Basic principles of time management. Time management: time management. What is time management

“We get tired and exhausted not because we work hard, but because we work poorly, we work in an unorganized way, we work stupidly.”

Physiologist N.E. Vvedensky

Time - manager t is a time management technique that includes rules and principles that help a person to properly organize his time and achieve maximum efficiency in any business. With the help of time management, a person can consciously control the time he spends on various activities, while increasing the efficiency and productivity of his work or leisure. Planning, distribution, prioritization, setting goals helps a person cope with the crazy rhythm of modern life. Time management helps a person to do everything without stress and avoid chronic fatigue.

Initially, time management techniques were used only when doing business, organizing work. But now time management methods are also used in a person’s personal life in order to manage to cope with everyday issues, properly organize their leisure time and rest.

The history of time management

Back in the 1920s, the Scientific Organization of Labor said that the efficiency of using time depends on the personal efficiency of the person himself. The League "Time" appeared, which published articles in newspapers under the name "Struggle for Time". In the 70s, the timekeeping method, which was developed by the biologist Lyubishchev, gained popularity. This method is a tool for developing effective human thinking, which contributes to the rational management of personal time and increasing personal efficiency.

In 2007, the first department of time management was opened in Moscow at the Financial and Industrial Institute. Today, this direction has become very popular and popular. There are a lot of trainings, seminars on planning and rational distribution of time.

time manager this is a person who takes into account the psychological characteristics of people, working conditions and offers more efficient work schedules. He is able to reveal in a person all his hidden reserves and suggest how to increase his efficiency.

The process of communication between a time manager and a client is similar to a psychological consultation in which he listens to a person, gives tips and advice on how to allocate time, how much time to devote to rest, how to prioritize. How to plan your day so that you can do everything without stress.

Time managers conduct not only individual consultations. Often they are invited by companies as experts to help improve the labor process. First of all, teach the manager how to correctly distribute his working time and correctly distribute duties in the team. They study the activities of the company, the amount of time required to solve certain problems. After collecting information and analysis, the time manager makes adjustments to the company's daily routine.

  • Analysis of the time spent on certain tasks.
  • Statement, formulation and definition of the goal.
  • Making a plan to achieve the goal, as well as setting priorities.
  • Realization of the goal. A hint on what steps to take according to the plan.
  • Making lists of things to do.
  • Recording time with timekeeping.

What are the advantages of a person who has learned how to properly plan his time?

“Time wasted is existence; Time used to good use is life."

E.Jung

  • Achieves set goals.
  • Achieve your goals much faster than others.
  • Able to achieve success in any field of activity.
  • He has more time for rest, communication with relatives and friends.
  • Can do a lot more things in a given amount of time.
  • Can increase his income and retire by properly distributing responsibilities between employees.
  • Can get rid of chronic fatigue, is not subject to stress.
  • Always has a clear plan of action.
  • It has a sense of inner freedom and independently controls its life.

Types of time management

Now there are many different approaches to the problem of time management. Experts distinguish three main types:

  • Personal (personal) time management. It is associated with the personal self-development of a person, the ability to properly and fruitfully organize his day.
  • Professional time management helps a person to effectively perform his work, organize his working time correctly or reasonably distribute responsibilities in a team.
  • Social time - management regulates interpersonal relationships or time management of several people. For example, corporate.

Basic concepts of time management

Time management concept- it is a way of understanding and perceiving time. The concept of time management helps to determine the reason and purpose why a person needs to learn how to manage his time. Realize the value of this process, as well as understand the basic principles of time management.

Time Management Techniques- a certain sequence of actions that will help solve a specific problem.

Time management system- a set of concepts and methods that will allow you to achieve your goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Improper organization of work or illiterate organization of activities by management leads to the fact that company employees feel a constant lack of time. This affects the efficiency and success of the enterprise as a whole.

Lack of time occurs when:

  • There is no daily schedule.
  • If the assistant manager is not aware of his daily routine.
  • Phone calls and visitors often distract from the main activity.
  • If the manager does not know how to distribute responsibilities.
  • If the work is done in a constant rush, which leads to rapid fatigue.
  • If employees do not correspond to their positions.
  • If employees inadequately assess their capabilities, the speed of work.
  • If there is no motivation among employees (for example, salary is too low).

To improve the efficiency of the enterprise, it is necessary to teach employees how to plan the work for the day. When drawing up a plan, you need to devote 60% of the time to the main tasks, 20% unforeseen and 20% spontaneous cases. The main thing is to accustom the team to make plans for the day systematically and regularly.

The effectiveness of time management in management depends on how employees are trained in planning, prioritization, control of time for completing tasks, as well as the correct sequence of tasks.

To solve these problems, you can invite an expert in time management or train the manager of your enterprise, who will issue tasks to employees and monitor the effectiveness of their work. The manager must issue both basic and several spare tasks. At the end of the day, the employee submits a progress report.

Personal time management in time management

As for personal time management, there are basic time management rules that apply in personal life:

  1. Never take work home.
  2. Organize your life in such a way that it takes a minimum of time.
  3. Plan free time in advance. This should include emotional enjoyment (going to the cinema, theater, concert, museum). As well as physical (sports, dancing, etc.).
  4. For rest, use not only weekends, but at least one day in the middle of the week. For example, ride a bike after work or go to the sauna with friends.
  5. During the holidays, limit calls, mail, the Internet in order to truly relax.

1. The basic rule of time management is the correct goal setting.

If you learn to clearly define your goals, as well as determine which tasks are secondary, then you will save a lot of time.

If you spend your time on something, it means that at that moment you think that it is very important. But is it? Ask yourself, will the result of this action help you get closer to your goal? What is a goal? The goal is a person's desire for something, when the whole process is aimed at the final result.

