WEBVTT 00:00:07.150 --> 00:00:37.329 Thanks for watching! thoughts if it were you, 00:00:37.350 --> 00:00:41.509 and I'm your host, Neogentrics. Today, we're going 00:00:41.509 --> 00:00:44.570 to cover a topic that should have been covered 00:00:44.570 --> 00:00:46.869 a while back, something that's needed by everybody, 00:00:47.090 --> 00:00:51.549 that for some reason or another, we haven't developed. 00:00:52.049 --> 00:00:53.710 We're always saying we don't have enough time 00:00:53.710 --> 00:00:55.710 for this, or we don't have enough time for that. 00:00:55.810 --> 00:00:57.390 So today, I'm going to cover time management 00:00:57.390 --> 00:01:00.899 skills. I mean, think about it. Have you ever 00:01:00.899 --> 00:01:04.260 wondered how it is that some people seem to have 00:01:04.260 --> 00:01:06.180 enough time to do everything that they want to 00:01:06.180 --> 00:01:08.439 do, whereas others are always rushing from task 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:10.680 to task, never seeming to finish a dang thing? 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:15.739 I mean, it can't just be that people have less 00:01:15.739 --> 00:01:19.079 to do. It's much more likely that they are using 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:20.900 their time more effectively. In other words, 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:23.859 showing good time management skills. And, you 00:01:23.859 --> 00:01:27.040 know, time management is the ability to, in a 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:29.079 sense, use your time productively and efficiently. 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:33.890 You could also think of it as the art of having 00:01:33.890 --> 00:01:36.750 time to do everything you need without stressing 00:01:36.750 --> 00:01:39.909 about it. It sounds simple, but it's actually 00:01:39.909 --> 00:01:42.790 much harder to practice. And today I'm going 00:01:42.790 --> 00:01:45.349 to cover some of the principles behind good time 00:01:45.349 --> 00:01:48.510 management for all of you lucky jets at home. 00:02:07.530 --> 00:02:09.270 So let's go ahead and talk about the importance 00:02:09.270 --> 00:02:11.830 of time management. Time management skills are 00:02:11.830 --> 00:02:15.050 essential, but because of a few things, if any, 00:02:15.250 --> 00:02:21.050 of things that we need as far as everyday tasks, 00:02:21.629 --> 00:02:25.710 all of us, if any of us, have never had enough 00:02:25.710 --> 00:02:29.210 time to do everything that is asked of us, or 00:02:29.210 --> 00:02:32.069 we want to do, for that matter, or that we think 00:02:32.069 --> 00:02:35.000 we do. Time management is essentially defined 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.840 as using your time productively and efficiently. 00:02:38.139 --> 00:02:41.319 But what about when you're working as productively 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:43.360 as possible and you still can't get everything 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:47.039 done? Then I guess the best thing would be to 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.319 say it may be better to think about time management 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:51.580 as a combination of working productively and 00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:54.400 then prioritizing your time. In this regard, 00:02:54.580 --> 00:02:58.180 you know, in other words, or rather, how do I 00:02:58.180 --> 00:03:00.360 want to put this? People who are good at time 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:03.400 management are good at getting on. and doing 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:07.879 things. They also, however, are better at prioritizing 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:09.680 and provisioning their time accordingly, working 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:12.000 out what really needs to be done and then, you 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:13.780 know, discarding the other tasks for another 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:16.979 day. They can do this because they understand 00:03:16.979 --> 00:03:19.080 the difference between what is urgent and what 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:21.780 is actually important. Urgent tasks demand your 00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:23.860 immediate attention, but whether you actually 00:03:23.860 --> 00:03:28.159 give them that attention may or not matter. Important 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:32.050 tasks matter and, you know, Doing them may have 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:35.550 serious consequences for you or others. So the 00:03:35.550 --> 00:03:37.569 major difference between the two of them is that 00:03:37.569 --> 00:03:40.409 while urgent tasks demand your immediate attention, 00:03:40.590 --> 00:03:42.569 important tasks are the ones that you need to 00:03:42.569 --> 00:03:45.270 have finished regardless of everything else. 00:03:46.250 --> 00:03:51.069 For example, answering the phone is urgent. If 00:03:51.069 --> 00:03:53.509 you don't do it, the caller will ring off and 00:03:53.509 --> 00:03:57.310 you won't know why they even