1.
Smart
Time
Management
Stuff Every Business Should Know

2.
Smart Time Management (Stuff Every Business Should
Know )
Title
Master Steve
Author
Somayeh Amiri, Tara Kamangar
Colleagues
Keyvan
Layout
Designer
Silk Road Publishing (Toronto, Canada)
Publisher
Printed Book: 978-1-927060-75-9
EBook: 978-1-927060-76-6
ISBN
www.MasterSteve.com
Website
Attributions:
Images Credits: pch.vector / Freepik
Note: The author of this book gives the right to use
the present content, provided that the source is cited,
to professors, educators, teachers, lecturers, and aca-
demic and non-academic educational centers, for an
indefinite period.
The copyright of this bookis internationallyregistered
for the author.

3.
Content
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5
The Importance of Time Management .
........................................6
Chapter 1: Time Management, the ABCDE Method.
.........8
Chapter 2: Stages of Smart Time Management Plan..... 10
1. Setting Goals ........................................................................ 12
2. Prioritizing Achievable Tasks....................................... 13
3. List of Motives for Doing Tasks.................................. 15
4. List of Distracting Items..................................................17
5. Setting Suitable Time for Doing Tasks ................... 18
6. List of Daily Decisions.................................................... 20
7. Making a To-Do List ........................................................22
Chapter 3: The Principles of Time Management...............27
1. Communicating with Others...................................... 29
2. Analyzing Obstacles to Bringing a Plan into Effect.....30
3. Delegating to Others .......................................................32
4. Recording the Time .........................................................33
5. Organizing Workplace ...................................................34
6. Having a Checklist ............................................................37
Smart
Time
Management
3

4.
7. Having Active Patience ...................................................38
8. Ignoring Trivial Things.................................................. 39
9. Considering a Break........................................................ 40
10. Concentrating on Concentration .............................. 41
11. Email Management ..........................................................42
12. Providing a Daily Report................................................44
13. Trial and Error.....................................................................46

4

5.
Introduction
The usual question many people ask me is why is it
that they don’t have enough time to do their tasks.
My answer is that everybody gets 24 hours during a
day, but the difference lies in time management and
planning, and this is why some people can carry out
their tasks in scheduled time and some cannot.
Whether scientific or experimental, time manage-
ment makes one use one’s time optimally.
In this book, you get to know my personal and
smart methods. I have combined these methods with
some general standard methods and I have offered
them as advice for time management to colleagues,
college students, customers and people close to me.
I also have made changes in some of them during all
these years.
If you follow the principles and tips presented in
this book, you can have a better and more effective
use of time; and for some people, this book can be the
right tool that they need to create an exceptional turn-
ing point in their lives as well.
Smart
Time
Management
5

6.
The Importance of Time Management
Time management is organiz-
ing tasks and using time opti-
mally whether in business or
personal life.
Individuals play an essential role in business and
business is meaningless without individuals. There-
fore, people who take time management seriously in
their lives will succeed in business as well.
Using the methods and points of time management
about which we are going to discuss in this book, you
can gain more productivity in a certain period, such as
a day or a month no matter what job you have. After
starting to use these methods, you will see firsthand
how much your behavior and disposition to time
management will change and how much the stress of
falling behind schedule will be greatly reduced as you
carry out your daily activities.
The
Importance
of
Time
Management
6

7.
You will also see the effectiveness of this method on
your job opportunities. The number of your projects
which are about to be put off will be reduced and you
won’t need to buy time constantly for your tasks and
get into a hamster wheel.
Time management improves
the quality of your life and
makes you get better results
from what you do.
Any skill requires training. Time management is
also a skill which should be learned. You may not
take it seriously for reasons such as laziness, disor-
ganization and fear of failure. However, the method
and principle I introduce here are quite practical and
applicable. They come from my personal experience
and by applying proven tactics which I am going to
share with you to my life. I always managed to make
the best of my time and succeed in business and life.
You also just need to have will and act upon it. Then,
you will see the results. Where there is a will, there is
a way.
Time management is priori-
tizing goals and feasible tasks
so you can easily achieve your
set goals.
Smart
Time
Management
7

