There are some people who set goals, have an action plan, are fanatical about writing lists and through careful scheduling and working smart are able to manage their time effectively and achieve the things that are important to them. However, there are plenty of people who don’t manage their time very well, refuse to plan, make a schedule or organise their time and complain about having too much to do, the lack of choices they have, too little time and too much stress.

Any of this sound familiar?

The other night I was talking part in a three way chat in a discussion forum when one member was telling us how she’d been busy all day decluttering her home. One of the other members of the forum was saying that she had a lot of clutter that needed sorting out, but she didn’t have the time. When I asked her why she said she always felt that there was something more important that she had to do.

This is the sort of reasoning that people use all the time for explaining why they’ve failed to tackle a job that needs doing and or would have a positive impact on their life once completed.

As we carried on the conversation it was quite clear that the clutter in her home was causing her a lot of stress and yet she was trying to ignore it because she has other priorities including setting up a new online business and feels that she ought to spend every spare moment doing that.

It’s a poor strategy and it clearly isn’t working for her because she’s stressed, worried and living in a mess. She’s not operating in an environment that is conducive to her being able to concentrate on her business and she’s not working smart and using the time she does have effectively.

However, she’s hardly alone in not managing her time or failing to work smart. And this is despite the fact that if you’re organised and you work smart you’ll be able to achieve more, often in less time.

But in order to do so, it will require you to make some changes to the way you manage your time and how you work.

The most important thing to recognise is that you have choices about what you make time for and if you’re failing to do something that’s important and would make a positive difference to your life - that’s your choice and you shouldn’t use lack of time as an excuse.

The second thing to recognise that making even small changes in how you manage your time can make a huge difference in what you’re able to accomplish.

Listed below are some of the things you need to think about.

• See time as a precious resource
• Identify your goals
• Decide your priorities
• Be realistic about the time you have available
• Identify essential tasks
• Tackle issues that are causing you stress
• Create a schedule and build in flexibility
• Track and monitor your progress
• Review your schedule regularly
• Avoid distractions when tackling a task
• Operate in a tidy environment
• Find a time management system that works for you
• When you’re feeling overwhelmed take a break
• Concentrate on what you have achieved – not what you haven’t

Summary

You may be someone who dislikes working to any kind of schedule but planning and scheduling works. You have to find the systems that work best for you to manage your time and accomplish your goals. Don’t use the excuse of ‘lack of time’ for failing to do tasks that are causing you stress. By being organised, clear about your goals and using the time you do have sensibly you will be able to accomplish more than you thought possible.

So are you ready to make a schedule and work smart?