called. And it might 00:03:57.310 --> 00:04:00.479 have actually been important. It may also, however, 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:02.539 have been an automatic voice -teller telling 00:04:02.539 --> 00:04:04.780 you that you're eligible for some compensation 00:04:04.780 --> 00:04:10.460 or being mis -sold insurance, or your debit card 00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:14.659 has fraud for some reason. That's not important 00:04:14.659 --> 00:04:19.360 anyway. Or, how about this example? You're going 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.620 to the dentist regularly is important. Or, at 00:04:22.620 --> 00:04:26.740 least, so we're told. But, anyway. And they say 00:04:26.740 --> 00:04:29.980 that if you don't go, you may get gum disease 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:33.360 or some other problems. It's important, but see, 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:36.920 it's not urgent. If you leave it too long, though, 00:04:36.980 --> 00:04:39.740 however, it may become an urgent issue because 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:42.220 you've got a toothache or you're not taking care 00:04:42.220 --> 00:04:46.600 of your teeth. Other examples would vary, like 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:48.920 picking your children up from school is both 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:51.379 urgent and important. This is a priority thing. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:54.939 If you're not there at the right time, they will 00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:56.740 be waiting in the playground or in the classroom 00:04:56.740 --> 00:04:59.600 worrying where the heck you are. It may also 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:01.420 inconvenience some of the teachers who are there 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:03.560 waiting with your child for you to actually get 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:07.000 there. But then on the opposite side, reading 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.060 funny emails or checking Facebook is neither 00:05:09.060 --> 00:05:11.120 urgent or important, just to give that as an 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:15.879 example. So why is that the first thing you do 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:19.019 every day? Think about that. If it's not important 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:22.120 or urgent, then it should probably be cut out 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:25.100 of your day -to -day life. And I mean, think 00:05:25.100 --> 00:05:30.000 about it. You need to recognize and avoid things 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.839 that may distract you from getting your urgent 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:34.439 and important tasks done. And being able to distinguish 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:36.620 between the two is definitely something that 00:05:36.620 --> 00:05:59.329 a lot of people lack the ability to do. Alright, 00:05:59.329 --> 00:06:02.329 so like I said before in the last piece, the 00:06:02.329 --> 00:06:04.230 distinction between urgent and important is the 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:06.550 key to prioritizing your time and your workload. 00:06:07.170 --> 00:06:10.389 Whether at home or at work or studying, it doesn't 00:06:10.389 --> 00:06:13.009 matter. It enables you to work out what to do 00:06:13.009 --> 00:06:15.810 first and can be either left until later or not 00:06:15.810 --> 00:06:20.329 done at all. So, again, an example, if you leave 00:06:20.329 --> 00:06:23.750 an urgent but important task, you may find that 00:06:23.750 --> 00:06:31.329 it becomes unnecessary. How do I put this? There's 00:06:31.329 --> 00:06:33.769 something called the priority matrix. It can 00:06:33.769 --> 00:06:36.610 also help you organize your tasks into appropriate 00:06:36.610 --> 00:06:42.149 categories. It's a four square box. Essentially, 00:06:42.209 --> 00:06:44.269 there's four squares. Take a box, split it into 00:06:44.269 --> 00:06:47.029 four. On the top left side, you have high important 00:06:47.029 --> 00:06:51.329 things, your actions to do first. To the right 00:06:51.329 --> 00:06:53.410 of that, you have your actions to do next or 00:06:53.410 --> 00:06:56.810 schedule. On the bottom left of this box, you 00:06:56.810 --> 00:06:59.410 have the low importance things actions to do 00:06:59.410 --> 00:07:03.629 later or delegate but yet have high urgency on 00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:06.790 the bottom right you have the no actions and 00:07:06.790 --> 00:07:11.689 don't do which is a low urgency as you can see 00:07:11.689 --> 00:07:14.670 here the way this grid is set up everything on 00:07:14.670 --> 00:07:16.689 the top row from left to right is considered 00:07:16.689 --> 00:07:20.290 high importance but they're also sorted accordingly 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:23.339 The actions you do first have a high importance 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:25.740 and high urgency, whereas the actions you do 00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:28.439 next or schedule have a high importance but a 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:31.920 low urgency. At the same time, actions that you 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:34.240 can do later or delegate have low importance 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:37.060 but high urgency, and then the actions that you 00:07:37.060 --> 00:07:40.100 just don't do are low importance and low urgency. 