Are you finding yourself consistently out of time or you find that you don't hav

e enough time to get the things done that you have to do? Are the distractions o
f life getting in your way of you having a productive day and accomplishing what
it is you have set out to do?
Perhaps the possible cause of this dilemma is a case of "Compulsive Reaction" -
by definition is a behavior disorder that a person is uncomfortable with conditi
ons of ambiguity and uncertainty of the present. In other words, reacting to thi
ngs based on the most recent items that you've added to your to do list. You see
given all of the options life provides us allows for exponential distractions w
hereby we begin to feel guilty and ineffective on our success because of the nev
er-ending cycle of always having more to get done in the minimal time allotted o
r "Process Paralysis".
So, let's talk about some possible remedies to overcome life's impeding challeng
es. First ask yourself what is truly important and what are you really working t
o accomplish based on the value of the task at hand. Then take some time to eval
uate how your time is really being spent.
"Time Management" is a product of "Self Management". It is not about finding mor
e time to get things done, but more about what you must do to become more effect
ive with the time we all have - "24 Hours". Focus on accomplishing specific task
s in reasonable time. Try devoting 50 minutes to a specific task and then allow
for 10 minutes of unfocused time to give yourself a break in every given hour. L
ist out your priorities in these specific categories: Emotional (e.g., feeling s
uccessful, etc.), Physical (e.g., workout regiment, etc.) and Mental (e.g., lear
ning a new language, etc.). Now prioritize the work that has to get done.
Further evaluate how you are allocating your time. Consider the 80/20 Rule: 80%
of the effect will produce 20% of the intended result. The opposite is also true
: 20% of your effort will produce 80% of the intended result. Provide more focus
on your strengths and not your weaknesses. Always bring balance between the "Ha
ve To's" and the "Want To's". Remember to set personal boundaries for yourself b
ased on the unnecessary non-productive tasks. Become comfortable with saying "No
" to unnecessary tasks with lesser priority. It is better to develop a success r
itual than a bad habit. Get creative with your priority list and streamline your
best efforts.
Now put things into perspective, determine your "Marginal Value of Time". You sh
ould substitute into the formulas your own compensational value. This can be eas
ily calculated as follows: for example if you determine your yearly value to be
$60,000 working only 20 hours per week ($60,000/20 hours) = $3,000 per week/50 w
eeks = $60 per hour (assumes 100% productivity - not really realistic). Therefor
e a 30% marginal factor must be taken into account with life's distractions that
calculates out as $60 per hour/.30 = $200 per hour. Now if you find yourself sp
ending your time on non-productive tasks, you might want to think twice about ho
w you might be spending your time and how much value of your time you are losing
.