When setting a goal, you must first determine the main values.

Recognize your abilities and motivation. Analyze the problems, needs and difficulties that may arise on the way to the goal. Present clearly your goal in the smallest detail, its end result. Plan your actions, look for resources and start implementing.

There are different methods of goal setting. But all methods have a common goal setting algorithm:

  1. The goal should be as specific as possible with a clear end result.
  2. The need to achieve the goal must be justified. Why is this needed and what will I get from it?
  3. The goal must be realistic and the mechanism for achieving it must be clear.
  4. It is necessary to clearly define the time limits for which the goal must be achieved.

2. The second basic rule of time management is prioritization.

Knowing how to prioritize is very important. There are things that are less important in achieving the goal, and there are those that play a major role.

3. The third basic rule of time management is planning.

After setting a goal, the next step is planning. Planning is an integral part of time management. It consists of the following main steps:

  1. Drawing up a time management plan.
  2. The stage of drafting a project, in which you can maneuver, think over different options for achieving the goal.
  3. The stage of identifying the necessary resources.
  4. The stage of identifying people who can help you on the way to the goal.
  5. The stage of fixing the results of planning in the form of a business project, a map.

When a person begins to engage in planning, thinking is activated, creativity is turned on. By making a plan, your goal becomes more specific, you begin to understand what you really want and how to achieve it. This is a kind of practical guide to action.

Until a person makes a plan for the implementation of what he wants, he is in constant reflection on this topic. But not thoughts, but actions bring you closer to the goal. When a detailed plan is drawn up, which takes into account different ways to achieve the goal, this gives you the opportunity to maneuver. It does not work with some means and methods, you can try others. Planning develops in a person flexibility and readiness for any situations.

Making a plan gives you a high chance of success. Having a plan gives you confidence in yourself and your abilities. All successful people and entrepreneurs are planning.

Basic planning techniques. Short description

1. ABC planning is based on the fact that you need to do the most significant things first (under the letter A), and then B and C.

Category A cases are the most important. They make up 15% of all cases and bring 65% of the results. B - important cases that make up 20% of all cases and bring 20% ​​of the results. Category C - these are the cases of the least importance, they make up 65% and give a result - 15%.

2. Pareto Rule Or the 80/20 principle. This principle applies to any daily activity. 80% of the things you do in a day give you 20% of the results you want. And 20% of planned important things bring you closer to the result by 80%.

For example: 20% of people own 80% of the capital, 80% of people own 20% of the capital. 20% of clients give 80% profit, and 80% of clients give 20% profit.

3. Timing- this method lies in the fact that you need to record every minute of all your actions and how much time you spent on them. This will help you understand where and what your time is spent on and how to adjust your schedule.

4. Making a list of tasks- This is the simplest planning method that allows you to plan both time and affairs.

How to make a proper to-do list and follow it?

  1. To begin with, observe yourself. How much time do you need to complete different tasks.
  2. Write a to-do list for the evening.
  3. Write down specific items. For example: go to the store. Attach a shopping list to this item.
  4. Plan your whole day, not just work.
  5. Start your day by doing easy tasks. To immediately check the boxes and cheer up for the whole day with the thought that following a to-do list is not so difficult .. For example, doing exercises and preparing breakfast.
  6. The to-do list should always be in sight.
  7. Do not write more than 7 priority cases on the list so that you don’t get nervous later that you didn’t have time to do something.

  • Try all the planning methods and choose the most suitable one.
  • Keep records.
  • Don't try to do everything. Do the most important and priority things first.
  • Plan your every day. And also make an additional plan for the week.
  • Always carry a pen and notepad with you.
  • Start a success diary, it will motivate you and remind you that you are on the right track.
  • Learn to say "no". This will help to avoid communicating with unnecessary people, doing unnecessary things.
  • Before you do anything, consider how urgent it is, how important it is, and how this action will bring you closer to your goal.
  • Analyze your habits, activities that waste your time. By timing, it is easy to track those actions that you need to get rid of.
  • Don't do other people's work. Don't be a tool to achieve someone else's goals. Concentrate on your goal.
  • Take time for self-improvement.
  • Don't stop there. Once you reach one goal, set the next one.

1. Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People considers time management as an element of self-improvement. Here are his tips:

  • Do what you have to do first. Don't put off important things for later.
  • Your goal should be a priority and important. Move towards her.
  • Perform all actions based on priorities.
  • Don't spend a lot of effort on achieving an insignificant goal. The resources spent and the end result must be commensurate.
  • Look for all the ways to make life easier.

2. David Allen advises to properly organize the workplace, to acquire all the necessary stationery. Also, create a file cabinet, for each case, create a corresponding folder. Allen also advises writing 4 to-do lists:

  • Make a list of things that need to be done in the near future;
  • Include in a separate list projects that require an integrated approach;
  • Make a separate list of projects that, for one reason or another, cannot yet be completed;
  • "Someday" list.

3.Julia Morgenstern advises to evaluate first how much time you spend doing your tasks. What factors are distracting you. You may be distracted by social media, extra responsibilities, unrealistic deadlines, or psychological obstacles.

  • For each action, a time frame must be set.
  • If you cannot perform some action, then analyze it, perhaps it can be postponed for a while, delegated to other employees, or completely abandoned.
  • Sort things and affairs, clear the space of everything that you can do without. Give each thing its place, and each task its time.

"Eat a frog for breakfast"

So that all day your thoughts do not return to the task that you do not want to do or it is unpleasant for you, start the day with it. So you will be freed from the emotional stress and burden that you would have to carry all day.

