Time Management: Bringing Order to Chaos!
21 May 2012
Read by 1758 persons
Time seems very rigid and limited, and yet you have certainly already had that strange impression that it accelerates or slows down contrary to what the watch indicates. We cannot control time, but we can better manage our schedules. We have 24 hours each day and it is up to us to use them as we see fit. Also, it is interesting to regularly ask ourselves the question during each day to get back on track: "What can I stop doing immediately to regain my balance?"
Your answers will surprise you, because you can abandon a tangible element and easy to delegate from our to-do list. And often, we can get rid of tension or anxiety that we had created without even realizing it. The fact of thinking about what we will lose can help us get rid of this feeling knowing that we are able to meet the challenges that may arise.
No worries, we don't need to constantly operate at full speed without taking a break. There are times when we want to move forward, take steps to achieve our goals and objectives, and others where we are seeking calm and want to have a good evening.
There are a lot of tools to take control and manage your time more efficiently, but before trying to enroll in personal effectiveness training or buying a multitude of books, let's take the time to ask ourselves a few questions. Remember that in coaching, it's all about questioning.
At what time of day am I most productive? Do I prefer to complete a task in one go or divide it into several parts? Am I always motivated and full of initiative, or do I need to be pushed? How much time do I spend reacting to the tasks assigned to me?
Lots of questions to start by becoming aware of our relationship with time, knowing that any approach is so much a part of our daily lives that it is more delicate for us to dispense with its automatic mode. And since we are in a coaching dynamic, it is a question of bringing us to awareness of the need to change certain ways of doing or being in order to ensure sufficient motivation to get moving.
The goal is to find an action that we can commit to in order to move to the next level, knowing that each action will feed our personal action plan.
Why a personal action plan? Simply to acquire the attitudes and behavior that will allow us to master time and no longer be overwhelmed.
And we find that this is a beginning, because we will take the time, or allow ourselves time to stop and reflect and listen to ourselves to decide and dare to change. And we may find that sometimes it is necessary to abandon something in order to regain control of our lives, which will in return bring a benefit and that ultimately it was not so necessary to devote so much time to it.
The idea is to gain efficiency, because losing or gaining time doesn't really make sense since you can't hoard it; managing your time well means being happy with yourself at all times. You can just live it differently and thus, managing your time is being efficient during the time that passes.
Of course, sometimes you experience a certain resistance to change because we have become accustomed to a way of doing things.
Question: aren't we clinging to tasks that another person could perform as well, if not better, than us?
- Learning to love to delegate:
Having some of your tasks performed by other people is not a skill reserved for the world of work. And one of the best ways to restore balance to your life is to delegate. In life in general, delegation can be used in a very practical way. Discussing your problems with someone you trust can produce things analogous to delegating, because you are using their energy to be able to consider things from a different angle. For this it is important to reformulate some of our beliefs about abandoning certain things, namely:
"If I want something done right, I have to do it myself" is to be replaced by the following belief: I am convinced that other people can approach this task with criteria as high as mine.
"If I give up this task, I lose control" becomes: if I give up this task, I will have more time to do what I love and I will better control my life.
"If I can't manage everything, it will prove that I'm no good" becomes: my success lies in my ability to channel my resources and know when to ask for help.
- We are always overwhelmed:
When we calculate what we have to do in a day, it is not easy to get everything done, knowing that we are not all organized. In some people, the sense of organization seems innate, unlike others, it is far from acquired. Let's start then by learning to OR-GA-NI-ZE ourselves, provided, however, not to be too psychorigid and to leave room for improvisation and an unavoidable element that most often occurs at the moment when we least expect it and which is called the unexpected. The thing to prepare for above all is to anticipate the unexpected, which forces us, for example, to reschedule meetings and generates accumulated delays. So it's better to have a different way of thinking than doing. Since you can't predict everything, you need to allow time for unforeseen events instead of denying reality.
