Time management as efficient. Time management: how to learn to manage your time? Basic Rules for Effective Time Management

"Keep time: it is the fabric of which life is made."

S. Richardson

We are taught discipline from childhood, and one way or another, we are forced to adhere to certain restrictions all our lives. Eating and sleeping according to the daily routine, scheduled classes, work and rest in the allotted time. We easily obey someone else's rules of the game, in fact, helping someone else achieve his goal. But when it comes to self-discipline, many are not ready to give up even small weaknesses, like the habit of sleeping an extra 10 minutes in the morning.

Skill limit yourself to achieve certain goals- a valuable skill that not many people possess. But only they, in the end, succeed. Well-known politicians, businessmen, actors have gone their way to fame only thanks to daily work in the name of their goal. Ability, talent, even genius is only one percent of success, the other ninety-nine is hard work.

Time management is the main component of the personal effectiveness system for any ambitious person. It doesn’t matter what the goal is: lose weight, get a red diploma, start your own business ... none of these things is possible without self-organization skills. Time management is a practical guide to action, thanks to which you can determine your own life priorities, create your own vision of success. The development of effective motivations allows you not only to save time, but to develop as a person. Self-discipline - living by strict rules that a person sets for himself, in his own interests. Such rigid frameworks, oddly enough, do not limit the personality. Against, it is the only way to true freedom.

Time - management is the best tool for self-improvement. First of all, planning teaches control over external events, environment, time and space. The self-control skills gained as a result of working on oneself allow you to manage your own feelings, momentary desires, bad habits. And self-control is a sign of a strong, strong-willed nature. The development of concentration skills allows you to achieve better results at work, while spending less effort. Thus, time is freed up for the improvement of the intellectual and spiritual. Isn't that the meaning of human life?

Self-discipline skills are not acquired overnight. Moreover, you can develop them in yourself only by constant training of willpower. The same goes for the time management system. Anyone who wants to achieve success in life is simply obliged to treat time carefully.

The 7 Most Popular Time Management Techniques

“If I had 9 hours to chop down a pine tree, I would spend 6 hours sharpening my axe.”

Abraham Lincoln

There are many techniques for efficient use of time. We bring to your attention the most popular techniques, without which no time management system can do.

Eisenhower Matrix

The technique got its name in honor of US President D. Eisenhower, who divided all the tasks that he faced into 4 categories, guided by their urgency and importance.

Based on this, the cases were arranged in the cells of the simplest matrix as follows:

• Category A - urgent and important, which must be resolved immediately;
• Category B - their decision can be postponed for a certain period, but it is not worth delaying with them;
• Category B - tasks, the execution of which can be delegated to third parties;
• Category D - things that are better to send to the trash right away, because they are not worth the time and effort.

According to experts, the mistake of most people is the wrong prioritization. They are more willing to take on the tasks of the last two categories, since it is much easier to do these things. Rapid results contribute to the development of an incorrect assessment of personal effectiveness. It turns out that the man expends effort on secondary activities leaving behind what really matters.

Timing technique

Recording the time of employees in order to improve labor discipline has been used for more than a dozen years. Automation and accounting programs record the timely arrival and departure, the duration of the employee's working day. But modern technology has gone even further. Today you can not only find out if a person is present at the workplace, but also check what he is doing.

Hundreds of such control systems have been developed to date. Programs are able to automatically register: absence due to illness, business trips, vacations, time off, work on a flexible schedule. The system takes into account the duration of the lunch break, untimely leaving or being late, absenteeism.

For all their perfection, attendance modules provide only superficial timing, while spyware like "Maxapt QuickEye" helps track the work on the computer. With their help, the manager will immediately understand that Maria Ivanovna from the accounting department is busy not working on the report, but communicating on the Odnoklassniki website. Of course, even with the help of such programs, it will not be possible to make a minute-by-minute timing, taking into account smoke breaks, tea parties, heartfelt chatter and other “garbage time”, but most often there is no need for this.

