How To Apply Time Management: A Guide for the Hourly Worker
Posted: Monday, September 17, 2007
by Tom Watson
To the hourly worker, as with anybody, time management is basically about being focused. Many Blue Collar Workers view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal setting, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing.
After reading this, an hourly worker may begin to believe time management is just another schedule to add, or another time clock to punch to his or her life. However, these are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to create the results you desire.
Time management involves everything you do. No matter how big or small, everything counts . All new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider and each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.
Having a balanced life style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many hourly wage earners fail to grasp.
Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.
Six areas that time management seeks to improve in your life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.
The physical aspect involves having a healthy body with less stress and fatigue.
The intellectual aspect involves learning and mental growth.
The career aspect involves school and work.
The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.
The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.
Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do lists for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in you life is not being given enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you. If you are ignoring one area, then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.
Time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems, big or small. A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.
One of them is to review your goals often, whether it is immediate or long term. A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you. Reviewing you goals is an important factor because goals are necessary to achieve your dreams.
Always determine the necessary task that is helping you to maintain a balanced lifestyle.
Each of us has a peak time and a time when we slow down. These are our natural cycles and we should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.
Learn to say the word, NO. You have probable heard this advice before, however, it is good advice, even if you have to say it to family or friends.
Reward yourself for any effective time management result.
Do not procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately. If you feel it needs to get done right away, just do it. Hourly workers are often very tired at the end of the workday and procrastinating can be a dominant, destructive force.
Keep a record or journal of your activities. It will help you arrange things in their proper perspective.
These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual. Time management is the art and science of building a better life.
From the moment you integrate time management skills into your life, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It will create more doors for opportunities to knock on.
Tom Watson is the owner of Blue Collar USA, a website dedicated to encouraging and motivating the hourly wage earner. Eliminate your job stress. New report Changing Your Life Motivation for the Blue Collar Worker. Visit http://www.usabluecollar.com
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