The one thing that everyone in this world has in common is Time. No one has ever been able to create a day that is longer than 24 hours. Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world, has 24 hours in a day and so does everyone else. Yet most of us make the excuse that we “don’t have enough time” when we fail to accomplish a task that we set out to do.
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen Covey
Do you ever feel like you’re always on the move? As though you never have enough time and your to-do list is never ending? Many individuals today feel this way and complain about not having enough time. They hardly have time to do even the most basic tasks, but when you really think about it, you find that it’s most times an excuse when you say you don’t have enough time. You either want to do something or you don’t!
When you say that you do not have enough time for something, you are essentially saying that it is not a priority for you. If you really seek to achieve your goals, take action, sacrifice and find the time. Accomplishments don’t just happen overnight – it takes hard work. So, find out whether you want it badly enough and whether you are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish it. I am not saying that everyone should stay back till “12.00 a.m” every day in the office. However, if your aim is to be the best at your job, it is likely you will have to put in long, productive hours.
Here Are 3 Three Things You Need To Do To Ensure You Maximize Your Time And Dispel The Myth That You Don’t Have Enough Time To Get Things Done:
1. Get Organized
“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned” – Benjamin Franklin.
People who are disorganized not only waste time looking for misplaced items, but also lower their productivity and hinder their chances for success. However, if you are organized, you give your productivity a real boost and are able to create time for the things and people that matter in your life.
If you are not organized, you can’t get things done. There are things you shouldn’t be doing – delegate them! Plan your day, week or year.
Without organization, your days will continue to go on feeling like you can’t get everything (anything) done. Setting a time and plan for each task can help to ensure it gets done.
Remember, what gets scheduled, gets done!
2. Avoid Time Wasters
Stop wasting time with trivial matters that don’t add value to your life or push you one step closer to your goals. – Edith Henderson
Many people are easily distracted from their core goals and end up lamenting that they never have enough time. We do a lot of things that waste our time – TV, Games, Social Media, or even people… By the way, I like doing these things too – however, you must be careful not to overdo it so that it doesn’t consumes too much of your time. Hence, identify what things waste your time and avoid or eliminate them, to ensure that you have enough time to do the things you need to do.
3. Learn to Say No
It’s only by saying NO that you can concentrate on the things that are really important. – Steve Jobs.
It can be difficult to say no when someone asks for a favour. But always remember that it’s ok to say no. Say “no” to things that demand more value than they provide. This will also free up time to do your non-negotiable tasks.
Most people have a prioritization problem. They don’t rank tasks in order of importance or make decisions on what’s most important at that moment, which also explains why they always feel like there are not enough hours in a day.
Do not start and plug through every task until you’ve asked this question: “Do I really need to do this now?” If you don’t need to do it now, don’t do it. Tackle high priority tasks first and then turn to the other things. Prioritizing ensures that you make the most efficient use of your time. Think about your core objectives and all the different things you want to do and then figure out what is important to you at every moment.
“Time is one of your most valuable commodities and how you spend it determines what your life will be. You can either waste it, invest it or give it away.” – David Khalil
One of the irrefutable facts about life is that everyone has only 24hrs daily to do what they want to do. Hence, what you decide to do with yours is up to you. In life, you can either choose to count time or make it count. Which would you rather do?
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, MAKE IT COUNT!