"Elephant Steak"

If you are faced with a global task, for the solution of which you need to do a lot of actions, then divide this work into parts. Don't make an elephant out of it, cut it into pieces. This will make it easier to get started on the task at hand. And also this approach contributes to a better understanding of this problem.

Learn to say "no"

Time management does not teach you how to do as much as possible, but how to do what needs to be done correctly. Say "no" to unnecessary things, people. Don't become a tool for anyone to achieve their goals. Concentrate on your goals.

Strive for automation and maximum simplification of your activities.

Do similar things in a row, as the brain gets used to a certain area of ​​​​activity. And every time he gets through it faster.

Listen to your biological rhythms. Do work at a time when you feel a special surge of strength and activity. During the period of least activity, give yourself a break. Listen to the needs of your body. Sometimes a 15-minute break is enough to open up a "second wind".

The best time management books to read:

  • Effective time management. B. Tracy
  • Time drive. How to manage to live and work. G. Arkhangelsky
  • Tough time management: take control of your life. D. Kennedy
  • Work less, do more. C. Gleason
  • To hell with all of it! Take it and do it. R. Branson
  • Extreme time management. N. Mrochkovsky, A. Tolkachev
  • Practical course on time management. I. Abramovsky
  • How to work 4 hours a week and at the same time not hang around in the office “from call to call”, live anywhere and get rich. T. Ferris
  • Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. D. Allen

The effectiveness of time management depends on you following its basic rules, as well as a clear understanding of why you need it, how to manage your time and what benefits you will have.

The frantic pace of modern life often leads to a constant lack of time. “Meetings, reports, planning meetings, meetings with clients, calls, projects, personal life - I’m spinning like a squirrel in a wheel, but I don’t have time to do anything,” some complain. So what is the reason that in the same period of time some do much more than others? The answer is obvious - time management, in its competent planning and rational use, which results in higher productivity.

What is time management?

Time management(English time management - time management) is the process of organizing and planning your own time, which allows you to perform current tasks more efficiently and productively. Good time management allows you to work smarter first, not harder—so you can get more done in less time, no matter how big your to-do list is. The inability to manage your own time not only harms your efficiency, but also causes stress due to constant delays in completing tasks.

Experts distinguish two types of time management: personal and corporate. In a broad sense, time management as a subspecies is a mechanism for managing company time. In corporate time management, the main focus is on managing the working time of all employees of the company, and the rational use of time by each individual employee is the result of the correct construction of the corporate system.

Time management in the narrow sense is the organization of the personal time of each person. It is relevant in those cases and for those categories of workers who have a certain freedom of choice and have a flexible schedule. When a person is forced to independently make decisions and organize the process of his work, he needs to master the technologies for organizing personal time.

What is time management for?

The benefits of using time management are enormous:

  1. Increased productivity and labor efficiency.
  2. Improved professional reputation.
  3. Reduced stress levels (tasks completed on time).
  4. Opportunities for career advancement are expanding.
  5. Great opportunities to achieve important life and career goals.
  6. There is more personal time to communicate with family and friends.

At the same time, failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences:

  1. Violated deadlines (deadline) tasks.
  2. Inefficient workflow.
  3. Poor quality of work.
  4. Poor professional reputation and lack of career advancement.
  5. Higher levels of stress.

Stages of time management

Time management includes a number of steps, including:

  1. Goal setting.
  2. Planning and distribution of time.
  3. Delegation of tasks and resource management.
  4. Time cost analysis.
  5. Time fixing.
  6. Prioritization.
  7. Implementation of tasks.
  8. Monitoring the achievement of goals, the implementation of plans, summarizing the results.

Basic rules of time management

1. Make a to-do list

First you need to decide on a list of all the tasks that need to be completed. Reflect in the list not only all work tasks, but also personal ones. Make a list based on tasks that need to be completed during the day, week, month, year. Do not forget about your personal life, meetings with friends, visiting the clinic, reflect the time for self-development in the list and do not forget about the holidays.

2. Take time

After you have compiled a list of tasks, you need to write in front of each task the estimated time (minutes, hours, days) required to complete it. This will come in handy later on when planning your daily routine.

3. Prioritize

As a rule, there are always a lot of tasks and it is impossible to do everything at once. Therefore, it is necessary to properly prioritize. The criteria for prioritization can be different - these are personal motives, and financial rewards. The Eisenhower Matrix can be used as a guideline for prioritization.

Eisenhower Case Matrix

All tasks are divided into 4 groups:

  1. Urgent and important - performed in the first place and in full (critical tasks).
  2. Important, but not urgent, are performed second. The solution of such problems can be postponed for a certain time, but they must also be fully resolved.
  3. Urgent but not important are tasks that, although urgent, are not critical. It is desirable to delegate the execution of such tasks to other persons, and if this is not possible, then postpone it, because they "devour time" to solve critical tasks.
  4. Not urgent and not important - these are tasks that have no meaning in principle and do not bear any consequences if they are not completed. Things like this can be safely crossed off your list.

4. Make a plan of action (tasks)

Having on hand a list of tasks, their priority and timing, you can create a schedule of tasks for the day, week, month. Now, instead of worrying about: “I didn’t have time to do all that bunch of things again,” you understand that you have completed everything that you could really do, given the time that exists in your life.

5. Filter information

In today's world of information flows, it's easy to get lost in time. Therefore, learn to weed out all the information noise and concentrate on processing only the information that you really need.

6. Don't get scattered between tasks

Finish the task you started, don't leave it unfinished. Time management experts note that repeatedly returning to the solution of an "annoying task" reduces a person's productivity by five times!

Also, do not take on several cases at the same time (of course, if you are not a multitasking guru). This will take longer than doing all the tasks separately, and may reduce the quality of their performance.

