Each of us is only given a finite amount of it and how we choose to use that time makes all the difference.
Consider these questions:
Do you know where your time is being spent?
Do you know where you are maximising your time and where it is simply being wasted?
are you spending more time on the things that take you closer to your goals?
Do you prioritise your activities in order of importance or impact?
Do you focus on one thing at a time instead of trying to do many things at once?
People who feel like they're stuck are not fully aware of where their time is going or going into. They don't prioritise their activities and tend to spend most of their time on things that don't bring about any positive change.
The passage towards their goals is often derailed by distractions. And they try to cram as many tasks as possible into a period of time, often ending up with mediocre or even below-average results.
The first step towards taking control of your time is understanding what it is exactly you are spending it on. Keep a record of how much of your time each day is spent doing what.
You might be surprised at just how much of your life is being wasted on activities that essentially don't benefit you at all.
Gradually scratch those things off your schedule and replace them with what I call "actuators" - activities that get you ahead in terms of your self-development.
Next, identify the activities that give you the greatest mileage and spend more time on them. For example, would shifting your gym training to before you go to the office make you more alert and efficient?
Would it give you more time later to tackle unforeseen tasks and finish your work properly?
What about focusing on clients who demand better quality work but also pay better, rather than accepting every job that comes along?
Always prioritise your tasks and highlight the top or top two jobs that absolutely must be done by the end of the day. This way, even when contingencies crop up (as they often do), you will be sure that you got the most important things covered.
As much as possible, focus on one task at a time and strive to give it your best. Too much emphasis is put on multi-tasking these days and it's highly over-rated.
If you can do several things at a time but only produce average results, you're simply a robot in a factory line.
It's the ones who can do one thing but excel in it who are most valuable.
And finally, even if the Internet seems like the only thing you will need these days, it can be one of the biggest time-wasters.
Things like email, instant messaging and social networking can easily take up a huge chunk of your day if you don't limit the time you spend on them.
So give yourself a quota. One or tow hours a day and that's it.
There is more to life than Facebook.
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