8.
Chapter 1
Time
Management,
the ABCDE
Method

9.
You all have definitely seen or applied different types
of methods and models used for time management.
My invented method for time management is cate-
gorizing the feasible activities and tasks into 5 groups
which are segregated by alphabet letters. This method
is called ABCDE in which:
z
In group A, you put the tasks with highest pri-
ority.
z
In group B, you put the tasks which comparing
to the first group are less important.
z
In group C, you put the tasks which aren’t so
important but you do them anyway.
z
Group D, entails tasks which you delegate to
others.
z
Group E, includes tasks which you can elimi-
nate from your To-Do list and avoid doing.
Smart
Time
Management
9

10.
Chapter 2
Stages of
Smart Time
Management
Plan

11.
As you see in Figure 1, some important stages for time
management will be elaborately explained in the fol-
lowing sections.
Figure 1. Stages of a smart time management plan.
Setting Goals Prioritizing Achievable Tasks List Of Motives for Doing Tasks
List of Distracting Items
Setting Suitable Time for Doing Tasks
List of Daily Decisions Making a To-Do List
Smart
Time
Management
11

12.
¾
Setting Goals
The first step in time management is to set
a series of goals and prioritize them based on
their importance. Then make a list of them
and see what changes you go through in your
path.
By setting goals you make it clear: by
which goals do you intend to manage your
time? And, what do you aim to achieve by
managing your time?
While writing down your goals on paper,
you realistically define the achievable
minimums as goals. It means you shouldn’t
write down goals which you can’t handle.
It doesn’t matter how many goals you have.
You can make a long list of goals. What matters
is that these goals are doable and achievable.
To learn the methods of identifying and
distinguishing achievable goals, you can read
one of my other books called “SELF” or “The
Roadmap to self-knowledge and goal setting”
and implement its applicable method.
Notice:
Notice:
To manage your time effectively, set one or more
goals for tackling your tasks.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
12

13.
¾
Prioritizing Achievable Tasks
Sometimes, you are confused and you
don’t knowwhat taskyou should do. You think
none of your plans is brought into effect.
Concentrate your thoughts and start taking
notes of tasks you need to do.
The second step is to organizeandprioritize
your tasks based on the importance of goals.
Which goal has the highest priority? And which
tasks are needed to be done sooner in order to
achieve each goal?
Make a list of the tasks you need to do
such as finishing a work project or going to
the movies with your friends. While doing so,
you face tasks that you have postponed and
evaded doing for various reasons. You also
think about what tasks you needed to do but
you didn’t find the opportunity to do.
You will probably end up with a long list of
undone tasks in front of you and it may make
you stressed out. You are hesitant about what
to do next and how to proceed so you could
reduce your stress.
You can keep your written list of tasks in a
notebook, computer or mobile phone.
Smart
Time
Management
13

14.
Notice:
Notice:
Write down your To-Do list in a platform you are
accustomed to use and somewhere always avail-
able and think about doing the tasks.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
14

15.
¾
List of Motives for Doing Tasks
Having motives for doing tasks is like a
prime mover which drives you to accomplish
your tasks. Being motivated is necessary for
everyone. You even have to motivate a child
to encourage him/her to do something.
Therefore, in this stage, you make a list of
things that motivate you and rouse you from
your lethargy. For example, seeing a friend is
a motivation for going to the sport club.
In most cases, lack of motivation impedes
doing a necessary task. For instance, you
sometimes don’t attend a meeting because
it’s your time to take a break and you have
another plan for that time or you are tired of
repeating those meetings and you no longer
have a motive. In such cases, some happenings
like the presence of special individuals can
motivate you to attend those meetings.
Note:
Note:
Methods of motivating are different for various
tasks and various people. Therefore you can’t apply
the same formula for every task and for everybody.
People find their peculiar motivational
paths based on their own self-knowledge or
Smart
Time
Management
15