7. Eliminate Time Wasters

Eliminate everything that wastes your time in vain: browsing social networks, TV shows, extra coffee breaks and talking with colleagues about nothing, etc. If you do a lot of routine work (for example, collecting and processing data), try to automate this process as much as possible.

8. Keep Order

Tidy up your desktop, organize your documentation and put it on the shelves, organize information in your PC, contact databases, etc. All this will greatly facilitate your life when searching for the necessary information (documents) and save a lot of time.

9. Work at fixed times

Each person has their own biorhythms, determine when you are at the peak of activity. It is during these hours that the most difficult tasks should be performed, because. maximum concentration will allow you to solve such problems more efficiently and productively.

ten . Don't forget to rest

Be sure to take time for yourself: go to the gym, travel, do not forget about a hobby, spend an evening with your family. A rested person is effective at work!

It would be great to always have at hand a universal collection-assistant for organizing time. We have prepared a universal list of 25 time management techniques, divided into categories for prioritizing, planning and organizing the process of work and leisure.

Prioritization

1. ABC analysis

This technique is based on the percentage of the most important and least important cases. All tasks are divided into three classes depending on their importance:

A. The most important cases, which make up 15% of the total number of cases and their contribution to the achievement of the goals is 65%.

C. Important tasks - 20% of their total number, the significance for achieving the goal is 20%.

C. Less important tasks are equal to 65% of their total number, and their importance is 15%.

To use ABC analysis, you need to do the following:

  • make a list of all future tasks;
  • categorize them by importance and prioritize them;
  • evaluate tasks according to categories A, B and C;

2. Eisenhower matrix.

Tasks are divided into groups according to urgency and importance:

A - Urgent and important matter

B - Not urgent, but more important

S - Urgent but not important

D - Not urgent and not important

Depending on the group that the task is in, the order of its execution or delegation depends.

3. Pareto Method

The Pareto method is a distribution of tasks according to the 80/20 principle: 80% of tasks can be solved in 20% of the time spent; the remaining 20% ​​of tasks take 80% of the time spent.

Planning

4. List of all cases

Recording absolutely all cases will help in planning the amount of work for the day, week, month. And also you can clearly see your workload and the ratio of important and not very important tasks. Moreover, if such a list is always at hand, the question “What to do?” will be resolved immediately.

5. Accounting for biological rhythms

When planning things, you should consider not only the "lark" you or the "owl", but also the peak of productivity. It can be determined by observing your performance during the day. It would also be nice to determine the right time for lunch. recreation and self-development.

6. Keep a diary

Organize previously recorded cases into the system: an entry in the diary, an excel spreadsheet, an application on the phone, etc. The main thing is that you have an idea of ​​the amount of work for the day and do not forget even the smallest assignment.

7. The right tools

All kinds of applications are our weapons in the fight against procrastination and time traps, so it's better to upgrade your arsenal. Read the most convenient and proven programs and applications for making lists and teamwork.

8. Technique "Timekeeping"

The "Timekeeping" technique is a fixation of time for any tasks, even for such primitive ones as morning exercises or lunch. You write down every task that you spend time on, so during the week you will be able to solve the following tasks:

  • determine what your time is spent on;
  • identify chronophages, that is, "time eaters";
  • develop a "sense of efficiency" and a "sense of timing".

9. Formula 10-3-2-1-0

To use this technique, you need to memorize a formula that describes a healthy work schedule and personal time, and stick to it when making a daily plan.

10 hours before bed: no caffeine.

3 hours before bedtime: No food or alcohol.

2 hours before bed: no work.

1 hour before bed: no electronic gadgets.

0 times: How many times you can press the Snooze button on the alarm clock.

10. Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart is a reliable technique for visually displaying tasks and time. Tasks are indicated on one scale of the schedule, and the time to complete them is indicated on the other. Ideal for fans of graphs that can be made in MS Project, Excel.

Organization of work and leisure

11. Pomodoro Technique

The principle of execution: we start a timer for 25 minutes, work with concentration, without being distracted until the timer rings, after which we take a break for 5 minutes. After 4 repetitions, we take a long break - 20-25 minutes. Thus, you constantly alternate work and rest, change activities and avoid overwork.

12. Eat a frog

The frog is the most annoying thing. It's best to deal with them first. After its completion, the very thing will seem not so terrible and nasty, and other tasks will seem easy at all.

13. Salami Method

How to quietly eat a stick of sausage? Cutting off a small piece. The same thing should be done with all complex, multi-component tasks: divide them into small parts and do one every day.

14. Delegation

If you are a leader, delegate those tasks that take up a lot of time and are not important, and focus on more strategically important tasks yourself.

15. Follow the stages of affairs

Strive to do things sequentially, first finish one, and only then start another. We have already said that when switching from one thing to another, it takes about 10-15 minutes to fully focus on the process. Constantly jumping from task to task, you lose time, although the illusion of hard work is created.

16. At least 10 minutes

This technique does not refer to work matters, but rather to personal growth and self-development. For example, if you have long wanted to learn or remember a foreign language, try to give it at least 10 minutes a day. The same goes for sports, books, etc.

17. "Found Time"

The essence of the technique: to pre-determine a list of 15-20 small tasks for which you do not have enough time, and be ready to do them when you have any suitable “window”. Keep adding to the list.

18. Work is the best way to get started

There are days when productivity is at zero and work is heavy. In this case, for overclocking, it is better to start working with small tasks: mail, calls, tasks that will take no more than 20 minutes to complete.

19. Make important appointments in the morning

20. Divide work time into blocks

Divide workflows into blocks: calls and mail, meetings, project work, etc. This will help allocate time for focused work during the day.

