Tips to help you tackle time management

If you’ve found yourself reading this article while a pile of important work sits on your desk, you may be in need of some inspirational time management tips.

Battling with procrastination can be one of the hardest tasks we set ourselves each day – it’s a constant struggle to overcome the desire to do nothing. Fortunately, there is a wealth of knowledge available from those who successfully tackled their personal ticking time bombs.

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” – Alan Lakein

Alan Lakein is widely accepted as the creator of time management as we know it today. The author of the international best seller “How to get control of your time and your life” believes time and life are intrinsically entwined and thus, if you master your time, you are effectively mastering your life.

Planning is a crucial part of time management, according to Mr Lakein. Put a strategy in place and you may find you’re more likely to stick to your goals. Having a plan means you can tell straight away if you’re slipping.

“One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is worth half-a-hundred half-finished tasks.” – Malcolm S. Forbes

Malcolm S. Forbes was an American business leader and the owner-publisher of Forbes Magazine. His views on time management encompassed the fact that there are only 24 hours in the day, so it’s important to set realistic goals – that way, you’ll complete something you can be proud of, rather than walk out of the office on Friday with a frazzled mass of unfinished business on your desk.

“How do you eat an elephant? Answer: A bite at a time.” – Author unknown

When the day feels more like a looming battle of endurance than an organised list of tasks, it’s tempting to throw in the towel before you’ve even begun. However, chunking down your workload can help make things seem a little more manageable.

Try breaking the tasks ahead of you into smaller assignments, focusing on one step at a time. By working through the assignments piece by piece, you may find you accomplish a lot more than you first thought possible.