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:43.019 This is how you set up the priority matrix, or 00:07:43.019 --> 00:07:45.420 as it's originally known, the Eisenhower matrix. 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:51.199 To use the priority matrix, though, It's best 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:53.959 to review your tasks on a daily basis. Every 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:57.019 day, ask yourself this question. Which of my 00:07:57.019 --> 00:08:00.000 tasks need to be done within the next 48 hours? 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:04.000 Those are urgent tasks. Of the urgent tasks, 00:08:04.259 --> 00:08:08.139 next question, which ones are important? Keep 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:09.980 in mind that it's a good idea to list your tasks 00:08:09.980 --> 00:08:12.600 in order of importance, rather than giving them 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:14.660 an absolute important or not important distinction. 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:19.569 Next, the final question to ask. is of the non 00:08:19.569 --> 00:08:23.129 -urgent tasks which ones are more important again 00:08:23.129 --> 00:08:26.589 it's a good idea to list those in order rather 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:29.629 than giving them an absolute distinction now 00:08:29.629 --> 00:08:32.490 using the answers that these questions have given 00:08:32.490 --> 00:08:34.769 you to allocate the tasks in your priority matrix 00:08:34.769 --> 00:08:38.710 boxes that you just set up follow these specific 00:08:38.710 --> 00:08:42.649 rules okay each box should contain no more than 00:08:42.649 --> 00:08:46.190 seven or eight tasks for that section always 00:08:46.190 --> 00:08:49.200 start with the doom Sorry, always start with 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:55.919 the do now box. Crucially, and emphatically, 00:08:56.139 --> 00:09:01.580 do not, do not put off urgent important tasks 00:09:01.580 --> 00:09:04.259 just because they are unpleasant. It doesn't 00:09:04.259 --> 00:09:06.559 matter whether you want to do them or not. Sort 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:08.980 them according to when they need to be completed. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:12.620 They won't get any better if you procrastinate. 00:09:12.659 --> 00:09:14.679 If anything, the longer they sit there, the worse 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:17.679 it's going to get. As Mark Twain once put it, 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:21.039 if it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.340 do it first thing in the morning, and if your 00:09:23.340 --> 00:09:27.159 job is to eat two frogs, then it's best to eat 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:29.899 the biggest one first and get it out of the way. 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:33.379 As disgusting as that sounds, unless you really 00:09:33.379 --> 00:09:38.200 do like frogs, he makes a valid point. No one 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:40.460 really wants to eat a frog, but if you have to 00:09:40.460 --> 00:09:42.360 eat it, eat it, but if you have to eat more than 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:44.570 one... you're better off eating the bigger one 00:09:44.570 --> 00:09:47.830 as you'll suffer less with the smaller one. See 00:09:47.830 --> 00:09:52.049 my point? I hope y 'all do because that was a 00:09:52.049 --> 00:10:13.679 little disturbing for me to try to explain. Next, 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:17.000 let's look at the less urgent but still important 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:20.159 tasks. Decide what you're going to do about them, 00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:23.360 and then schedule time into your diary to do 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:27.679 them. As you're already aware, you're a planner. 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:30.259 It's definitely something you want to keep in 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:32.519 mind so that it'll make it a lot easier to do 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:36.379 and delegate things when you need them. So, first 00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:39.139 things first. You need to also delegate the urgent 00:10:39.139 --> 00:10:41.460 but easier and less important tasks, things that 00:10:41.460 --> 00:10:43.940 will divide up your attention unnecessarily. 