Some practical tips recommended by Malak Benjelloun
Step 1: Let's determine the imperatives
And if we started by making a list of what we have to do in detail, work, errands, chores, everything. Once the list is drawn up, we split it into two parts, mandatory tasks and those that are not. Then, we will devote ourselves for a week, only to what we consider mandatory. We must not be afraid to take time to gain time thanks to a meticulous preparation of our schedule in relation to short, medium and long-term objectives. And remember to block time in your diary to manage unforeseen events.
So, is it difficult? Does everything seem mandatory to you? It's about starting to take control of our lives, to go step by step in change, to identify our difficulties and to draw up a realistic strategy to make us change things. We will become the COACH of our lives.
Step 2: Let's make lists
We have so many things to do that we end up forgetting some of them during the day. And that's how we find ourselves in the evening blaming ourselves because we haven't been up to scratch. To avoid this too frequent scenario, let's now think about making lists. In the evening, let's review our next day. Let's write down everything we have to do, without forgetting anything, even the simple tasks or those that seem insignificant. The next day, as we complete our tasks, we will check off the completed tasks from the list, which will allow us to see what we have accomplished.
It is often the prospect of the next day that prevents us from sleeping well, and the advantage of the list is to have peace of mind knowing that we are not going to forget anything, without having to occupy our minds by repeating endlessly in the evening and during the day: I must not forget to do this or to go pick up that. We free our brains and as we draw up points to do, the solution to certain difficulties often appears.
Step 3: Do things gradually
If we have the feeling of being overwhelmed, it's because we want to do several things at once in the hope of saving time or that we don't do them gradually and let them accumulate. We then find ourselves faced with a number of phone calls to make, a pile of administrative papers to manage and many others to do. To prevent things from piling up, let us make it a habit to get rid of anything that annoys us as quickly as possible. Eliminate this habit of opening a letter and saying, I'll answer it later, you answer it immediately and the matter is closed.
Step 4: Focus on what you are doing
The goal is not to do less, but to do it better. By practicing zen wisdom, focusing on what we are doing, rather than thinking about everything we still have to do and repeating to ourselves that we will never get there. Let's face it, it will require effort and time, but with practice and training, it should come and help you free your mind at least. Whatever the task to be performed, question its usefulness, why we must do it and what pleasure it can bring to us and to others. Instead of spending most of our time tirelessly repeating the hateful: "I will never succeed", we train ourselves to repeat: "I will succeed, I am sure I will succeed"
• I lack time for myself
Having time for oneself appears as a luxury. Time to do what you love, and which we never do because we prioritize others, work or children. Don't forget that doing what you love simply for pleasure is a source of balance. We dream of being able to breathe a little, even if it's only for a few minutes.
• Let's stop feeling guilty
Undoubtedly the most difficult thing. However, we must convince ourselves that we are not always indispensable and that others can perfectly manage without us and even well. Two to-do lists that will help us to de-culpabilize: in the first we will write down what our duties are and in the second what are the rights we grant ourselves. To allow de-culpabilization, let's list the activities of each other. This time that we still claim, we must know what we would like to use it for. One last solution: you can always talk to a coach.
Portrait: François Gamonnet
François Gamonnet, a graduate of EM Lyon (France), is the co-founder of Innovation Consultants and the Time Management Institute. He developed a passion for time management from 1980. He is the author of the book "Knowing how to better manage your time" published by Éditions d'Organisation, Paris. He has written numerous articles on time management. He is regularly quoted in the media for articles dealing with personal efficiency, email management, use of collaborative tools such as Outlook, Lotus Notes. He has worked with more than a hundred companies as a trainer, coach or speaker at professional conferences. More
25,000 people have benefited from his method of time and priority management in both Canada and France. François is an ardent user of Outlook and develops, with his associates, the application of good time management practices with Outlook Lotus Notes and the use of MindMapping and MindManager to better organize his ideas and meetings. François Gamonnet regularly gives conferences and personalized coaching in time management, personal efficiency, and the use of collaborative tools.