Pareto method

Vilfredo Pareto's Law states: “20% of your efforts provide 80% of the result, while the remaining 80% bring only 20% of the result.” You can interpret it in another way: "20% of employees bring the company 80% of the profits." Simply put, only 1/5 of the team works effectively. The efficiency of the vast majority of workers is very low. Their work is just an imitation of violent activity. If you direct this energy in the right direction, overall productivity will increase significantly.

The Pareto method is to isolate from the whole mass of 20% of the main cases and focus on them. The decision about what is considered important and what is secondary will be individual in each case. The Eisenhower matrix or the ABC analysis method, which is most often used in combination with the Pareto method, allows you to categorize cases. ABC analysis is the simplest way to rank cases according to their current importance.

ABC - analysis

This method is considered the most productive and visual way to sort cases. It allows you to weed out all unnecessary, focus on achieving the main goals. According to this method, all cases are divided into categories:

• Group A has the highest priority, these are important and urgent matters. Such issues must be resolved as soon as possible. The contribution of these cases to the achievement of the final goal is 65%, although it will take only 15% of the time to complete them. That is, more than half of all work will be completed in the shortest possible time.
• Group B includes cases that are not urgent, but necessary for execution. The solution of such tasks can be entrusted to third parties. It is important to control the time of their execution, since group B cases tend to move into category A if the deadlines are violated.
• Group C - tasks that are commonly called "office routine". It is on them that the lion's share of the working time of the staff and the manager is spent. Although a person with low qualifications can easily cope with reporting, purchasing stationery and other routine work.

Independent organization of working time

Self-management is perhaps the most effective of all time management tactics. It is applicable both to a single subject and to the collective as a whole. To ensure that the employee worked productively, the system of material incentives and punishments allows. In layman's terms, fines or bonuses well stimulate the individual to perform the task assigned to him. It should be noted that the employee himself should also be interested in the competent organization of the work process.

The most important goal of self-management is the maximum realization of the potential of each person in work, creativity, and personal life. Using this method provides the following benefits:

• Time and effort to complete work tasks is reduced;
• Increased productivity;
• Reasons for stress, emergency work, haste are eliminated;
• Moral satisfaction with work activity increases;
• Qualifications increase, there is an incentive for personal growth.

Self-management begins with a work style analysis that includes a complete inventory of time. It allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization of the labor process, adjust them in the right direction. A description of all activities includes:

1. Main work tasks;
2. "Interference" or forced breaks, the so-called "garbage time".

The reasons for wasting time can be personal factors, such as disorganization, neglect of work duties, lack of self-discipline, the desire to do everything quickly, in a hurry. However, excessive zeal, the desire to take on all the cases at once, also rarely gives a positive result.

Well-known American business coach Dan Kennedy believes that phone calls, unscheduled visitors, protracted meetings are the worst time wasters for a leader. If possible, they should be eliminated or minimized.

The Pomodoro Method

This tactical technique with a funny name was invented in the 80s of the last century by the Italian Francesco Cirillo. Being one of the lagging students, the young man decided to start working on himself in order to improve his academic performance. After conducting a detailed "debriefing", he realized that he could not concentrate on his studies, being distracted by many small things. Then Francesco brought a timer in the form of a tomato from the kitchen, set it in front of him and timed the class.

Practically, it was revealed that he was able to study science with concentration for 25 minutes. During this period, the student was never distracted from the book. Subsequently, it was decided break all the time allotted for classes into blocks. The half-hour interval included the time of maximum concentration - 25 minutes, as well as the rest time, which is allotted just for those very small things. The "pomodoro" method has become widespread today, due to its simplicity, accessibility and effectiveness.

There are many definitions of time management. Each author who tries to reveal the specified topic brings something new to the definition of the specified concept. However, the semantic load of this concept still remains the same. "Time management" as a process aimed at the conscious and responsible use of one's time (business, personal, etc.), which allows one to set meaningful goals and achieve them in the shortest possible time.

Time management can be defined as planning, organizing the distribution and control over the use of working time in the organization and the manager's own time in order to improve the efficiency of individual departments and the organization as a whole.