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:47.200 Now, once you've done that, though, eliminate 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.379 the non -urgent and non -important tasks. They 00:10:49.379 --> 00:10:51.179 can be done later at another time. They don't 00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:54.039 have to be done now. And then finally, do the 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:57.200 actual work. I don't know how much I can stress 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.120 that one enough. Start your do -now list. When 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:02.200 you finish it, move on to the scheduled work 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:05.059 or tasks that you already have set aside for 00:11:05.059 --> 00:11:07.539 when those are finished. If there are any more 00:11:07.539 --> 00:11:09.860 tasks that you need to manage in any quadrant, 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:15.840 it's time to, one, do some of those, or delegate 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:18.379 some of those, or just eliminate some of them 00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:20.440 because you probably have too many or you didn't 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:24.120 sort them accordingly. Regular pruning of your 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:26.039 matrix is a way to ensure that you can focus 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:28.299 on what really matters and keep your workflow 00:11:28.299 --> 00:11:34.330 flowing, in a manner of speaking. Essentially, 00:11:34.470 --> 00:11:38.129 it's this. An individual's judgment on the very 00:11:38.129 --> 00:11:40.909 tasks that they have are important. Essentially, 00:11:40.990 --> 00:11:44.649 it's the urgency and or importance of a task 00:11:44.649 --> 00:11:48.250 that's not absolute. Unless you're one of those 00:11:48.250 --> 00:11:50.570 people who don't believe in absolutes. Only you 00:11:50.570 --> 00:11:53.330 can decide what you really think is important 00:11:53.330 --> 00:11:56.370 or urgent. Now, you can ask other people. to 00:11:56.370 --> 00:11:57.929 help you with this but they're probably gonna 00:11:57.929 --> 00:11:59.350 ask you a bunch of questions to which you'll 00:11:59.350 --> 00:12:01.110 probably feel uncomfortable answering but you 00:12:01.110 --> 00:12:04.169 will be able to decipher eventually between the 00:12:04.169 --> 00:12:06.330 urgent the non -urgent between the important 00:12:06.330 --> 00:12:08.870 non -important and tasks that just don't matter 00:12:08.870 --> 00:12:11.590 to start with some people for example prefer 00:12:11.590 --> 00:12:13.710 to wait until they're asked a second time for 00:12:13.710 --> 00:12:15.570 a piece of work before they actually start doing 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:18.470 it if they never are asked again then they never 00:12:18.470 --> 00:12:20.309 start the work they simply decide that it's not 00:12:20.309 --> 00:12:22.990 important enough to anybody for them to even 00:12:22.990 --> 00:12:27.870 spend the time or effort this is actually this 00:12:27.870 --> 00:12:30.789 is actually bad training because you really shouldn't 00:12:30.789 --> 00:12:33.549 do that if someone asks you to do it just do 00:12:33.549 --> 00:12:35.509 it it doesn't matter if it's important then it 00:12:35.509 --> 00:12:37.470 may be important later as long as the task is 00:12:37.470 --> 00:12:40.149 done you know it's one less thing for you to 00:12:40.149 --> 00:12:43.450 worry about and on another note if it's already 00:12:43.450 --> 00:12:45.409 done then the next time someone asks you for 00:12:45.409 --> 00:12:47.009 it you can just hand it to them and move on with 00:12:47.009 --> 00:12:49.529 your life you don't have to stop the care remember 00:12:51.150 --> 00:12:53.610 Number two, that you and your health are also 00:12:53.610 --> 00:12:55.409 important. And just because you have a lot to 00:12:55.409 --> 00:12:58.690 do doesn't mean that doing some exercise, going 00:12:58.690 --> 00:13:00.529 for a ten minute walk, or making time to eat 00:13:00.529 --> 00:13:02.649 properly is not important. You should not ignore 00:13:02.649 --> 00:13:04.769 your physical or mental health in favor of more 00:13:04.769 --> 00:13:07.429 urgent activities. Now, granted, I say this, 00:13:07.509 --> 00:13:10.529 but there are times where it can't be helped. 00:13:11.289 --> 00:13:16.470 Okay? That said though, if you have to use the 00:13:16.470 --> 00:13:19.350 bathroom, and you've already waited four or five 00:13:19.350 --> 00:13:24.200 hours, Just go. Find a place. If you're out in 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:26.539 the middle of nowhere, like, say, a truck driver, 00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:31.080 find a bowl, find a pot, pull your truck over 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:32.820 where nobody can see you, and just take a dump 00:13:32.820 --> 00:13:38.080 in the nearest bush. Doesn't matter where. That 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.399 is not something you should be doing. And I'm 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.019 speaking from experience. I'm not a truck driver, 00:13:42.179 --> 00:13:46.039 but I do drive for a transportation company in 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:50.320 my spare time. I sometimes