Malak Benjelloun, Certified Professional Coach ICI-Paris.
Lematin.ma
Published May 20, 2012.
Posted online May 21, 2012.
Your answers will surprise you, because you can abandon a tangible element and easy to delegate from our to-do list. And often, we can get rid of tension or anxiety that we had created without even realizing it. The fact of thinking about what we will lose can help us get rid of this feeling knowing that we are able to meet the challenges that may arise.
No worries, we don't need to constantly operate at full speed without taking a break. There are times when we want to move forward, take steps to achieve our goals and objectives, and others where we are seeking calm and want to have a good evening.
There are a lot of tools to take control and manage your time more efficiently, but before trying to enroll in personal effectiveness training or buying a multitude of books, let's take the time to ask ourselves a few questions. Remember that in coaching, it's all about questioning.
At what time of day am I most productive? Do I prefer to complete a task in one go or divide it into several parts? Am I always motivated and full of initiative, or do I need to be pushed? How much time do I spend reacting to the tasks assigned to me?
Lots of questions to start by becoming aware of our relationship with time, knowing that any approach is so much a part of our daily lives that it is more delicate for us to dispense with its automatic mode. And since we are in a coaching dynamic, it is a question of bringing us to awareness of the need to change certain ways of doing or being in order to ensure sufficient motivation to get moving.
The goal is to find an action that we can commit to in order to move to the next level, knowing that each action will feed our personal action plan.
Why a personal action plan? Simply to acquire the attitudes and behavior that will allow us to master time and no longer be overwhelmed.
And we find that this is a beginning, because we will take the time, or allow ourselves time to stop and reflect and listen to ourselves to decide and dare to change. And we may find that sometimes it is necessary to abandon something in order to regain control of our lives, which will in return bring a benefit and that ultimately it was not so necessary to devote so much time to it.
The idea is to gain efficiency, because losing or gaining time doesn't really make sense since you can't hoard it; managing your time well means being happy with yourself at all times. You can just live it differently and thus, managing your time is being efficient during the time that passes.
Of course, sometimes you experience a certain resistance to change because we have become accustomed to a way of doing things.
Question: aren't we clinging to tasks that another person could perform as well, if not better, than us?
- Learning to love to delegate:
Having some of your tasks performed by other people is not a skill reserved for the world of work. And one of the best ways to restore balance to your life is to delegate. In life in general, delegation can be used in a very practical way. Discussing your problems with someone you trust can produce things analogous to delegating, because you are using their energy to be able to consider things from a different angle. For this it is important to reformulate some of our beliefs about abandoning certain things, namely:
"If I want something done right, I have to do it myself" is to be replaced by the following belief: I am convinced that other people can approach this task with criteria as high as mine.
"If I give up this task, I lose control" becomes: if I give up this task, I will have more time to do what I love and I will better control my life.
"If I can't manage everything, it will prove that I'm no good" becomes: my success lies in my ability to channel my resources and know when to ask for help.
- We are always overwhelmed:
When we calculate what we have to do in a day, it is not easy to get everything done, knowing that we are not all organized. In some people, the sense of organization seems innate, unlike others, it is far from acquired. Let's start then by learning to OR-GA-NI-ZE ourselves, provided, however, not to be too psychorigid and to leave room for improvisation and an unavoidable element that most often occurs at the moment when we least expect it and which is called the unexpected. The thing to prepare for above all is to anticipate the unexpected, which forces us, for example, to reschedule meetings and generates accumulated delays. So it's better to have a different way of thinking than doing. Since you can't predict everything, you need to allow time for unforeseen events instead of denying reality.
Some practical tips recommended by Malak Benjelloun
Step 1: Let's determine the imperatives
And if we started by making a list of what we have to do in detail, work, errands, chores, everything. Once the list is drawn up, we split it into two parts, mandatory tasks and those that are not. Then, we will devote ourselves for a week, only to what we consider mandatory. We must not be afraid to take time to gain time thanks to a meticulous preparation of our schedule in relation to short, medium and long-term objectives. And remember to block time in your diary to manage unforeseen events.
