Time management is not concerned solely with the amount of time spent on certain activities in terms of minutes, hours, days, weeks or months. You could certainly track how you spend time everyday, and that might help you see where you're wasting it. But if your goal is to get more done in less time, you can begin by examining your assumptions about time and how those assumptions may be preventing you from using your time productively.

Let's look at 10 of the most common--and erroneous-assumptions.

1. There is never enough time to accomplish what is really important. Wrong. There is always enough time to accomplish what is essential.

2. Other people make too many demands on my time. Other people do not control how you spend your time. You do. If you allow other people to intimidate you, they will control you.

3. Given my busy schedule, it's impossible for me to work on the basis of priorities. It is not only possible, it's
essential. To control your life, you must learn to set priorities and stick to them.

4. If you want something done right, do it yourself. This assumption stems from asking yourself the wrong question: Can I do this task better than anyone else? Instead, ask yourself: Is this task the best use of my time? Could someone else do this task well enough?

5. If only I could work more hours every day, I could finish what I need to do. This one is not only wrong, it is dangerous. Working more hours every day produces mental and physical fatigue and devours personal time. You can't do everything; learn to set priorities and make some choices. In other words, work smarter, not longer:

6. I'm frequently overworked in my job. Sure, it's possible, but it's more likely that you are suffering from an inability to say no, set priorities or delegate. And these sloppy work habits are costing you time.

7. I'm much too busy to plan my activities. The busier you are, the more important it becomes that you take time out to plan. Planning is one of the keys to time management. If you have a master plan, spontaneity becomes a matter of making intelligent choices.

8. I need at least eight hours of sleep a night of function properly. Actually, most adults need six or seven hours of sleep a night. If you're getting more, it's likely a habit, not a need.

9. I can't possibly devote a block of time to important projects every day. You can't afford not to. Set aside a 60-to 90-minute period every day to work on major projects so that you can make significant progress.

10. I should stick to my plan for the day no matter what happens. In the real world, the unexpected and unplanned have a way of cropping up. But when the unexpected does occur, ask yourself that key question: Is this more important than what I had planned to do at this time? If it isn't, don't do it.

OK. You've concluded you have a time-management problem. Now what? Here are several specific steps that will help you begin to manage your time more effectively.

1. Accomplish one major objective each day. Pick one important task and concentrate on getting it done. If you develop this habit, it will prevent you from filling up your day with low-priority activities.

2. On Friday afternoon, plan your schedule for the following week. By the middle of Friday afternoon, you have a good idea of what you've accomplished--or failed to accomplish--that week. This tactic allows you to mentally rehearse your schedule over the weekend so that you'll have a psychological head start Monday morning. When you arrive at the office, you can hit the ground running.

3. Each weekday afternoon, write down your schedule for the next day. Committing your schedule to writing will force you to think carefully about your plan. It will help you set realistic deadlines and motivate you to accomplish the plan.

4. Substantially reduce one time-waster each week. Concentrate on keeping meetings shorter and more productive.

5. Spend your time as if you had to buy it. If you look at your time as a financial investment and monitor how you spend it, you'll waste less of it.

6. Conquer procrastination now! Procrastination is not a harmless little habit. Careers fail, marriages fail and businesses fail because of it. Change your "do-it-later" habit into a "do-it-now" habit.

7. Maintain a regular physical exercise program. Exercising three or four times a week can help you reduce stress and maintain a sense of balance, discipline, order and control in your life.

8. Schedule some personal time every day. The best way to set aside personal time is to write it into your daily appointment book.

9. Good intentions are not enough. So, stop talking about how you should spend your time differently and do it.

by:Self-Esteem-ABC