find myself going 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:52.179 six or seven hours without using the bathroom, 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.299 and I have to pull over, okay? Or I have to go 00:13:54.299 --> 00:13:58.679 home. Now, before I go any further, there is 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:02.440 a warning I have for you. Urgency and or importance 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:06.539 is not a fixed status. You should review your 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:09.480 task list regularly to make sure that nothing 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:12.440 should be moved up because it has become more 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:16.669 urgent or important, okay? Just because it's 00:14:16.669 --> 00:14:19.590 changed in its urgency or importance does not 00:14:19.590 --> 00:14:21.629 mean it gets bumped ahead of everything else. 00:14:21.789 --> 00:14:24.590 Always complete your tasks in the order specified, 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:28.009 whether by you or someone else. Never change 00:14:28.009 --> 00:14:31.429 the order. The only time this applies is if a 00:14:31.429 --> 00:14:33.269 task is simple enough that it can be done in 00:14:33.269 --> 00:14:35.789 less than five minutes, in which case you can 00:14:35.789 --> 00:15:03.720 just mark it off. If an important task continually 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:07.120 gets bumped down the list by a more urgent, more 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:12.500 important task, well, first, consider whether 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:15.860 it's genuinely important and if it actually needs 00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:18.820 to be done at all. Have you been telling yourself 00:15:18.820 --> 00:15:23.820 that you ought to do it, though? Or do you really 00:15:23.820 --> 00:15:26.840 need to do it? Consider that. I mean, if it's 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:29.259 really important, then delegate it. Make sure 00:15:29.259 --> 00:15:33.710 that... you know, it gets done. But don't put 00:15:33.710 --> 00:15:36.730 yourself in a situation where completing any 00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:39.070 of those tasks or that task at all becomes nearly 00:15:39.070 --> 00:15:44.370 impossible. Okay. In a case study on a win -win 00:15:44.370 --> 00:15:47.769 situation from delegating, I'm going to read 00:15:47.769 --> 00:15:54.269 something here. I can't. Let's see. Jenny was 00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:57.029 the leader of a busy, highly reactive team with 00:15:57.029 --> 00:16:00.600 constant urgent demands on her time. Okay. She 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:02.340 knew that she needed to think about the long 00:16:02.340 --> 00:16:05.000 -term strategies for her team, but it was very 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:08.240 hard to set aside the time. In a development 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:10.259 discussion, though, Sarah, one of her teams, 00:16:10.299 --> 00:16:13.500 expressed her desire to do some more strategic 00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:16.000 work to build up her skills, and Jenny saw an 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:18.240 opportunity for both of them and offered Sarah 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.200 the opportunity to map out the strategy for the 00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:22.700 team. Sarah jumped on the chance and produced 00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:25.179 a carefully considered plan, which was a great 00:16:25.179 --> 00:16:29.039 foundation for further work. Now, what happened 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:33.399 here? Ask yourself this, what just happened? 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:36.879 First off, Jenny is the leader of this entire 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:39.100 group, so she's the one who's in charge of almost 00:16:39.100 --> 00:16:42.220 everything that they do, and coming up with long 00:16:42.220 --> 00:16:44.879 -term strategies, plans, and analysis for the 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:47.779 team and everything that they have to do. But 00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:49.879 she knows her time is limited, she knows she 00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:52.519 can only do so much, so immediately her first 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.039 task was to assign one of her team members, someone 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.480 who had a high desire to do something and to 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:03.100 help, the task based off of her skills to come 00:17:03.100 --> 00:17:07.339 up with a plan that they could use she delegated 00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:09.920 her work but she had delegated it according to 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.839 the person's skills and to who she thought would 