How to accomplish more in less time
by Lal Kannangara
 “I don’t have time” most of the
people have this lame excuse for postponing their work. We all have the
same time. Everyone-no matter how rich or poor, intelligent or ignorant,
accomplished or unskilled - has the same 24 hours a day, twelve months a
year. But remember time passes unnoticed. There is a Latin proverb
“Tempus fugit”. It means time flies. There is another popular saying
that “Time and tide wait for no man”. It means when the time comes, you
must grab it without waiting. The same meaning is embedded in the old
adage “Make hay while the sun shines”.
We all should know the value of time. Then the question arises how we
can manage the time. It is a known fact that time is the most important
commodity. The time you spent cannot be recalled. I think the following
tips will certainly help you to make maximum use of time.
Try to work according to a timetable
Most of us lead very hectic lives and have tight schedules. We are
burdened with so many responsibilities. If we work according to a
timetable, we should allocate our time for everything. We must have time
for earning, studying, exercising, enjoying ourselves and a host of
other tasks.
However, it is difficult to work according to a timetable for
unavoidable reasons. For instance, if you fall sick suddenly or a death
in the family circle you may not be able to follow the timetable.
During such exigencies, you should be able to adjust your timetable
accordingly. Think of students who do so many subjects according to a
fixed timetable at school. Therefore they accomplish more during the
allocated time.
 Do not postpone anything for tomorrow
“Procrastination is the thief of time”. The saying goes. It means
postponing your work is unproductive. If your postpone you work till
tomorrow, you will have more work for tomorrow. Little by little your
workload will pile up.
Some people postpone their work for mere laziness. They have the
habit of postponing. When you postpone your work, people might think
that you are a very careless person.
Try not to waste your time.
Do something fruitful
Greek philosophers in the 5th century BC believed that we must pack
every minute with meaningful action. They did not mean that we should be
workaholics. See how our people spend their time doing nothing. Some
people waste hours sitting and gossiping. You can talk and enjoy with
your friends while engaged in some useful work. We see some people read
books or magazines while travelling. Meanwhile some people have the
habit of dosing off in their seats.
You must have a “To do list” or a priority list
As you are very busy, you have a lot of things to be done each day.
It is advisable to have a list of work to be finished each day. You must
plan out your work to be done next day. There are many advantages of
having a “To do list”. One big advantage is your ability to complete
very important and urgent work. When you do your daily chores, try to
give priority to those important tasks. Once you finish it, mark it. At
the end of the day, you will be a happy person. There are modern
electronic gadgets such as organizers which help you to organize your
work according to a set plan. However if you have trained your memory to
remember appointments and what things to be done on certain days, you
can dispense with organisers, priority lists and “To do” lists.
Have a short time goal
When you wake up in the morning, you must determine to finish off
your work each day. When you have short time goals, you are able to
finish your work without any hassle. Napoleon Hill in his celebrated
book “The law of success” says you must have a definite chief aim in
your life. He suggested that you should write it on a piece of paper and
display it prominently in your room. This shows the importance of having
an aim in your life.
Unfortunately, most of us are drifters without any aim or hope.
Do not think that you have no time
Most of the busy people have much more time than others. If you want
to get something done, go to a busy person. Busy people know how to
manage their time and do all their work.
So do not think that you have no time. Some people go to bed very
early and wake up very late the following day. So they naturally do not
find time to do what they want.
 Some people are of the view that they have no time to study as they
are old. But you can do much work in your old age.We see very young
people wasting their precious time idling. They can follow courses and
enhance their knowledge. They can reach the top rung of the ladder, if
they wish to do so.Apart from that some young people want to earn money
at once. So they do not think of the skill they should acquire. So,
remember skill is very necessary for a better tomorrow.
Be happy thinking of the past
See the lapses at the end of the day and rectify them. You must see
what work you have not done at the end of the day. Find out the reasons
for not doing them. You should apply correct methods to complete your
work. Otherwise if you do not do your work properly, you have to do the
same work again. That’s a waste of time. When you do your work, you will
learn new methods.
The foregoing tips will help any sensible person to get the maximum
out of time which is sometimes compared to gold. However, the value of
time can be compared to platinum in the modern context. |
