Shyam Kumar Madanan
WHAT ?
WHY ?
HOW ?
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V ES
IMPRO
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PLANNING TAKES TIME:
NOT PLANNING TAKES
8 Apr 2009
RE
MO TIME
5
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ESSENTIALLY . . .
TIME MANAGEMENT IS
1 st
THINGS 1
st
DOES A BETTER ALTERNATIVE
EXIST AT ALL ?
EVERYONE BELIEVES TIME IS UNCONTROLLABLE
WE CANNOT MANAGE TIME
WE CAN ONLY MANAGE OURSELVES &
OUR USE OF TIME
HENCE,
TIME MANAGEMENT IS
ESSENTIALLY
SELF – MANAGEMENT
MANAGING OURSELVES &
OUR USE OF TIME
ESSENTIALLY,
IT CONSISTS OF . . .
~ AN IDEA OF PRIORITISATION,
OF CLARIFYING VALUES, &
OF COMPARING ~
THE RELATIVE WORTH
OF ACTIVITIES,
BASED ON THEIR
RELATIONSHIP
TO THOSE VALUES.
TI ME MA NAG EM ENT INV OLVE S . . .
IDENTIFYING YOUR MOST PRODUCTIVE HOURS ~
THE HOURS WHEN YOU FEEL YOU ARE MOST CREATIVE
FOR INTENSE WORK
NOTE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE
DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY,
WHILE SOME FEEL THAT DURING THE LATER PART OF
THE DAY, THEY ARE BETTER
BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR
PRODUCTIVE HOURS,
AND PLAN YOUR WORK ACCORDINGLY
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THUS, THE FOCUS IS ON
SE TT ING GOALS –
[SPECIFIC LONG-TERM,
MEDIUM-TERM &
SHORT-TERM GOALS]
AND DIRECTING TIME & ENERGY
TOWARDS THE ATTAINMENT
OF THESE GOALS,
IN HARMONY WITH VALUES.
THE FIRS T S TEP
– DETERMINE YOUR GOALS ~
BE CLEAR, DETAILED AND SPECIFIC
ABOUT YOUR FUTURE PLANS
AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TODAY,
TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER WAY,
TO CONCRETISE YOUR GOALS.
BE WILLING TO DO
AT LEAST S OMETH ING, EV ER Y DAY ,
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.
TIME MANAGEMENT
BEGINS AND IMPROVES WITH
GOAL-SETTING.
SO ME IMPO RTAN T
QUESTIO NS:
3. HAVE YOU SET YOUR GOALS ?
1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE ?
2. TO BECOME
WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME,
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEARN ?
Contd…
SO ME IMPO RTAN T QUESTI ONS:[ Contd… ]
2. WHAT IS YOUR TIME PERSPECTIVE ?
1. DO YOU COMPLETE THE PLANNED TASK,
EACH DAY, OR HAVE A TENDENCY TO
PROCRASTINATE ? IF SO, WHY ?
2. HAVE YOU PREPARED TIME-LOGS, AND THUS
HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF THE TIME YOU ARE
REALLY UTILISING TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS ?
3. ARE YOU SPENDING MORE TIME THAN REQUIRED
FOR THE ROUTINE S.N.M. ACTIVITIES ?
4. DO YOU COMPLETE THINGS ON TIME ? OR,
YOU USUALLY FEEL RUSHED, PUSHED AND
THUS, STRESSED ?
=====
YOUR CHOICES, DECISIONS AND ACTIONS
OF TODAY, and EACH SUCCESSIVE DAY,
WILL CERTAINLY INFLUENCE
YOUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE
YOUR GOALS.
TIME MANAGEMENT IMPLIES
APPRECIATING THE VALUE OF TIME &
TREATING IT AS A RESOURCE.
TIME, SO FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED,
IS NOT UNLIMITED
AND HENCE,
OF GREAT VALUE ~
USE TIME VERY VERY VERY CAREFULLY
LET IT ADD VALUE TO YOUR LIFE.
HA VING GO ALS HE LP S IN DEVE LOP IN G
SENS ITIVIT Y T O T HE VA LUE OF TIME
IT’S A BAD AND UNPLEASANT EXAMPLE –
BUT LET ME RISK GIVING IT.
IMAGINE THAT TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF YOUR LIFE.
I WISH YOU ALL SHATHAMANAMBHAVATHI. BUT LET US
TAKE THE EXAMPLE AND DISCUSS FURTHER.
WHAT HAPPENS ?
SUDDENLY, EVERY MINUTE, EVERY MOMENT
BECOMES VERY PRECIOUS AND CHERISHED.
EXTEND THE LOGIC. SINCE WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT
OUR LIFE SPAN, DOES IT NOT MAKE SENSE,
TO CONSIDER THE AVAILABLE TIME AS PRECIOUS,
OF GREAT VALUE, LIMITED IN SUPPLY, AND HENCE,
TO BE USED VERY CAUTIOUSLY.
THUS, IT WOULD BECOME NECESSARY FOR YOU,
TO BE CHOOSY, TAKE CAUTIOUS DECISIONS, ETC.
QUESTIONS SUCH AS,
WHAT IS IMPORTANT ? NOT IMPORTANT ?
AND LESS IMPORTANT ?