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:15.259 be better equipped to come up with a solution 00:17:15.259 --> 00:17:19.279 keep this in mind when you go about delegating 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:21.559 whatever tasks that you have as you never know 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:26.480 when or where or if someone else may be able 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:29.359 to help you complete it Which brings me to the 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:33.299 next thing, personal versus professional. There 00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:35.000 is a balance between personal and professional 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.119 priorities, and there are two ways to manage 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:41.140 this. One, include both in the matrix. You have 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:43.299 your advantages, your personal items do not get 00:17:43.299 --> 00:17:46.160 lost. The disadvantages, though, will be that 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.140 you need to find a balance between work and personal 00:17:48.140 --> 00:17:51.099 items, which seems to be the main issue here. 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:54.480 Second, you can separate them into two different 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:56.839 matrices and model separate time slots for dealing 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:59.440 with each. The advantages of this means that 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:01.440 you can deal with both with a realistic view 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.500 about their urgencies. However, the disadvantages 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:07.680 can get quite complicated. Actually, you know 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:11.380 what? Let's just not go into that. But it's really 00:18:11.380 --> 00:18:13.859 up to you to choose. I mean, the key is to make 00:18:13.859 --> 00:18:16.319 it work for you and to not run yourself into 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:19.539 the ground. I mean, you're a human being, not 00:18:19.539 --> 00:18:46.009 a dung beetle. Let's go into further principles 00:18:46.009 --> 00:18:47.809 of good time management. Now that we got that 00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:50.509 out of the way. Okay, the priority matrix is 00:18:50.509 --> 00:18:54.809 there. Therefore, it's a key to prioritizing 00:18:54.809 --> 00:18:57.289 your workload. However, time management is more 00:18:57.289 --> 00:19:00.170 than just prioritization. It's also the being 00:19:00.170 --> 00:19:02.670 able to work more productively. And there are 00:19:02.670 --> 00:19:05.269 a number of other ways in which you can improve 00:19:05.269 --> 00:19:08.630 your efficiency and productivity. First things 00:19:08.630 --> 00:19:12.670 first, keeping tidy. I don't think I really need 00:19:12.670 --> 00:19:14.369 to explain this one, but I'll do it for those 00:19:14.369 --> 00:19:16.930 who need it. For some of us, clutter can be a 00:19:16.930 --> 00:19:20.490 real distraction and genuinely depressing. Tidying 00:19:20.490 --> 00:19:22.549 up can improve both your self -esteem and motivation, 00:19:22.750 --> 00:19:25.170 and you will also find it easier to stay on top 00:19:25.170 --> 00:19:27.529 of things if your workspace is tidy and you keep 00:19:27.529 --> 00:19:30.630 your systems up to date. With that being said, 00:19:31.109 --> 00:19:38.369 here's your cleaning up tip for the day. Create 00:19:38.369 --> 00:19:40.450 three piles of your stuff to keep the giveaway 00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:43.609 in the throwaways. Keep if you need to keep it 00:19:43.609 --> 00:19:45.750 for your records or do something with it. If 00:19:45.750 --> 00:19:49.369 it needs an action, add it to your task list 00:19:49.369 --> 00:19:52.170 that you have before. The second pile will be 00:19:52.170 --> 00:19:53.690 the giveaway. If you don't want it anymore, give 00:19:53.690 --> 00:19:55.490 it to someone who might be able to use it or 00:19:55.490 --> 00:20:00.029 it is work that should be delegated to someone 00:20:00.029 --> 00:20:02.690 else in general. And then last, your throwaway 00:20:02.690 --> 00:20:04.910 recycle pile for things that have no value to 00:20:04.910 --> 00:20:09.339 you or anyone else. Why is this important it 00:20:09.339 --> 00:20:11.640 reduces the workload on you and it makes it easier 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:15.819 to move around in your own stuff and For one 00:20:15.819 --> 00:20:19.200 it just makes you feel better as a person The 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:21.180 next thing you should do is use the aid to -do 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:27.539 list Okay Whether you're electronic or paperless 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:29.859 doesn't matter who you are if you want to save 00:20:29.859 --> 00:20:32.000 the environment use an electronic one There are 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.839 good ways to you, you know Remember what you 00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:37.059 gotta do, and see it at a glance what you've 00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:41.240 forgotten. I have an electronic list and I have 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:44.240 a paper list. I have both just in case. I even 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:46.400 have a whiteboard to write down tasks that are 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:49.339 highly important to me that I forget. But consider 00:20:49.339 --> 00:20:51.160 highlighting the most important things in some 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:52.859 way, and remember to take things off your list 00:20:52.859 --> 00:20:54.539 when they're complete and no longer need doing. 