21. Set Deadlines for Everything

Even the smallest task must have a deadline, otherwise the flow of things “for later” will drag on forever.

22. Immersion in work

Set aside a day or two for prioritizing tasks, eliminating distractions such as calls and meetings.

23. Say no

"No" is a powerful word. When you say "no" to a new commitment, you show respect for those you've already made and gain the ability to successfully keep them. Remember that by giving consent, you must refuse something or cancel something.

24. Fight the "tyranny of the urgent"

“The tyranny of the urgent” is small, unimportant tasks that need to be done right now. This poses a big problem because urgent action usually has very little effect. Having succumbed to the "tyranny of the urgent", it will be difficult to get rid of it, and, accordingly, to allocate time for something more important.

25. Prepare for tomorrow before leaving the office

A great way to end the day is to prepare for the next one. Summarize the day, make a plan for the next day, put your desktop in order.

Time management for executives

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

What is time management and what are the basic principles of personal time management technique. What rules will have to be followed by those who want to use time management in life, and how it will affect a person, his successes and goals. Detailed analysis of the concept and important points.

For a modern person, 24 hours a day is not enough. Especially for an entrepreneur trying to complete the maximum number of tasks during the day. Often he sacrifices sleep and rest, working late and seven days a week. But more often the problem lies not in the lack of time, but in its improper distribution.

The implementation of time management in life allows you to:

  • learn to manage time;
  • control your day
  • value personal time;
  • perform more tasks;
  • achieve the set goals;
  • don't sacrifice rest.

But before you start using this time management technique, you need to get to know it in detail.

What is time management: basic concepts and definitions

Time management is a technology for conscious time management that increases human productivity. It is based on setting priorities, analyzing time costs, planning, setting goals, organizing a working day (week, month) and delegating tasks.

In addition, time management provides for the analysis of specific steps and actions necessary to implement an idea or achieve a goal. This also includes control over the achievement of goals, which consists in the implementation of plans and summing up.

Time management is used to manage both work and personal time. After all, any weekday is not only work, but also rest, self-development, self-education, entertainment, etc.

This technology is useful not only for businessmen, managers, politicians, but also for housewives, students, schoolchildren and other people. It allows you to complete all the tasks set for the day every day and at the same time fully enjoy life - relax, devote time to family or hobbies, travel and much more.

Everyone has the same twenty-four hours a day. The difference is how you spend your time. The good news is that even if you've been using your time poorly so far, you can change that from tomorrow. Instead of wasting your time on low value activities, start spending it on high paying activities.

If you remove all the husks, then you can derive a fairly simple definition:

"Time management is a tool for managing your life."

Our life largely depends on the time spent on certain actions. And learning to manage time means learning to manage life.

What are the principles of effective time management

The principles of personal time management and planning are based on 4 main foundations:

  1. Proper goal setting.
  2. The correct arrangement of life priorities.
  3. Inculcating the right habits.
  4. Proper use of planning tools.

Goal setting

Most people are not good at setting goals. From this, their productivity decreases, motivation disappears, and after a while a person has only one goal - to relax.

What are the mistakes in goal setting?

For example, the desire to buy a car before the end of the year is not a goal.

The goal should look like this: “I will buy a 2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom by December 25, 2016.” That is, there must be specifics and time limits (the deadline for achieving the goal).

The goal should be:

  • specific;
  • limited time;
  • measurable;
  • real.

Without these 4 components, the goal becomes a simple desire that does not motivate.

When you realize that you are 25 or 30 years old, and your parents have 10, 15, 20 years left to live, then the real reason arises. Whether it happened to any of you, I don't know. But if someone has it, that's great. Because our loved ones, as goals, give us a huge breakthrough for development. Then others arise - mission, scale, influence, all sorts of interests. But for those suffering and looking for their own motivation, for those who cannot find what ignites it and sits in an empty place, I want to appeal. Don't look far. Stand up for yourself - buy clothes, start eating, dressing normally and you will find later that you are completely able to change the lives of your loved ones. And this is an excellent reason for the first steps.

Mikhail Dashkiev - co-founder and project manager "Business Youth"

Definition of life priorities

The effectiveness of time management largely depends on a person's life priorities. They are just as important as the goals. But here, too, people make mistakes all the time.

Life priorities, to a greater extent, should be directed in relation to oneself. That is, first of all, you need to think: “What is important to me? What do I need to improve my life and its quality?

However, one should not assume that everyone who uses time management is selfish.

Not all priorities should be directed to the beloved one. You also need to think about relatives and friends. Especially if it is parents, wife or children. And you need to understand that everyone has their own priorities. That is, for someone only their well-being is important, but for someone the well-being of the whole family.

But still, the main part of the priorities should be directed to the person himself. Then productivity will not fall and there will be no "burnout", after which, usually, people give up.

Instilling Habits

Here we are talking about useful and good habits that will help you achieve your goals. Thanks to which all the planned tasks will be carried out in a day. With the help of which you can increase your own productivity.

What are these habits? For example:

  • Wake up daily at 5 am.
  • Run 10 km in the morning.
  • Always keep your promises.
  • Come to meetings on time.
  • Don't watch TV or read the news.
  • Never complain about anything.
  • Always tell the truth.

It takes 21 days to develop a good habit. The same goes for breaking bad habits.

The main rule for developing good habits is 1 habit per month. Yes, this process is lengthy. Especially if you plan to instill about 10 habits. But after all, “Moscow was not built right away.”

Using planning tools

Effectively managing your time without daily planning is extremely difficult and almost impossible. Therefore, daily plans are an integral element of time management.

