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Make a not-to-do list


When most people think about managing their time, they usually start with a to-do list as both a reminder and a way to prioritize tasks. What you may not realize is that time management starts way before writing the list. It starts between your ears with a mindset of what you can control.  

A healthy dose of self-confidence starts with your ability to manage your time. The psychology of time management starts with what psychologists call “the law of control,” the degree to which you feel as though you have control over your life.  In Brain Tracy’s book of Time Management, he aptly describes the difference between internal and external locus of control and how they both influence your decision to take action or to stay in a reaction mode.

When you are taking action toward your goals, you most likely feel confident and positive about your ability to control your life. There is a direct correlation between managing your time well and feeling positive about your life. On the flip side, when you feel overwhelmed with too much to do in too little time, too much responsibility with the feeling you are always reacting to external events, there is a tendency to live life in a negative, stressed-out and pressured way. 

The crossroads of feeling in or out of control of your life starts with time management. Tracy describes a to-do list much like a daily blueprint you follow.  The habit of creating a list will save you time and according to time management specialists it only takes 12 minutes a day to plan your lists of tasks. Surprisingly the twelve minutes invested daily will result in 120 minutes of increased productivity, a small amount of time invested for a huge pay-off.

While a “to-do” list is important in reaching your goals and being productive, what is equally important is what goes on your “not-to-do list,” which helps you stay on track.  Your ability to say “no,” according to Tracy, could be your greatest time-saving choice. The more you practice saying “no” in a graceful way, the easier it becomes when deciding the best use of your time.

What items go on your “not-to-do” lists? Here are a few of the major ones that lead to challenges with time: checking your emails regularly throughout the day, answering calls you may not recognize, responding to texts and emails 24/7, glancing at social media sites, being available for meetings without identifying the necessity, meetings for the sake of meeting, taking on responsibility for others’ projects, and setting unreasonable deadlines.

134090431The key to managing time starts with understanding the concept of balance. Instead of trying to achieve a perfect work-life balance, strive to create more joy in your life by developing an awareness of how you spend your time and what you value in life. You can’t be all things to all people without it taking a toll on your happiness and productivity.

What is the best time management tool you use? 

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