Mastering Time: The Key to Success!

If you find yourself bogged down by your daily tasks or overwhelmed by the complexity of projects, it is likely because you have not mastered the art of time management. Though we all have the same amount of time that is 24 hours a day, the value we extract from it is not equal. The way we utilize our time would decide the value time will grant us.

While most emphasize on the benefits of managing time well, I prefer to highlight the repercussions of poor time management and lack of self-discipline:

• By not organizing your tasks for the day or week, you lose control of yourself and your life.
• Time spent recklessly results in waste of time, which can never be gained back or reversed.
• You lose track of your tasks or goals and your efficiency decreases.
• Last minute rush to complete tasks can result in deficient performance, while also increasing your stress and anxiety levels.
• When you regularly miss deadlines, your colleagues, customers and boss lose their trust in you and your reputation suffers.

People generally space time for activities they enjoy, but for important chores they do not enjoy, they tend to procrastinate. In short, they lack self-discipline. Discipline is the art of planning and doing things consistently, even the ones you do not like doing. A lack of self-discipline has the following implications:

• A lack of discipline makes people give in to immediate pleasures and on what is easy rather than what is necessary for success.
• A lack of self-discipline is the major cause of failure and frustration in life.
• Without self-discipline, all other success mantras, techniques and advice are useless.

If you study the habits of highly successful people, you will discover one common trait — all of them have managed their time well and have infused discipline into their regime. Proper time management prevents procrastination and sets you on a path of discipline which is a vital ingredient for success. A disciplined way of life gets you to focus on your goals.

When you chart a plan to manage not just the day but the week, month and year, you attune yourself to a schedule. This helps to optimally utilize time and reduce stress. Sticking to schedules gradually turn into a habit and become a part of your personality.

As you manage time better, you align your energy to accomplish more and indulge in your hobbies to recuperate yourself. When you accomplish more consistently without any effort or run down on your energy, then you have mastered the skill of time management.

I have co-authored a workbook ‘Mastering Time’ with my dear friend Muneer Samnani. The book presents a toolset of time-tested techniques that can be practiced and perfected to increase your productivity by three-folds. This formula has been working for us and believe it will work for others as well.

We help you master your time by following 5 tools.

• Waiting List : A task list that you keep replenishing of tasks to be done.
• 1–3–5 — Daily Task List: The actionable tasks for the day, arranged in the priority of impact.
• Checklist: A supervision tool with a master checklist of periodic tasks.
• Calendaring : Scheduling the tasks as events on your calendar.
• WWW: The What, Who and When of things that need your attention.

I would be detailing each of these tools in my forthcoming articles with an actionable worksheet to plan your weekly and monthly schedules. Stay tuned for the updates.