00:20:55.420 --> 00:20:57.819 Then pick a moment. All of us have times of the 00:20:57.819 --> 00:21:00.140 day when we work better. It's best to schedule 00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:02.740 the different tasks for those times. However... 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:07.619 you also need to schedule things that need doing 00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:10.940 at particular times like meetings or a trip you 00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:15.759 know to the post office or to the store another 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:18.559 useful option is to have in a list of important 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:23.380 but non -urgent tasks that can be done in that 00:21:23.380 --> 00:21:27.480 odd 10 minute meeting time or might be ideal 00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:29.940 time to send the email confirming your holiday 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:33.809 date something of that nature like Utilize your 00:21:33.809 --> 00:21:36.089 time to the fullest. But at the same time, don't 00:21:36.089 --> 00:21:37.630 make yourself so busy you're not able to pay 00:21:37.630 --> 00:21:40.009 attention to what's going on around you. If you're 00:21:40.009 --> 00:21:41.869 sitting in a meeting listening to someone attentively, 00:21:41.990 --> 00:21:43.910 but you're allowed to be on your tablet, if you 00:21:43.910 --> 00:21:45.470 can complete some of the side tasks while you're 00:21:45.470 --> 00:21:47.170 listening and completing the task at the same 00:21:47.170 --> 00:21:50.109 time, then do it. If you can't do it, I'd recommend 00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:52.250 against this as all it's going to do is create 00:21:52.250 --> 00:21:58.210 more problems for you. Okay? Next, next, next. 00:21:59.130 --> 00:22:03.779 Don't procrastinate. But do ask why you're tempted. 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.680 These are the questions that people need to ask. 00:22:07.900 --> 00:22:10.220 If a task is genuinely important or urgent, get 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:12.599 it on with it. Don't just sit there staring at 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:14.640 it. If you're procrastinating, there's probably 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:18.619 a motivation issue here. Or something else is 00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:22.079 getting in the way. That's why you should ask 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:25.200 why are you tempted to procrastinate in the first 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:29.630 place. Think about it. If, however, you find 00:22:29.630 --> 00:22:31.829 yourself making excuses about not doing something, 00:22:32.009 --> 00:22:37.089 ask yourself, why? Why am I not doing this? You 00:22:37.089 --> 00:22:39.470 know, you may be doubtful about whether you should 00:22:39.470 --> 00:22:41.710 be doing the task at all. Perhaps you're concerned 00:22:41.710 --> 00:22:44.369 about the ethics or you don't think it's even 00:22:44.369 --> 00:22:47.089 the best option. If so, you may need to find 00:22:47.089 --> 00:22:50.430 others to help you. And if others agree with 00:22:50.430 --> 00:22:52.950 you on the same topic, then talk it over with 00:22:52.950 --> 00:22:55.369 your colleagues or your manager, family, or if 00:22:55.369 --> 00:22:59.589 you're at work, you know. Your co -workers. Somebody. 00:22:59.970 --> 00:23:01.990 See if there's an alternate way that might be 00:23:01.990 --> 00:23:04.930 better to help you get that task done. And then, 00:23:05.009 --> 00:23:08.690 don't try to multitask if you can't. Okay, people 00:23:08.690 --> 00:23:10.690 generally aren't good at multitasking because 00:23:10.690 --> 00:23:13.089 it takes our brains time to refocus on something 00:23:13.089 --> 00:23:15.750 that you need to do. Some people can multitask, 00:23:15.809 --> 00:23:17.630 but there's a limit to the amount of tasks that 00:23:17.630 --> 00:23:21.730 they can do. In my case, the most I can do is 00:23:21.730 --> 00:23:24.589 three things. That's my limit at the moment. 