WHAT IS EFFECTIVE ? LESS EFFECTIVE ?
WHAT IS EFFICIENT ? LESS EFFICIENT ?
WHAT IS URGENT ? LESS URGENT ?
NOTE THAT: WHAT IS NOT IMPORTANT NOW,
MAY OR MAY NOT BECOME IMPORTANT LATER,
BUT, WHAT IS NOT URGENT NOW,
WILL SURELY BECOME URGENT, LATER.
I I
M 1. RELATIONSHIP
M 2. DEAD-LINE DRIVEN
P BUILDING
P 3. PLANNING PROJECTS
O
O R 4. RECOGNISING NEW 3. PRESSING PROBLEMS
R T OPPORTUNITIES
T 4. CRISES
A
A N
N T
C
E 1. SOME PHONE CALLS
N
2. SOME MAIL 2. INTERRUPTIONS
O
3. SOME VISITORS 3. SOME REPORTS
T
4. PLEASANT ACTIVITIES
4. PRESSING MATTERS
I
M
P NOT URGENT
URGENT
URGENCY ~
SO ME USEFU L HINT S: [ 7 Hints ]
3. LIST ALL YOUR USUAL ACTIVITIES
2. CLASSIFY THEM AS (A) URGENT & NOT URGENT, and
(B) IMPORTANT & NOT IMPORTANT
3. ACT ACCORDINGLY ~ OTHERWISE,
YOU WILL BE FORCED TO DO THINGS HURRIEDLY,
WITH UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES.
4. OBSERVE YOUR OWN ACTION PREFERENCES :
SOME PEOPLE ALWAYS BEGIN WITH
LESS URGENT AND LESS IMPORTANT WORKS.
IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BEGIN WITH
MORE URGENT AND MORE IMPORTANT WORKS.
[ Contd… ]
SO ME USE FUL HINTS: [ Contd… ]
5. DO NOT ENGAGE YOURSELF IN ACTIVITIES
THAT HAVE NOTHING AT ALL TO DO
WITH YOUR GOALS.
6. DO NOT FALL A VICTIM
TO THE UNFORTUNATE TENDENCY OF
MISINTERPRETING
URGENCY FOR IMPORTANCE.
7. POSTPONING AND WAITING TO DO A TASK,
UNTIL IT BECOMES URGENT,
DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
=====
PRAC TICE US ING T IME-T RAC KIN G T OOLS :
MONTHLY PLANNER,
WEEKLY OBJECTIVES LIST
WEEKLY PLANNER,
TIME-LOG, ETC.
1. LIST THINGS TO BE DONE
2. TRACK THINGS ALREADY COMPLETED /
PARTLY FINISHED/
TO BE FOLLOWED UP, ETC.
3. COMPARE THE TIME ACTUALLY SPENT,
WITH TIME THAT WAS PLANNED TO BE SPENT,
AND DRAW USEFUL LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE.
~ NOTE YOUR TENDENCIES AND DISTRACTIONS.
4. ANALYSE TIME WASTERS AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN
REALLY DO ABOUT THEM.
IMPROVING TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
IT IS NOT THAT EASY. IT REQUIRES
LOT OF MOTIVATION AND PERSISTENT HARDWORK.
IT IS USEFUL TO REMEMBER THAT
THE FOLLOWING ARE ALSO IMPORTANT:
1. SPENDING TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY
2. IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS
3. PURSUING HIGHER STUDIES
4. KEEPING YOURSELF UPDATED
5. BUILDING NEW RELATIONSHIPS
6. EVALUATING TASKS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED
7. TASKS YOU WANTED TO DO, BUT COULD NOT
DUE TO LACK OF TIME
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
1. A SENSE OF PURPOSE
2. A SENSE OF PROPRIETY
3. A SENSE OF PROPORTION
SU MMA RY :
WE NEED TO MANAGE OURSELVES EFFECTIVELY,
IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET OUR GOALS
IN LIFE.
BY REMOVING THE TIME WASTERS
FROM OUR LIFE, WE CREATE TIME,
WHICH CAN THEN BE USED
FOR DOING IMPORTANT TASKS
THAT WOULD GIVE US
BETTER RESULTS.
KNOWING ONE’S PRIORITIES IS ONE THING,
BUT IMPLEMENTING THE SAME
IS ANOTHER.
SU MMA RY :
WITHOUT AN AIM IN LIFE OR WITHOUT A PLAN
BEFORE UNDERTAKING A TASK,
WE WILL BE LIKE A SHIP IN THE OCEAN
WITHOUT A CHARTERED PATH.
WE WILL CERTAINLY REACH SOME PLACE,
BUT IT MAY NOT BE THE ACTUAL DISTANCE
THAT WE COULD HAVE COVERED.
DISCIPLINE AND DESIRE ARE
THE MOST DIFFICULT AND THE
MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS
FOR SUCCESS IN IMPROVING
YOUR UTILISATION OF TIME.
=====
Time Management: Working
for You
Control Do Not Try to be
Procrastination Perfect
Make a Task List Keep Desk Organized
Plan Effectively Stay Focused
Set Goals Learn to Say “No”
Make Schedules Control Interruptions
Meet Deadlines Concentrate on
Be Decisive Results
Set Priorities Stay Motivated
Write Down Ideas
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