16.
intuition. In addition, each person’s goal is
different from someone else’s and everybody
does what is valuable for him/herself.
Therefore, in this stage, you need to see
what drivesyou to doyouractivities according
to your personality traits and based on the
effect of that motive on doing tasks.
Notice:
Notice:
Make a list of motives for doing your tasks. Then,
create those motives for yourself when necessary.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
16

17.
¾
List of Distracting Items
In this stage, check and see what distracts
you and stops you from concentrating on
a task. Lack of concentration is one of the
obstacles of time management.
Notice:
Notice:
Make a list of items that reduce your concentra-
tion and contribute to you not accomplishing the
scheduled tasks properly.
Justlikethelistofmotives,thislistisdifferent
for various people, too. Coming and going by
others may distract you and make you lose
your concentration, but the same thing may
be quite unimportant for your colleague who
can stay concentrated in crowded places.
Smart
Time
Management
17

18.
¾ SettingSuitableTimeforDoingTasks
Consider a time for accomplishing your
tasks. In this regard, review your moods.
Some people work better in the morning
and some other are more productive during
midday or at night. You may need to pass an
hour in the morning to be able to start your
work. Some people are accustomed to taking
nap in the afternoon and love starting their
work after that. This is what works for them
so they can use it to manage their time well.
Everyone knows oneself better and is aware
at which part of the day, he/she has the most
productivity. Therefore you must ensure you
realize what works for you and at the time
of the day when that factor influences your
overall performance and makes you achieve
high productivity.
Notice 1:
Notice 1:
Based on the self-knowledge you have, identify
and make it clear at which part of the day you can
be able to do a particular task better. Also, identify
which tasks you have more and better efficiency at
a particular time of the day.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
18

19.
You may work slower while doing some
tasks and work faster while doing some other
tasks.
For example, some people act quite quickly
while doing handworks. At the same time,
some other people are slower in this regard.
Therefore, based on the knowledge you have
about yourself,
Notice 2:
Notice 2:
Schedule the time of doing tasks both for your per-
sonal stuff and your business affairs.
Doing a part of your tasks might require
cooperation of one or more individuals. In
that case:
Notice 3:
Notice 3:
When allocating time for doing your tasks, con-
sider the role of others and sufficient time for
doing the task by someone else as well.
Notice 4:
Notice 4:
You always need to consider a floating period for
doing your tasks so your whole schedule won’t fall
apart in case there’s a delay in doing tasks and you
need to consider time for unexpected events.
Smart
Time
Management
19

20.
¾
List of Daily Decisions
The power of decision-making has a great
influence on time management. Being unable
to make daily, weekly and monthly decisions
impedes accomplishing the tasks.
Note:
Note:
Wavering in decision-making is one of the factors
of procrastination which won’t allow you to concen-
trate and carry out your tasks.
1.
1. Make a list of the decisions you have to
make during the day.
2.
2. Make it clear which decisions matter the
most.
3.
3. Evaluate your performance in these
decision-makings:
ƒ
See which tasks you have done.
ƒ
See which task you haven’t done.
ƒ
If you have been unsuccessful in
making some decisions, what has
been the reason for that?
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
20

21.
ƒ
How much time did you spend on
making decisions regarding the tasks
you have done?
ƒ
Which type of people have you met
in the process of making the deci-
sions?
ƒ
Was meeting these people helpful for
making the decisions?
ƒ
Could you ask for help from other
people in decision-making?
Answering the questions above will help
you in decision-making and will help you
learn how to make more accurate decisions
in the least amount of time.
Smart
Time
Management
21

22.
¾
Making a To-Do List
Having a plan is another issue in time
management. This plan contains tasks which
you should do from morning to night and it
needs to be listed serially or in any orderly
format. In case you haven’t prepared such text,
itwon’tbeweirdifyoufailintimemanagement.
Note 1:
Note 1:
Time management rises out of a plan, and it’s sanc-
tioned first by the personality of an individual and
then by the format of that plan.
Make a list and name it “tasks to do”.
A set of plans can be prepared after
organizing the tasks. All of these plans must be
in a certain course toward obtaining your goals.
It’s better to have a plan in different formats:
ƒ
One in alphabetical order.
ƒ
One in terms of time, for example, what
you are supposed to do at 6 o’clock.
ƒ
The third list is related to important
tasks which somehow must be accom-
plished, come hell or high water.
Software is quite helpful in preparing a
To-Do list.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
22

