Common Time Management Errors to Avoid by Jeff Casmer

There are more strategies available for better time management than there are seconds in a month, and new methods are being introduced daily. While the effectiveness of any single “system” may be difficult to discern, it is clear that there are some behaviors one should avoid when trying to maximize his or her efficiency. We may not always know the best way to handle time, but we certainly know a few things to avoid. Let’s look at two common time management errors to avoid.

It’s all about Will Power

It’s easy to tell ourselves that the only thing standing in the way of better time management is increased discipline. If we could only be tough and dedicated, we say to ourselves, we could avoid wasted hours and redirect them toward productive pursuits. All it will take is a supreme act of will.

That mode of thinking has ruined more efforts to improve time management skills than one might believe. Here’s why: the will is invariably weak. Our humanity is formed, at least in some measure, by our inability to resist temptation. It is certainly shaped by our tendency to embrace and reinforce habits. Trying to wish away those traits with a bit of will power is unlikely to produce results.

Yes, dedication is important. Success, however, is far more likely when that commitment is accompanied by a removal of time-wasting temptations and other concrete steps to make a fall from time management grace less likely.

The Danger of Precision Timing

Many who embark on their first effort to improve their time management skills begin by constructing daily schedules. Mere “to-do” lists are inadequate. They feel the urge to plan their day and their actions to insure maximum efficiency. That intuitive strategy can actually be quite disastrous.

When things run long or when an unexpected happening occurs, the tightly-constructed schedule doesn’t yield. It simply becomes more crowded and the list-keeper’s unwillingness to accept the fact that life doesn’t comport to a schedule results in things not getting done on schedule. Soon, one is a few days behind schedule with little opportunity to catch up. Often this precipitates a decision to give up on better time management.

One should never put too much faith in will power. Nor should they expend too much effort trying to list out every project with a precise time limit. Both of these errors will quickly derail a time management improvement activity.

You may not be certain which time management strategy will fit you best, but you can be sure that avoiding the twin pitfalls mentioned herein will increase your chances of effectively taking control of your life.

Jeff Casmer is an internet marketing consultant and work at home business owner. He is currently featured as a "Top" Affiliate of ThePlugInProfitSite. His "Top Ranked" Earn Money at Home Directory gives you all the information you need to start, maintain, and prosper with your very own Work at Home Business in the 21st century.

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Jeff Casmer

Budgeting Your Time Accurately by Jeff Casmer

In order to plan our days and to manage our time, we have to be capable of budgeting that time with a relatively high degree of accuracy. If we schedule multiple tasks in a given day and underestimate how long it will take to complete them, we will be forced to shove excess over to the next day. Invariably, it seems, this leads to more reshuffling and a quick move from organization to chaos.

In order to budget our time correctly, we need to be able to make an educated (and reasonably accurate) guess as to how long various projects will take. There is no simple way of knowing this. However, there are a few things we can do in an effort to make accurate predictions. Let us look at three things we can do to budget our time more accurately.

Guess Long

One of the most common mistakes new time managers make is underestimating the length of time any given project. When the project runs over time, a problem results. Schedules must be adjusted, and deadlines could be missed. One can protect themselves from this fate by intentionally overestimating the amount of time a project will take. The daily task list may be checked off early, allowing one to get a head start on the next day.

Pay Attention.

We would all love to be free spirits with no need for a watch or clock. Unfortunately, the rest of the world appears dedicated to working by the clock. We really should, too. If for no other reason, then to get some first hand information about how long individual tasks are taking us. You certainly do not want each and every click of a second hand to lord over you, but keeping a close eye on the time goes part and parcel with time management.

Log it.

Observing time and paying close attention to it in a general sense is valuable. Even more valuable, however, is actually logging the time we spend on certain tasks. While we work each day, it is a good idea to track the amount of time we spend on any given project. This is important because we will eventually encounter a task similar to one completed at some previous time. By logging our time, we can consult that history to better predict how long the task will take this time. If one consistently logs projects and time expenditures, they also become more aware of time, in general.

Are you ready to budget your time accurately? If you maintain a project log, overestimate the time required to complete a project and to pay some level of attention to the clock, you are definitely making progress toward that end. Projecting time requirements for tasks can be one of the trickier aspects of time management, but techniques like these will make the process easier.

Jeff Casmer is an internet marketing consultant and work at home business owner. He is currently featured as a "Top" Affiliate of ThePlugInProfitSite. His "Top Ranked" Earn Money at Home Directory gives you all the information you need to start, maintain, and prosper with your very own Work at Home Business in the 21st century.

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Jeff Casmer

Adjusting Your Schedule on the Fly by Jeff Casmer

If you have scheduled your day perfectly and are certain you have allowed yourself just enough time to get everything done, something is certain to happen. You will encounter an emergency of some sort. Or an old friend to whom you have not spoken in years. If you are at home, the dishwasher will suddenly overflow. It is the Murphy’s Law variation for time management. If something can mess up your schedule, it will.

These situations can be incredibly frustrating. You have gone through the time and effort to devise a good organizational system and have coupled that awesome plan with real dedication. You have gone beyond learning a system and have actually implemented it. This should your moment of glory--your opportunity to reach new heights of productivity. Instead, you find yourself sitting in a veterinarian’s office with your sick cat or shuffling through stacks of CD-ROMs after a mysterious software crash.

The temptation at that moment is to chuck the plan completely and to just go back to being Mr. or Ms. Disorganized. At least when you did not have a plan, nothing could ruin your plan. It is easy to start thinking of your strategies as nothing but wasted effort when events seem to conspire against you.

There are decisive moments in any endeavor, and the moment of truth for those involved with time management is when they realize some external force has taken their carefully planned activity list, wadded it up and tossed it aside. This is the point at which one either surrenders or learns to adjust his or her schedule on the fly.

Making quick adjustments can be challenging but it is possible. The first step is to conduct damage control. If unforeseen circumstances will push you off your schedule, your first thought must be directed toward those who will be adversely impacted by delay. Handle them first. Explain the situation and keep them in the loop.

That may not apply in all cases. If no one else is relying upon you to maintain your schedule, you may immediately begin the second step in the process. This involves dumping non-essential tasks down your list and even into subsequent days, if necessary. If this frees up enough time, you can stop there.

If things are still far too tight, you will have to start looking at your top priorities and decide which ones are truly the most important. These will receive the quickest treatment. Secondary tasks will be relegated to an “optional” status and will be reset for the subsequent day.

In the end, unforeseen challenges will mess up your schedule. That is unavoidable. When your perfect ten-hour day is cut down to five hours, you will need either to work twice as fast or compromise your schedule. It can certainly be a challenge, but it is a challenge you can meet. Adjusting your schedule on the fly is probably the last thing you wanted to do when you sat down to start your day, but life’s unpredictability forces even the most strict time managers to develop a high level of flexibility.

Jeff Casmer is an internet marketing consultant and work at home business owner. He is currently featured as a "Top" Affiliate of ThePlugInProfitSite. His "Top Ranked" Earn Money at Home Directory gives you all the information you need to start, maintain, and prosper with your very own Work at Home Business in the 21st century.

Contact the Author
Jeff Casmer