So, is it difficult? Does everything seem mandatory to you? It's about starting to take control of our lives, to go step by step in change, to identify our difficulties and to draw up a realistic strategy to make us change things. We will become the COACH of our lives.
Step 2: Let's make lists
We have so many things to do that we end up forgetting some of them during the day. And that's how we find ourselves in the evening blaming ourselves because we haven't been up to scratch. To avoid this too frequent scenario, let's now think about making lists. In the evening, let's review our next day. Let's write down everything we have to do, without forgetting anything, even the simple tasks or those that seem insignificant. The next day, as we complete our tasks, we will check off the completed tasks from the list, which will allow us to see what we have accomplished.
It is often the prospect of the next day that prevents us from sleeping well, and the advantage of the list is to have peace of mind knowing that we are not going to forget anything, without having to occupy our minds by repeating endlessly in the evening and during the day: I must not forget to do this or to go pick up that. We free our brains and as we draw up points to do, the solution to certain difficulties often appears.
Step 3: Do things gradually
If we have the feeling of being overwhelmed, it's because we want to do several things at once in the hope of saving time or that we don't do them gradually and let them accumulate. We then find ourselves faced with a number of phone calls to make, a pile of administrative papers to manage and many others to do. To prevent things from piling up, let us make it a habit to get rid of anything that annoys us as quickly as possible. Eliminate this habit of opening a letter and saying, I'll answer it later, you answer it immediately and the matter is closed.
Step 4: Focus on what you are doing
The goal is not to do less, but to do it better. By practicing zen wisdom, focusing on what we are doing, rather than thinking about everything we still have to do and repeating to ourselves that we will never get there. Let's face it, it will require effort and time, but with practice and training, it should come and help you free your mind at least. Whatever the task to be performed, question its usefulness, why we must do it and what pleasure it can bring to us and to others. Instead of spending most of our time tirelessly repeating the hateful: "I will never succeed", we train ourselves to repeat: "I will succeed, I am sure I will succeed"
• I lack time for myself
Having time for oneself appears as a luxury. Time to do what you love, and which we never do because we prioritize others, work or children. Don't forget that doing what you love simply for pleasure is a source of balance. We dream of being able to breathe a little, even if it's only for a few minutes.
• Let's stop feeling guilty
Undoubtedly the most difficult thing. However, we must convince ourselves that we are not always indispensable and that others can perfectly manage without us and even well. Two to-do lists that will help us to de-culpabilize: in the first we will write down what our duties are and in the second what are the rights we grant ourselves. To allow de-culpabilization, let's list the activities of each other. This time that we still claim, we must know what we would like to use it for. One last solution: you can always talk to a coach.
Portrait: François Gamonnet
François Gamonnet, a graduate of EM Lyon (France), is the co-founder of Innovation Consultants and the Time Management Institute. He developed a passion for time management from 1980. He is the author of the book "Knowing how to better manage your time" published by Éditions d'Organisation, Paris. He has written numerous articles on time management. He is regularly quoted in the media for articles dealing with personal efficiency, email management, use of collaborative tools such as Outlook, Lotus Notes. He has worked with more than a hundred companies as a trainer, coach or speaker at professional conferences. More
25,000 people have benefited from his method of time and priority management in both Canada and France. François is an ardent user of Outlook and develops, with his associates, the application of good time management practices with Outlook Lotus Notes and the use of MindMapping and MindManager to better organize his ideas and meetings. François Gamonnet regularly gives conferences and personalized coaching in time management, personal efficiency, and the use of collaborative tools.
Malak Benjelloun, Certified Professional Coach ICI-Paris.
Lematin.ma
Published May 20, 2012.
Posted online May 21, 2012.
