10 Tips for Time Management

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In today’s world, we all have full plates of work, activities, family time and more. But how can we be those crazy amazing people who manage to “do it all?” Tell us! Tell us! After studying and coaching professionals for more than 30 years, Steve Siebold, author of 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of The World Class, is here to help us get it all done quickly and easily with a few simple time management tips.

KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

“Most people crack under pressure because they lose their perspective. Their fear of losing overwhelms them to the point of physical, emotional and spiritual breakdowns,” Siebold says. “List the three events that cause you the most stress on a regular basis, and ask yourself what you need to do to put these things into proper perspective, to reduce or eliminate the stress.”

COMPARTMENTALIZE

“People get bogged down in the details of every little problem, yet some people are able to manage multiple problems and maintain emotional control while solving them individually,” Siebold says. “This is called compartmentalization. Commit to compartmentalizing your problems by focusing exclusively on one problem at a time. While most people multi-task, the great ones focus.”

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DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN IN THOUGHT

“The enemy of creativity and clarity is “excessive cognition”….or having too many thoughts to process at the same time. Cognitive overload is a major problem for many of us,” Siebold says. “Schedule some time to get away and be alone with your thoughts. Investing in solitude will keep the mind rested, fresh and able to focus.”

MASTER FOLLOW-UP

Many people over-promise and under-deliver. It’s not that they don’t have good intentions, they just become forgetful trying to balance too many things at once. Keep a pen and paper with you at all times or make a note on your phone to do the things you say you are going to do. Follow through inspires confidence and fosters trust.

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DON’T SEARCH FOR APPROVAL

A lot of people value the opinions of other people over their own. It’s conformity at all costs and zaps all of your energy. Next time you wonder ‘what if’ people don’t agree with you or won’t like you, reframe the question to ‘so what if’ they don’t? What’s really the worst thing that will happen?

LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’

If you’re a ‘yes’ person and always agree to help with additional favors, projects and other requests for your time, it’s taking away from other things you could be doing. It’s great to help others, but it’s also perfectly acceptable to say ‘no’ from time to time. […] Time is your most valuable resource.

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JUST GET STUFF DONE

When it comes to getting results, most people manage to produce average results and do just enough to get by. They’re worried about time, but the reality is they have more time than they realize if they cutout meaningless activities like watching TV and playing on Facebook. Whether it’s your career, a personal relationship or anything else, develop a world-class work ethic of GSD (Get Stuff Done) and watch your productivity and results go through the roof.

BE FUTURE-FOCUSED

Lots of people dream of the good ole’ days and never get anything done. The only thing significant about the past is how it affects us in the present and future. Stop looking in the rearview mirror wishing things were different. […] Be focused on ‘living in the now.’

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DEVELOP A SENSE OF URGENCY

Most people operate like there is an endless amount of time in a day, week, month year and life, and constantly procrastinate. To be more productive, you need to be more sensitive to time. Life is short. Go after things with a sense of urgency and learn to think about life as if there’s no tomorrow.

BECOME A PROBLEM SOLVER

People who manage to “do it all” are focused on solving problems. They aren’t worried about being recognized or given credit for what they accomplish. Drop your ego and reach out for help when you have too much on your plate. […] You’re human, after all, and there’s no shame in turning to others for help.