Budgeting: Time is Money

Time is an unchanging thing – every one of us has the same number of hours in a day to accomplish our goals. But there are those among us who seem to have it all under control. How do they do it? The most effective, successful people exhibit not only an awareness but a mastery of time put to its best use.

There are so many competing needs and goals in our lives – how do you stay ahead and still have time to renew and rest? The first step is to determine how you spend your time now, then figure out how to improve your efficiency.

Are you a procrastinator?
Procrastinators are like sprinters. They know where the finish line is, but don’t pay much attention to how they get there. This means they know what needs to be done but don’t jump into action until the last minute, creating an environment of stress that isn’t always healthy. They work as hard as everyone else – probably harder than they have to, at times – but can’t always differentiate between priorities and unanticipated projects. All they respond to is the deadline. Why make it harder on yourself than you have to? Consistent work means consistent progress.

Are you a multi-tasker?
Multi-taskers of the world are going to slam me for this, because so many people don’t view the process of managing multiple tasks at once as a choice. But here’s what I’ve seen: If you’re working too many angles simultaneously, it takes more time to bounce from piece to piece, your focus on each task is diluted and the results are often less than stellar. If you work in order of priority and direct your uninterrupted concentration on each item, you will get more done and the outcome will be of better quality – much more reflective of your true effort.

Once you know what kind of time manager you are, you can isolate the behaviors that kick you off track and refocus your time and effort.

Here are some tips for making the most of your time:

Make a list every day. Keep it short and realistic, no more than 5 items. Go for the big payoff first. What can you accomplish that will make you feel the best? Crossing the most challenging task off your list first will motivate you to burn through the less crucial items with confidence and ease.

Keep a longer-term calendar and mark down upcoming project deadlines. Look ahead often, adding new items when they arise, and when you have time, try to make headway on tasks you can start.

Clear your space and your head will feel clear, too. If your surroundings are cluttered, you will feel distracted; if they are neat, you’ll focus less on the mess and more on the task at hand.

Schedule your break times and take them without fail. If they’re short and predictable time-wise, you will focus more effectively, because your brain anticipates the upcoming breather. Work in reasonable blocks of time and you won’t feel as stressed or overwhelmed – as long as you’ve budgeted enough time to complete your assignment.

Assign your time a monetary value. If each of your minutes spent is worth a dollar figure in your head, you’ll realize in short order how much less willing you are to blow them on Facebook, jib-jabbing about how the Sox fared against the Yankees and other inanities. Use your available time to get closer to your important goals – those are moments well invested and well spent.

Take care of yourself. Make sure to take advantage of fun, get good rest and eat as healthfully as you can. Those pieces of your life are as important to your overall success as anything you can accomplish at your desk, so don’t discount your needs. Plus, no one really loves a workaholic. It makes everyone else look bad!

Wishing you a productive day,

LT