23.
Note 2:
Note 2:
Multitasking is the reason behind spending too much
time for doing tasks and lack of concentration.
Notice 1:
Notice 1:
While preparing your To-Do list, notice that you
need to do one task at a time. Planning to do mul-
tiple tasks at the same time is neither an accom-
plishment nor a logical action.
Notice 2:
Notice 2:
Organize and accomplish all the listed tasks in
your To-Do list.
Notice 3:
Notice 3:
Concentrate on one task and accomplish it. Then
go after the next one.
People who multitask have to keep putting
off their tasks and this postponing becomes
a habit.
Furthermore, they do tasks without
concentration. Therefore, they have to spend
a great deal of time doing multiple tasks. At
the end, none of those tasks are properly
accomplished, which makes these individuals
become unmotivated and lose energy.
Smart
Time
Management
23

24.
Notice 4:
Notice 4:
Eliminate from the list what stops you from doing
important tasks and makes you diverge from your
main path.
For example, if you have an appointment
with someone after an important meeting,
but you have no idea how long the meeting
will last, remove the appointment from your
list because it will affect your performance in
the meeting.
Notice 5:
Notice 5:
Make sure to schedule a break into your To-Do list.
If you don’t rest enough, your productivity
will be reduced. Sometimes, you feel like you
are active and energetic and you can do your
job with high quality at any time. However,
in actuality, you just kill time after certain
hours.
You can use numerous applications and
adjust working hours. These applications will
even remind you when to take a break.
Notice 6:
Notice 6:
Be prepared beforehand for doing any tasks. Lack
of preparation is a factor for distraction.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
24

25.
From the night before, you can prepare
and arrange some tasks for the next day. For
example, you can prepare the documents for
going to the bank.
Note 3:
Note 3:
Try and make a habit of preparing the To-Do list
and you should know at all times how much prog-
ress you have made in carrying out the plan.
Depending on your job and lifestyle, this
plan can be prepare for daily, weekly or
monthly activities.
Setting time for each task must be done
realistically and you need to think it through as
much as possible. If scheduling the plan is over
the top, it won’t be possible to implement it.
Sometimes, you have to do some tasks in a
hurry due to lack of time, and it may increase
your anxiety, stop you from yielding the
desired results and ruin the entire plan.
Notice 7:
Notice 7:
Try and accomplish each task within the sched-
uled time.
Notice 8:
Notice 8:
Categorize the prioritization of your tasks based
on their importance.
Smart
Time
Management
25

26.
How and when tasks to be done are
defined by the urgency of a task.
ƒ
Put the important and urgent task at
the top of the list.
ƒ
The second priority goes to the task
which is important but not urgent.
ƒ
The third priority goes to the task
which is not important but is urgent.
ƒ
The task which is neither important
nor urgent is placed in the fourth tier.
There are methods for adjusting time
and you can use them to keep going on
your track even if something happened. Of
course, adjusting time must be based on self-
knowledge and the nature of the task at hand.
Stages
of
Smart
Time
Management
Plan
26

27.
Chapter 3
The
Principles of
Time
Management

28.
Figure 2. The principles of time management.
In this section, I present you 13 principles of time
management. By using these principles, you can
prepare your schedule plan and implement it prop-
erly.
Having
active
patience
Analyzing
obstacles of
bringing a
plan into effect
Delegating
to others
Recording
the time
concentrating
on
concentration
Email
management
Providing
a daily
report
Trial and
error
Communicating
with others
Having a
checklist
Organizing
workplace
Ignoring
trivial
things
Considering
a break
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
28

