From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Time Bandits: Tips to Help You Limit Their Agendas
By Kaylus Horton, Path™ Coach
Feb 2, 2012 - 5:43:09 PM
Time Management has been
and is projected to be a long term facilitated, discussed and written
topic. So many things and (people) compete for our time. Just
this morning MSNBC featured a story about facebook and its innovative
founder Mark Zuckerberg who along with his team are creating strategies
to keep their users connected for more than the already counted 30 –
60 minutes per day.
Let’s think about that, 30 – 60 minutes is a longer than what most people take the time to read, exercise, think or journal thoughts, plan, reflect, brainstorm, prepare and eat a healthy meal, have a meaningful conversation and indulge in an activity that would refresh and renew them.
The feature story stated the company’s vision which is to have 1/6 of the world’s population as its’ users. Imagine what would it be like if 1/6 of the worlds’ population spent even more time on the internet, plus attention to the standard demands from ones personal and professional roles and functions? Whew! Would anyone have enough time in their day to attend to all of the above? I smile, as I can imagine hearing you say aloud; “but Kaylus, this describes my average day, time bandits are causing havoc in my life.”
In an effort to help you gain and maintain focus through the many “get your attention schemes” listed below are a few practical and adaptable tips that can equip you to limit the deviant work of time bandits.
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Decide what is important and
devote more time to those activities
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Identify short and long term
goals, and do something each day that is considered work and value toward
its realization. Doing something can be as simple as reflecting on the
progress made thus far or envisioning the expected outcome
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Create boundaries to protect
priorities and goals. For many this is may require mastering the ability
to say no to tasks and people whose agendas are not aligned with yours
or should you accept to involve yourself you foresee that the commitment
required would be more than you will have available to give
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Create a to-do list and use
tools to remind you of what is next or needs urgent attention
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Create strategies and use
tools to limit interruptions. Whether it is closing the office door,
placing your phone on silent or in the off position, asking not to be
disturbed or for those entrepreneurs work from a secluded location
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Identify primary enjoyable
time bandits. Is it chit-chatter, family, friends, television, social
media, texting or shopping? Perhaps it is those allowed, compromising
bandits such as lack of focus and direction, procrastination, fear
and doubt
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Identify and succeed at delegating
low priority tasks. John Maxwell said it best “dedicate 80% of your
time focusing on the top 20% of your goals and priorities
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Eliminate annoying paper work
by following these two steps, first read it and second, take action
on it. The latter comprises of delegating, filing or identifying
a time for its attention.
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Master giving the time needed
to balance professional responsibilities with personal time
To aim of this article is to coach you, the professional in the workplace to re-evaluate, re-define and re-organize how you use your time. I hope that we have been successful in this endeavor.
Here’s to the honor of coaching you forward,
Kaylus Adams
Vision Coach and Founder
Dialogues
We facilitate learning and discovery for focus and direction in lives and in businesses.
www.yourdialogues.com
Kaylus@yourdialogues.com
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