00:23:25.170 --> 00:23:28.720 Okay? it's much better to finish off one job 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:30.619 though before moving on to another and if you 00:23:30.619 --> 00:23:32.680 do have a lot of stuff or a lot of different 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:35.019 tasks to do again try to group them together 00:23:35.019 --> 00:23:38.019 do similar tasks consecutively or just delegate 00:23:38.019 --> 00:23:42.299 okay an example of multitasking where it's okay 00:23:42.299 --> 00:23:44.740 though just for those who who probably want to 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:47.099 know when is it okay to do this an example of 00:23:47.099 --> 00:23:49.680 this would be like cooking when you're cooking 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:51.680 you have to focus on a single task but you have 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:54.769 to multitask at the same time as a lot of ingredients 00:23:54.769 --> 00:23:57.170 either have to be done or prepped all at once 00:23:57.170 --> 00:23:59.970 but or put into a pot all at once you gotta remember 00:23:59.970 --> 00:24:04.849 in which order while stirring or mixing just 00:24:04.849 --> 00:24:25.809 to give a few right everybody we're going to 00:24:25.809 --> 00:24:29.349 go ahead and close this out um it's been a long 00:24:29.349 --> 00:24:32.890 podcast i do apologize for that but i just wanted 00:24:32.890 --> 00:24:35.650 you to understand the importance of time management 00:24:35.650 --> 00:24:38.170 and how it can affect your everyday life there 00:24:38.170 --> 00:24:40.309 is so much that goes into it and a lot of things 00:24:40.309 --> 00:24:43.130 that people don't consider you know it's food 00:24:43.130 --> 00:24:48.869 for thought fun that people should probably stop 00:24:48.869 --> 00:24:51.589 to look at whether you're at home whether you're 00:24:51.589 --> 00:24:53.799 at work it doesn't matter The important thing 00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:55.619 is to stay calm and keep things into perspective. 00:24:56.579 --> 00:24:58.940 Okay, perhaps the most important thing to remember 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:01.660 is staying calm. And feeling overwhelmed by too 00:25:01.660 --> 00:25:03.660 many tasks can be very stressful. And if you 00:25:03.660 --> 00:25:05.880 live in a high stress environment, like I do, 00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:08.619 then you have to remember to find that balance 00:25:08.619 --> 00:25:11.559 and give yourself a time to relax. Remember that 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:13.920 the world will probably not end if you fail to 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:16.859 achieve your task or your last task of that day. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:20.140 Leave it until tomorrow, especially if you have 00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:24.640 priorities. or prioritize sensibilities that 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:28.779 are set up accordingly, okay? Going home or getting 00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:32.059 an early night so that you can feel fit for tomorrow 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:35.420 may be way better an option than meeting a self 00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:37.140 -imposed external deadline that may not even 00:25:37.140 --> 00:25:39.259 matter or run you to the ground or make you fall 00:25:39.259 --> 00:25:41.059 out or have a seizure or nearly die in a car 00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:46.339 accident because you're exhausted. I know that 00:25:46.339 --> 00:25:48.579 was a bit overly dramatic, but I mean, it drives 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:51.680 the point home. I live in Texas, preferably in... 00:25:51.869 --> 00:25:55.589 most oftenly Houston, and a lot of people here 00:25:55.589 --> 00:26:03.750 drive a little crazy. So, knowing this, and having 00:26:03.750 --> 00:26:06.789 lived this already, driving through the city 00:26:06.789 --> 00:26:09.589 exhausted and barely able to focus is a bad thing. 00:26:10.130 --> 00:26:13.509 I often have to remind myself, you know, you 00:26:13.509 --> 00:26:15.910 are not God, you're not invincible, you have 00:26:15.910 --> 00:26:19.250 to take a break. So, if I have to take a break, 00:26:19.410 --> 00:26:22.529 then so do you. Everybody does. Even the president 00:26:22.529 --> 00:26:26.829 has to sleep. You know, take a moment to pause. 00:26:27.049 --> 00:26:28.970 Get your life and priorities into perspective. 00:26:29.130 --> 00:26:32.049 And you may find that the view changes quite 00:26:32.049 --> 00:26:34.670 substantially for you. And that everything just 00:26:34.670 --> 00:26:39.009 kind of falls into place. With that being said, 00:26:39.109 --> 00:26:42.490 a topic for a future discussion in my podcast 00:26:42.490 --> 00:26:44.329 I'm really looking forward to doing is the work 00:26:44.329 --> 00:26:46.509 -life balance. So there's something for you guys 00:26:46.509 --> 00:26:48.950 to look forward to. We've got more coming soon. 00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:51.279 Hope you all have a great rest of your day. I 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:53.200 thank you guys for listening. This has been food 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:55.539 for thought. Thoughts if it were you. And I'm 00:26:55.539 --> 00:26:57.680 your host, Neo Gentrics. Have a great day.