29.
¾
Communicating with Others
In the part that is about your individual
personality traits, raise this question: are you
much of a talker or not?
The art of conversation and talking
to others is one of the tools for time
management. Talking must be a part of your
forte. Speaking well doesn’t mean talking too
much. We mean speaking wisely.
Notice:
Notice:
By speaking appropriately, you can delegate some
of your tasks to others and a part of your daily tasks
will be done better and faster.
We view problems smartly. It means
we examine everything from different
perspectives, and by taking such point of view,
we optimize the course of our life.
Weconsiderspeakingfromtwoperspectives
as well: you need to be both a good speaker and
a good listener. The art of speaking well is to
socialize, to contribute directly, and to entice
other people into accepting your unique point
of view.
Smart
Time
Management
29

30.
¾
Analyzing Obstacles to Bringing a
Plan into Effect
Make a list of challenges that impede the
realization of your plan during the day. After
that, answer this question: why do these
obstacles stop you from achieving your goal?
This part of analysis is always challenging
and time-consuming because such matters
aren’t quite clearand theymake ourcalculation
unrealistic, and this is a huge and persistent
obstacle.
Note:
Note:
Out of experience, you will realize what problems
will come up on your way toward your goal.
You have attempted to achieve your goal
using a certain formula and some complicated
problems have stopped you from achieving
your goal. Make a list of these problems and
find solutions to overcome them.
Notice:
Notice:
Make a list of obstacles which impede you from
bringing your schedule into effect, and look for
formulas to solve these problems. If you couldn’t
find any specific formula, try and find them by
consulting with others.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
30

31.
Make two lists:
1.
1. A list of factors which make you anxious,
such as:
ƒ
Earlyin the morning, myhusband takes
a peek at me and checks what I wear.
ƒ
When I get out of the house, I see the
shop owner at the corner of the street,
which makes me uncomfortable.
ƒ
I hate traffic.
ƒ
I’m afraid of someone stealing my
belongings.
This also includes other simple things that
can stress you and eventually make you late
for meetings.
2.
2. A list of what helps calm your anxiety.
For example, you make your schedule
so that you would avoid traffic or you
would dodge seeing that shop owner.
Smart
Time
Management
31

32.
¾
Delegating to Others
When you have a massive workload, you
may fail to accomplish all of your tasks.
See which tasks you can delegate to others,
whether free of charge or in exchange for a
fee.
Notice 1:
Notice 1:
Make a list of tasks that you can outsource. Put the
high priority on tasks in which you aren’t inter-
ested or the ones that stress you out.
Furthermore, make a list of tasks you can
do with others without any pressure and
stress. See with which people you were able
to work without tension and had a satisfying
cooperation. This move is one of the ways to
relieve anxiety.
Notice 2:
Notice 2:
When outsourcing your tasks, select the tasks
which don’t require your expertise. This is because
when you outsource, you need to spend even more
time to explain or train someone for the job you
are delegating to them.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
32

33.
¾
Recording the Time
When you do a task, record the time you
spend on doing it.
ƒ
Write down the schedule of your daily
tasks in the To-Do list you have pre-
pared.
ƒ
In your report, write down the un-
planned tasks that you do.
ƒ
Write down the beginning and the
ending time of each task and make it
clear whether it was already scheduled
in your daily plan or not.
By doing this, you will gradually get the
hang of scheduling your tasks and you will
write down your plans realistically and more
logically.
Smart
Time
Management
33

34.
¾
Organizing Workplace
Organizing your workplace is one of
the things you have to do for your time
management.
Are you an organizer? By that, we mean
organizing your work desk, office. This also
entails organizing files in your computer to
allow effective time management. Sometimes,
you fool yourself by saying, “I know where I put
everything.” You know at which area what you
want is placed. However, you need to rummage
through all the papers to find what you want.
ƒ
Put similar and related stuff beside
each other and know what you have
put in each section.
ƒ
Use the stationery and tools on your
desk creatively and categorize every-
thing.
ƒ
It is better to put stuff in drawers and
label these drawers using colored stick-
ers. By doing so, you will progress mi-
raculously.
ƒ
Use files with different colors inside
the drawers. Alphabetize the papers
inside the files as well, and if that is not
possible, code the papers.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
34