Due to the fact that the market economy began to develop in Russia not so long ago, and also taking into account the mentality of Russian people in Russia, time management has its own characteristics. Plans have to be constantly reviewed, the goals facing the manager are not always clear and consistent. The plurality of goals, combined with the existence of different groups and interests, often leads to contradictions. The impossibility of setting clear and consistent goals leads to a violation at the very first stage of self-management. Consequently, the processes of planning and decision-making become more difficult (unexpected tasks arise, it is impossible to clearly prioritize).

In our country, the proportion of time spent on routine work in the time budget of managers is large. This indicates problems with the delegation of Russian managers. Many of them do not delegate routine work, either because subordinates are already loaded with work, or because they believe that they themselves will do this work better. As a result, the manager does not have enough time for really important, promising tasks. Another feature in the use of working time is that friendly relations between colleagues are more common in Russian companies. Many people prefer to start their working day with informal communication with colleagues, and not with the most important things; discussion of the terms of the contract can smoothly turn into a friendly conversation. In Russia, the image of a leader has developed as a person who constantly does not have time, and the more he lacks time, the more significant he seems. Some executives enthusiastically declare that they work 12-13 hour days as a sign of dedication to their work. Objectively, this only means that a person cannot prioritize and properly organize his time. Basically, how effectively a leader manages his time depends on his personality, on whether he wants to streamline his activities, consistently introducing the rules and principles of self-management into his work, because. this does not require any supernatural efforts either for the Russian leader, or for a person in any other country.

Time management includes the following elements:

1. Setting goals: the ability to single out the most important from many, the skill of turning problems into realistic work tasks with the subordination of secondary goals to the main one, using responsible wording, creating adequate motivation and setting clear criteria for achieving the goal.

2. Orientation to the result: "Who wants to achieve, looking for opportunities, who does not want - talks about the circumstances." The focus on results includes reasonable flexibility, which allows you to adapt to changes in the situation, nevertheless maintaining the course for the tasks set, worldly ingenuity, which allows you to overcome various obstacles and adequately use even small periods of working time for productive activities, and the ability to deal with traditional absorbers working time.

3. Methods and techniques of timekeeping - knowledge of the basic methods of effective accounting of one's own working time: selection of the optimal details of timekeeping, a convenient recording form, the ability to withdraw a protest against self-control, the optimal frequency of analysis and analysis schemes of one's own working time.

4. Ways and techniques of planning - the ability to prioritize, understanding the Pareto principle and familiarity with the system of setting life goals of B. Franklin, the Alpa method, the Eisenhower matrix and ABC analysis, knowledge of the rules for compiling a to-do list, the use of small and medium time.

5. Techniques of self-organization in work - tactics of using external support and negative stimulation, organization of the environment: "reminders", fines and positive reinforcement, ways of forming a positive emotional mood.

6. Working with information - the skill of address search, the ability to work with text, highlighting the main theses from secondary information, knowledge of the features of search engines on the Internet, presenting information in a form acceptable to the customer.

7. Organization of the workplace - spatial organization of the workplace, operational work with papers, ways of convenient storage of correspondence, elimination of interference in work.

8. Working with the organizer - knowledge of the features of paper and electronic organizers, the choice of the optimal model, the rules for keeping records in the organizer, mastering the work with the organizer.

9. Distribution of time and responsibilities: the ability to say “No”, the feeling of the right to give tasks and ask for help, taking care of timely rest, careful use of other people’s time and understanding the appropriateness of delegation, the ability to negotiate with employees and superiors.

10. Ability to organize people and situations: understanding the appropriateness of a formal and "human" approach, the habit of understanding before responding, the tactics of using requests and requirements, the ability to play on interests and build one's own tasks into the goals of other people.

11. Effective leadership: the ability to establish contact with employees, the use of an individual approach, the skill of a positive approach, targeting and thoughtfulness of instructions, the ability to set specific and feasible tasks, exacting performance discipline, the use of samples and other methods of background training for employees.