Planning should be understood as a list of tasks for each day. Every evening, a person not only sums up the day, but also makes a to-do list for the next day. And for planning, he can use any available and convenient tools.

The traditional planning tool is a simple diary. It can be paper or electronic. However, it is best to use the first one, because when a person writes by hand, rather than typing on the keyboard, he remembers what is written more easily. Accordingly, during the day you will have to look less into the diary and be distracted from more important tasks.

The diary includes:

  • Short and long term goals.
  • Daily to-do list.
  • Personal notes.
  • Achievement marks.
  • The results of the days lived with their detailed analysis (number of completed tasks, time spent on certain actions, personal effectiveness during the day (week), etc.).

Such records may be kept in any electronic form. The main thing is that the program or application allows you to quickly make changes to the to-do list.

When drawing up plans and tasks for the day in time management, it is customary to take into account human biological cycles. After all, the rise and fall of activity in different people occurs at different times. Therefore, when planning, this feature is always taken into account.

Summarizing, it can be noted that planning is the most important moment of time management, without which the time management technique loses all meaning.

12 rules of modern time management

Time management is not a complex science and anyone can master this technique. You just need to follow the basic rules of the game.

  1. Plan daily. Make a daily to-do list and stick to it.
  2. Set specific, realistic and time-bound short and long term goals.
  3. Always adhere to the set priorities aimed at yourself (mostly) or loved ones.
  4. Exclude from life the "devourers" of personal and working time (social networks, computer games, watching TV, unnecessarily telephone conversations, etc.).
  5. Do the hardest things first and don't put them off until later.
  6. Always say "No" to unnecessary things.
  7. Focus on one task until it is completed. That is, you cannot jump from one action to another until one of them is completely completed.
  8. Work at a time that is comfortable for you, taking into account biological cycles.
  9. Filter all incoming information. This is especially true in the era of the popularity of the Internet, where there is a lot of information garbage.
  10. Maintain cleanliness on the desktop (including the desktop of a PC or laptop).
  11. Organize a comfortable workplace.
  12. Always remember that today may be the last day of your life. Nothing makes a person act like the fear of death.

What gives the use of time management in life

Firstly, time management allows you to learn how to manage your time, and therefore manage your activities and life.

Secondly, this technology helps to get rid of bad habits and replace them with good ones.

Thirdly, people who use time management achieve their goals faster, learn easily and are able to achieve success in various activities.

Moreover, a person who lives according to all the canons of time management:

  • Has more free time to relax.
  • Able to quickly perform a number of tasks in a short time.
  • Less affected by stress.
  • Less prone to diseases that are caused by stress, chronic fatigue and lack of sleep.
  • Almost completely in control of his life.

All this belongs to the section on the benefits of time management. But there is also the flip side of the coin.

Disadvantages of time management: why can't everyone manage time?

The technology itself looks almost perfect. The main thing is to make some efforts and a person becomes a real master of his life. However, for some reason, many fail to manage personal and work time. And the reason here lies in a number of shortcomings:

  • Before applying time management, a person must engage in self-discipline. And this is a completely different technology that requires a lot of time, which is why not everyone wants to do it and is left alone with their blurry goals and a mountain of unfulfilled tasks.
  • The complexity of the technology is the main drawback of time management. Indeed, in fact, a person simply breaks himself, leaves his comfort zone, rebuilds psychologically and emotionally, which for many becomes overwhelming work.
  • Not one manual or course on time management does not give a specific plan of action. They most often offer general actions that are not suitable for everyone.
  • It is difficult to manage your own time alone, as there is always an excuse to indulge yourself. Therefore, time management has a greater effect in a team (corporate time management) where there is a "caretaker".

I read a huge number of different books on time management, self-management, self-discipline. Many of these books are written in dry language. There are very few techniques that can be introduced into the life of a person who has a large number of projects, cases and which need to be done right now, maybe even yesterday. And I realized that this problem is not only with me, but also with many people.

Alexey Tolkachev - founder of the School of Winners project

As you can see, the main shortcomings of technology lie in human psychology. Someone can easily adapt to new living conditions, but someone can not do it.

In conclusion, I would like to note that time management really has a positive effect on performance, personal efficiency and success. And you can try to implement it in your life. However, it is not worth putting high hopes on this technology.

“We get tired and exhausted not because we work hard, but because we work poorly, we work in an unorganized way, we work stupidly.”

Physiologist N.E. Vvedensky

Time - manager t is a time management technique that includes rules and principles that help a person to properly organize his time and achieve maximum efficiency in any business. With the help of time management, a person can consciously control the time he spends on various activities, while increasing the efficiency and productivity of his work or leisure. Planning, distribution, prioritization, setting goals helps a person cope with the crazy rhythm of modern life. Time management helps a person to do everything without stress and avoid chronic fatigue.

Initially, time management techniques were used only when doing business, organizing work. But now time management methods are also used in a person’s personal life in order to manage to cope with everyday issues, properly organize their leisure time and rest.

The history of time management

Back in the 1920s, the Scientific Organization of Labor said that the efficiency of using time depends on the personal efficiency of the person himself. The League "Time" appeared, which published articles in newspapers under the name "Struggle for Time". In the 70s, the timekeeping method, which was developed by the biologist Lyubishchev, gained popularity. This method is a tool for developing effective human thinking, which contributes to the rational management of personal time and increasing personal efficiency.

In 2007, the first department of time management was opened in Moscow at the Financial and Industrial Institute. Today, this direction has become very popular and popular. There are a lot of trainings, seminars on planning and rational distribution of time.

time manager this is a person who takes into account the psychological characteristics of people, working conditions and offers more efficient work schedules. He is able to reveal in a person all his hidden reserves and suggest how to increase his efficiency.