35.
There are numerous techniques and
methods you can use to organize your
ambient environment and your stuff.
Note:
Note:
Organizing your stuff may take several hours or
even a day, but instead, you will save a great deal of
time during a month.
Do the organizing task regularly. You
need to follow the same procedure for your
computersoyoucaneasilyknowtheparticular
content you have kept in a particular folder.
ƒ
You can have a cheat sheet or a guiding
list in your computer so you wouldn’t
have to look for the content you want.
ƒ
You can organize the folders in your
computer using a distinctive guideline.
You can use specific colors or codes so
you can easily get to the desired file
quickly.
ƒ
If there are too many files, you can dif-
ferentiate them based on suffix, size,
date, format and so on so forth.
Notice:
Notice:
Prepare your work environment. Ensure you orga-
nize it before doing anything.
Smart
Time
Management
35

36.
ƒ
Putting up photos can help you create
focus and order in your workplace.
ƒ
If there are items in your workplace
which distract you, put them away and
eventually, move toward a place where
you feel more comfortable.
ƒ
If you don’t have any control over your
workspace and can’t change it, at least
change where you sit to be more com-
fortable.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
36

37.
¾
Having a Checklist
Put your daily To-Do list in form of a
checklist where you can have access to it, and
put a checkmark next to each task after you
finish them. By doing so, you bring visual
order to your list and create more motives for
yourself.
Note:
Note:
Having a checklist helps with both saving time and
organizing.
There are some software tools for giving
instructions regarding listing and these tools
are designed based on special format and
index. However, the best thing is for your list
to be based on your taste and desired color so
you can access the file you want in the least
amount of time.
Due to its complexity and lack of
proficiency by users, using software
sometimes becomes an issue. Apply simple
software tools such as mobile reminder
applications or use To-Do List software.
Smart
Time
Management
37

38.
¾
Having Active Patience
Refractoriness and hastiness in doing tasks
reduce concentration and make you waste
unnecessary time. Lack of patience is the
origin of all of these problems.
Notice:
Notice:
Hold your horses and be patient before doing any-
thing, and look for a solution mindfully. Perhaps
you can find a solution out of your experience of
what has already happened to you.
By patient! By being patient, it mean, you
have to be actively patient, not passively; this
means active concentrated patience along
with reviewing old formulas to discover a new
formula which will work for you and help you
achieve your set goals.
Sometimes, some disagreements happen
halfway through the job and people lose
their temper. This can bring irreparable
consequences. You shouldn’t let such
incidents affect you for long and reduce your
efficiency.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
38

39.
¾
Ignoring Trivial Things
Make a list of objects or individuals that
have created an insurmountable trouble
or the ones you have a problem with. Such
issues defer your task.
After making the list, you realize that you
can put many of these things aside without
paying any attention. Ignoring them won’t
lead to anything in particular but getting
involved with them will waste your time.
Through this, you will know the tasks that
deserve your attention and time and those
that deserved to be put away.
Smart
Time
Management
39

40.
¾
Considering a Break
You need to consider a time for rest during
the day. The closer you get to the end of the
day, the longer this break should get. Taking a
break can be in different forms. For example,
you can drink tea, coffee or close your eyes
and don’t think about anything. By doing so,
you release your mind and go after the next
task in peace.
Notice:
Notice:
The time you are supposed to take a break should
be specified. Also, don’t let yourself rest more than
the scheduled time because it will discourage you
from doing the rest of your tasks.
In your daily plan and diet, follow some
rules which boost your work efficiency.
ƒ
Don’t forget to drink water.
ƒ
Schedule eating breakfast into your
plan.
ƒ
Adjust your sleep schedule.
ƒ
During the time you work, schedule
a break for walking or doing some
stretches.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
40

