complete inventory of time. It allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization of the labor process, adjust them in the right direction. A description of all activities includes:

1. Main work tasks;
2. "Interference" or forced breaks, the so-called "garbage time".

The reasons for wasting time can be personal factors, such as disorganization, neglect of work duties, lack of self-discipline, the desire to do everything quickly, in a hurry. However, excessive zeal, the desire to take on all the cases at once, also rarely gives a positive result.

Well-known American business coach Dan Kennedy believes that phone calls, unscheduled visitors, protracted meetings are the most malicious time wasters for a leader. If possible, they should be eliminated or minimized.

The Pomodoro Method

This tactical technique with a funny name was invented in the 80s of the last century by the Italian Francesco Cirillo. Being one of the lagging students, the young man decided to start working on himself in order to improve his academic performance. After conducting a detailed "debriefing", he realized that he could not concentrate on his studies, being distracted by many small things. Then Francesco brought a timer in the form of a tomato from the kitchen, set it in front of him and timed the class.

Practically, it was revealed that he was able to study science with concentration for 25 minutes. During this period, the student was never distracted from the book. Subsequently, it was decided break all the time allotted for classes into blocks. The half-hour interval included the time of maximum concentration - 25 minutes, as well as the rest time, which is allotted just for those very small things. The "pomodoro" method has become widespread today, due to its simplicity, accessibility and effectiveness.