The process of communication between a time manager and a client is similar to a psychological consultation in which he listens to a person, gives tips and advice on how to allocate time, how much time to devote to rest, how to prioritize. How to plan your day so that you can do everything without stress.

Time managers conduct not only individual consultations. Often they are invited by companies as experts to help improve the labor process. First of all, teach the manager how to correctly distribute his working time and correctly distribute duties in the team. They study the activities of the company, the amount of time required to solve certain problems. After collecting information and analysis, the time manager makes adjustments to the company's daily routine.

  • Analysis of the time spent on certain tasks.
  • Statement, formulation and definition of the goal.
  • Making a plan to achieve the goal, as well as setting priorities.
  • Realization of the goal. A hint on what steps to take according to the plan.
  • Making lists of things to do.
  • Recording time with timekeeping.

What are the advantages of a person who has learned how to properly plan his time?

“Time wasted is existence; Time used to good use is life."

E.Jung

  • Achieves set goals.
  • Achieve your goals much faster than others.
  • Able to achieve success in any field of activity.
  • He has more time for rest, communication with relatives and friends.
  • Can do a lot more things in a given amount of time.
  • Can increase his income and retire by properly distributing responsibilities between employees.
  • Can get rid of chronic fatigue, is not subject to stress.
  • Always has a clear plan of action.
  • It has a sense of inner freedom and independently controls its life.

Types of time management

Now there are many different approaches to the problem of time management. Experts distinguish three main types:

  • Personal (personal) time management. It is associated with the personal self-development of a person, the ability to properly and fruitfully organize his day.
  • Professional time management helps a person to effectively perform his work, organize his working time correctly or reasonably distribute responsibilities in a team.
  • Social time - management regulates interpersonal relationships or time management of several people. For example, corporate.

Basic concepts of time management

Time management concept- it is a way of understanding and perceiving time. The concept of time management helps to determine the reason and purpose why a person needs to learn how to manage his time. Realize the value of this process, as well as understand the basic principles of time management.

Time Management Techniques- a certain sequence of actions that will help solve a specific problem.

Time management system- a set of concepts and methods that will allow you to achieve your goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Improper organization of work or illiterate organization of activities by management leads to the fact that company employees feel a constant lack of time. This affects the efficiency and success of the enterprise as a whole.

Lack of time occurs when:

  • There is no daily schedule.
  • If the assistant manager is not aware of his daily routine.
  • Phone calls and visitors often distract from the main activity.
  • If the manager does not know how to distribute responsibilities.
  • If the work is done in a constant rush, which leads to rapid fatigue.
  • If employees do not correspond to their positions.
  • If employees inadequately assess their capabilities, the speed of work.
  • If there is no motivation among employees (for example, salary is too low).

To improve the efficiency of the enterprise, it is necessary to teach employees how to plan the work for the day. When drawing up a plan, you need to devote 60% of the time to the main tasks, 20% unforeseen and 20% spontaneous cases. The main thing is to accustom the team to make plans for the day systematically and regularly.

The effectiveness of time management in management depends on how employees are trained in planning, prioritization, control of time for completing tasks, as well as the correct sequence of tasks.

To solve these problems, you can invite an expert in time management or train the manager of your enterprise, who will issue tasks to employees and monitor the effectiveness of their work. The manager must issue both basic and several spare tasks. At the end of the day, the employee submits a progress report.

Personal time management in time management

As for personal time management, there are basic time management rules that apply in personal life:

  1. Never take work home.
  2. Organize your life in such a way that it takes a minimum of time.
  3. Plan free time in advance. This should include emotional enjoyment (going to the cinema, theater, concert, museum). As well as physical (sports, dancing, etc.).
  4. For rest, use not only weekends, but at least one day in the middle of the week. For example, ride a bike after work or go to the sauna with friends.
  5. During the holidays, limit calls, mail, the Internet in order to truly relax.

1. The basic rule of time management is the correct goal setting.

If you learn to clearly define your goals, as well as determine which tasks are secondary, then you will save a lot of time.

If you spend your time on something, it means that at that moment you think that it is very important. But is it? Ask yourself, will the result of this action help you get closer to your goal? What is a goal? The goal is a person's desire for something, when the whole process is aimed at the final result.

When setting a goal, you must first determine the main values.

Recognize your abilities and motivation. Analyze the problems, needs and difficulties that may arise on the way to the goal. Present clearly your goal in the smallest detail, its end result. Plan your actions, look for resources and start implementing.

There are different methods of goal setting. But all methods have a common goal setting algorithm:

  1. The goal should be as specific as possible with a clear end result.
  2. The need to achieve the goal must be justified. Why is this needed and what will I get from it?
  3. The goal must be realistic and the mechanism for achieving it must be clear.
  4. It is necessary to clearly define the time limits for which the goal must be achieved.

2. The second basic rule of time management is prioritization.

Knowing how to prioritize is very important. There are things that are less important in achieving the goal, and there are those that play a major role.

3. The third basic rule of time management is planning.

After setting a goal, the next step is planning. Planning is an integral part of time management. It consists of the following main steps:

  1. Drawing up a time management plan.
  2. The stage of drafting a project, in which you can maneuver, think over different options for achieving the goal.
  3. The stage of identifying the necessary resources.
  4. The stage of identifying people who can help you on the way to the goal.
  5. The stage of fixing the results of planning in the form of a business project, a map.

When a person begins to engage in planning, thinking is activated, creativity is turned on. By making a plan, your goal becomes more specific, you begin to understand what you really want and how to achieve it. This is a kind of practical guide to action.