41.
¾
Concentrating on Concentration
Time management is related to
determining importance of tasks and being
concentrated on the tasks you are intending
to perform. Therefore, you need to stay away
from what distracts you.
Sometimes, meeting some people distracts
you. Ask them not to talk so you can do your
job and talk to them at the appropriate time.
Also, avoid other factors such as noise and
light which may distract you.
Notice 1:
Notice 1:
If you intend to stay focused, avoid sidetracking
stuff and worthless activities.
Notice 2:
Notice 2:
When the phone is constantly ringing, it diverges
you from your routine course. The best thing to do
is to put the phone on voicemail when working.
Notice 3:
Notice 3:
To reduce distraction, you can use gadgets such as
smart watches, phones, timer, PDA etc.
Smart
Time
Management
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42.
¾
Email Management
ƒ
Check your email and other messages
periodically through the main device
you use for your primary work.. By
doing so, it takes less time for you to
check your emails and other messages.
ƒ
In email settings, there are tools by
which you can make files, star emails
and do other actions that help saving
time.
ƒ
If you reach a common understanding
with people with whom you exchange
emails on a daily basis, then you won’t
need to have extended discussions and
you can get straight to the point. This
makes it easy for you to reach a com-
mon understanding. Therefore, you
need to put certain individuals’ emails
in high priority.
ƒ
If you regularly communicate through
emails with some individuals, put them
on priority to check their emails. Even
write down their names as a reminder
if necessary, and check your emails
two or three times a day so you can re-
spond to these individuals on time.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
42

43.
¾
Get used to providing short re-
sponses.
¾
If there are cases with common
response, save them somewhere
and copy the response if neces-
sary.
¾
Have a specific plan for social net-
works or web surfing.
Notice 1:
Notice 1:
Accustom yourself to two things regarding your
emails: first, organize your emails, and second,
don’t consider checking your emails as a futile
task.
Notice 2:
Notice 2:
Mobile phone, social networks and email notifica-
tions are some of the most important distracting
factors; try and set your cell phone on Do Not Dis-
turb mode so you get less distracted as you perform
your tasks.
Smart
Time
Management
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44.
¾
Providing a Daily Report
Providing daily report is a good means
to determine success in time management.
Take notes of how you spend your time and
provide a report of your daily conduct.
For example, write down what task you
have started today, how much time you have
spent on it, and what mood you had when
you were doing it; whether you were nervous,
happy, confident or jittery.
Finally, rate the accomplished tasks based
on ABCDE rating and mention these writings
in the report table. For example, say on
Saturday morning, the 29th
of June, at 10 am,
I did the bank-related stuff prioritized as a B
task. It took 40 minutes and I felt great while
doing it.
This is a part of your task report. After a
certain amount of time, read this report and
see what you can learn from it and what items
you can add to it.
Analyzing this report helps you to
improve your performance in time
management. Using this method, you know
yourself better and get ready for planning
future tasks.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
44

45.
You can also realize which one of these
tasks could be eliminated or delegated to
others. Write down next to it that “this task
is not mandatory” to show that its degree of
importance has been C and you have spent
your time doing that task instead of going
after a B task.
Note:
Note:
You have a limited energy during the day. There-
fore, spend your time on tasks which are of great
importance.
By going through this report, you
can realize why you have got engaged
in sidetracking issues and left your tasks
unfinished. You could have delegated some
tasks to others and next time, you should do
it. You also realize that a significant amount
of time spent on some tasks has been out of
proportion, considering their workload.
Allocate a realistic amount of time for
each task. You must never consider a long
time for a simple job to the extent that you
will have to keep postponing it. Also, don’t
allocate a small amount of time for a difficult
project so you’d have to stay on schedule by
going through a pressuring process.
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Time
Management
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46.
¾
Trial and Error
You may make different lists for doing
your tasks and fail to yield the desired
result out of any of them. Then again,
you need to make another list. Preparing
these lists makes you accustomed to time
management.
Don’t get tired of doing this job but
continue it until you reach the highest
level of self-knowledge. By doing so, you
can prepare the most suitable plan for
yourself.
Note:
Note:
Time management starts from making a list of the
tasks at hand. What matters is getting used to mak-
ing To-Do list and accomplishing the tasks.
Watch training videos and update your
information. You are the only one who can
manage your time and no one else can do this
job for you.
By using this method, you will use time
optimally both in work and life.
The
Principles
of
Time
Management
46

47.
After preparing a suitable plan
for time management, it’s time
for commitment and adher-
ence to the plan which has the
most impact on your success.
Smart
Time
Management
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