Use Time Management Systems to Improve your Life

Learning time management skills requires a commitment on your end to study and ultimately change your current behaviors that are wasting your time. An important step is understanding the various time management systems out there utilized by the most successful people in the world. Remember - you want to establish the mindset that time is your most valuable asset. Understanding time management systems allows you to manipulate and use this asset to its fullest potential.

The Power to Change is Within You

One of the biggest time management mistakes you can make is to feel controlled by time instead of you controlling it. Remember the story about my daily commute to work? The problem with these people is that they feel controlled by time. I too once felt this way. Every morning I would be in a bad mood because I felt rushed and stressed about things that were outside of my control in the present moment. The meeting later in the day, worrying that I would miss the train, a deadline I had to meet, or an errand that I needed to run. Wow, what a stressful and unproductive way to live a life! It also affected my relationships with other people. I would be crabby and easily irritated. Finally, one day, my wife told me that I needed to stop.

Stop?

Of course she meant stop my ridiculous behavior, but I took it another way as well. Yes, stop! Why was I always in a constant state of rush? Why couldn't I just stop and be in the moment? This was my first 'aha' moment and conscientious acknowledgement of the time management mistakes I was making and the beginning of my road to becoming a time management ninja.

I made the simple, conscious decision to start waking up 20 minutes earlier. Such a simple step that made such a profound change. I now gave myself enough time to do all the things I needed to and wanted to do in the morning. I enjoyed my breakfast, I didn't feel in a rush to get ready and get out the door. I no longer bothered stressing myself out about work related issues that couldn't possibly be addressed or acted upon in that moment. Wow, I was making progress!

Action Item

Do you feel rushed in the morning like I did? Then take action. Wake up earlier. Give yourself enough time and the peace of mind to get what you need to get accomplished in the morning. This is an important time in the day as it well set your attitude for how the rest of the day will go. Stop blaming outside events, tasks and situations for the current mood you are in. Review what it means to be a time management ninja here and remember that you are your own master.

Studying Time Management Systems

After making the simple change of waking up earlier I felt extremely empowered and was eager to learn how else I could manage my time. I began to read books on time management systems that profoundly changed the way I live my life today. I had always heard of the 80/20 rule, but I never fully implemented it into my life. We'll talk more about that in this section.

Stephen Covey and David Allen are both time time management ninjas to the nth degree. One takes a holistic approach in changing the self to not only manage time, but manage ones life; the other provides tactical time management systems to be used and incorporated on a daily basis. Study these people and their methods - it will benefit you tremendously.

Other areas we'll cover in this section:

Spend a lot of time reading? Learn to speed read.
Having problems organizing your ideas? Try mind mapping.
Not using Gmail? Start now!

The same ninja rule applies to all time management systems and time management aids. Don't only study them - implement them. It is only then that real change will happen in your life.

Use Time Management Systems to Improve your Life

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