Until a person makes a plan for the implementation of what he wants, he is in constant reflection on this topic. But not thoughts, but actions bring you closer to the goal. When a detailed plan is drawn up, which takes into account different ways to achieve the goal, this gives you the opportunity to maneuver. It does not work with some means and methods, you can try others. Planning develops in a person flexibility and readiness for any situations.

Making a plan gives you a high chance of success. Having a plan gives you confidence in yourself and your abilities. All successful people and entrepreneurs are planning.

Basic planning techniques. Short description

1. ABC planning is based on the fact that you need to do the most significant things first (under the letter A), and then B and C.

Category A cases are the most important. They make up 15% of all cases and bring 65% of the results. B - important cases that make up 20% of all cases and bring 20% ​​of the results. Category C - these are the cases of the least importance, they make up 65% and give a result - 15%.

2. Pareto Rule Or the 80/20 principle. This principle applies to any daily activity. 80% of the things you do in a day give you 20% of the results you want. And 20% of planned important things bring you closer to the result by 80%.

For example: 20% of people own 80% of the capital, 80% of people own 20% of the capital. 20% of clients give 80% profit, and 80% of clients give 20% profit.

3. Timing- this method lies in the fact that you need to record every minute of all your actions and how much time you spent on them. This will help you understand where and what your time is spent on and how to adjust your schedule.

4. Making a list of tasks- This is the simplest planning method that allows you to plan both time and affairs.

How to make a proper to-do list and follow it?

  1. To begin with, observe yourself. How much time do you need to complete different tasks.
  2. Write a to-do list for the evening.
  3. Write down specific items. For example: go to the store. Attach a shopping list to this item.
  4. Plan your whole day, not just work.
  5. Start your day by doing easy tasks. To immediately check the boxes and cheer up for the whole day with the thought that following a to-do list is not so difficult .. For example, doing exercises and preparing breakfast.
  6. The to-do list should always be in sight.
  7. Do not write more than 7 priority cases on the list so that you don’t get nervous later that you didn’t have time to do something.
  • Try all the planning methods and choose the most suitable one.
  • Keep records.
  • Don't try to do everything. Do the most important and priority things first.
  • Plan your every day. And also make an additional plan for the week.
  • Always carry a pen and notepad with you.
  • Start a success diary, it will motivate you and remind you that you are on the right track.
  • Learn to say "no". This will help to avoid communicating with unnecessary people, doing unnecessary things.
  • Before you do anything, consider how urgent it is, how important it is, and how this action will bring you closer to your goal.
  • Analyze your habits, activities that waste your time. By timing, it is easy to track those actions that you need to get rid of.
  • Don't do other people's work. Don't be a tool to achieve someone else's goals. Concentrate on your goal.
  • Take time for self-improvement.
  • Don't stop there. Once you reach one goal, set the next one.

1. Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People considers time management as an element of self-improvement. Here are his tips:

  • Do what you have to do first. Don't put off important things for later.
  • Your goal should be a priority and important. Move towards her.
  • Perform all actions based on priorities.
  • Don't spend a lot of effort on achieving an insignificant goal. The resources spent and the end result must be commensurate.
  • Look for all the ways to make life easier.

2. David Allen advises to properly organize the workplace, to acquire all the necessary stationery. Also, create a file cabinet, for each case, create a corresponding folder. Allen also advises writing 4 to-do lists:

  • Make a list of things that need to be done in the near future;
  • Include in a separate list projects that require an integrated approach;
  • Make a separate list of projects that, for one reason or another, cannot yet be completed;
  • "Someday" list.

3.Julia Morgenstern advises to evaluate first how much time you spend doing your tasks. What factors are distracting you. You may be distracted by social media, extra responsibilities, unrealistic deadlines, or psychological obstacles.

  • For each action, a time frame must be set.
  • If you cannot perform some action, then analyze it, perhaps it can be postponed for a while, delegated to other employees, or completely abandoned.
  • Sort things and affairs, clear the space of everything that you can do without. Give each thing its place, and each task its time.
"Eat a frog for breakfast"

So that all day your thoughts do not return to the task that you do not want to do or it is unpleasant for you, start the day with it. So you will be freed from the emotional stress and burden that you would have to carry all day.

"Elephant Steak"

If you are faced with a global task, for the solution of which you need to do a lot of actions, then divide this work into parts. Don't make an elephant out of it, cut it into pieces. This will make it easier to get started on the task at hand. And also this approach contributes to a better understanding of this problem.

Learn to say "no"

Time management does not teach you how to do as much as possible, but how to do what needs to be done correctly. Say "no" to unnecessary things, people. Don't become a tool for anyone to achieve their goals. Concentrate on your goals.

Strive for automation and maximum simplification of your activities.

Do similar things in a row, as the brain gets used to a certain area of ​​​​activity. And every time he gets through it faster.

Listen to your biological rhythms. Do work at a time when you feel a special surge of strength and activity. During the period of least activity, give yourself a break. Listen to the needs of your body. Sometimes a 15-minute break is enough to open up a "second wind".

The best time management books to read:

  • Effective time management. B. Tracy
  • Time drive. How to manage to live and work. G. Arkhangelsky
  • Tough time management: take control of your life. D. Kennedy
  • Work less, do more. C. Gleason
  • To hell with all of it! Take it and do it. R. Branson
  • Extreme time management. N. Mrochkovsky, A. Tolkachev
  • Practical course on time management. I. Abramovsky
  • How to work 4 hours a week and at the same time not hang around in the office “from call to call”, live anywhere and get rich. T. Ferris
  • Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. D. Allen

The effectiveness of time management depends on you following its basic rules, as well as a clear understanding of why you need it, how to manage your time and what benefits you will have.