12. Organization of meetings and group work - the skill of setting a clear goal for the meeting and formulating the agenda, knowledge of typical obstacles in the effective organization of meetings and the ability to overcome them, the ability to work with the personal ambitions of the participants.

Many researchers who study the problems of organizing working time identify the following reasons for the shortage of working time:

1. Constant haste. In a state of constant haste, the leader does not have time to focus on the task that he is performing at the moment. He follows the path that first came to mind, instead of thinking about other, perhaps more rational ways of solving this problem.

2. Lack of a clear distribution of work according to their degree of importance. At the same time, the leader begins to engage in the most easy and pleasant, not so important things. As a result, he does not have enough time to solve key, promising tasks.

3. Constant improvements at home. The work of a manager is related to some extent to intellectual activity, therefore it is difficult to divide the mental processes associated with this activity into those carried out during working and free time. This leads to the penetration of working time into free time. At the same time, the employee does not have time to rest, which affects his performance and health.

4. A large stream of routine cases, often urgent, which take a lot of time to work on.

5. "Thieves of time" - unforeseen and due to insufficient planning. The biggest time thieves are phone calls, uninvited visitors, cases that the manager takes on because he cannot refuse a request.

6. Fussiness. This is the result of poor organization of the day, and also sometimes depends on the impulsiveness and characteristics of the person.

7. Weak labor motivation. The result is low productivity, which creates a chronic lack of time.

Time use analysis will help identify temporary losses, show the strengths and weaknesses of the practiced working style. Such an analysis is simply necessary if it is not known what time is spent on at all, it is not known how much time it takes to complete certain tasks, it is not known what factors stimulate or limit performance. To analyze the problem, you need a reliable time record. The most effective way to keep track of time is to keep records. It is most advisable to keep records in the process of work, because. doing it in the evening, you can miss something. The level of detail of the records should be such that it is possible to judge the importance and necessity of each type of work. To get the most objective picture, you need to take notes within a week (or longer if necessary). In the leaflet ... it is necessary to record not only external interference, but also cases when the head himself was the initiator of the violation of the course of the working day. The strengths of the use of working time need to be identified and applied in everyday work. For weaknesses, it is necessary to develop a strategy to overcome them. First of all, each work should be analyzed using the following questions:

Was the job necessary? (if more than 10% of working time was spent on unnecessary work, this indicates problems with delegation and prioritization);

Were the time justified? (if more than 10% of the working time consisted of cases for which the time spent was not justified, it is necessary to analyze the reasons why the time was spent too much and try to take them into account in future work);

Was the work worth doing? (if more than 10% of working time was spent on tasks that were inappropriate, then you need to pay attention to planning, organization, self-realization);

Has a time frame been deliberately set for the work to be done? (if more than 10% of working time was spent on tasks, the time interval for which was determined spontaneously, then there are problems with planning working time).

The more mobile and changeable the external environment, the greater the need for planning as a means of developing a certain line of behavior in this environment. American researchers have established a high positive correlation between planning and success in human life. Indeed, a person who clearly understands what and when he needs to do has obvious advantages over someone who is forced to randomly move from one issue to another, not noticing that the lion's share of time is spent on solving secondary tasks that could be delegated to subordinates. .

Planning is carried out in stages, first for a long period of time (several years), then this period is divided into smaller time intervals. The shorter the period of time, the more detailed the plan should be. After the plan for the next few years is drawn up, a plan is drawn up for the year, and then a quarterly plan, which serves as a tool for controlling the annual budget. Based on the quarterly plan indicators, a monthly plan and ten-day plans are drawn up, including specific quantitative indicators that need to be achieved in the coming period. The last stage in the planning of working time is the daily plan, which is the most important stage of planning. It is a list of specific tasks that need to be completed during the day, and also involves breaking down cases into groups according to their importance and highlighting tasks that need to be delegated.

Principles and rules for planning your working time:

1. Ratio (60:40).

Experience shows that it is best to plan only for a certain part of the working time (60%).

Events that are difficult to foresee, distractions ("sinks" of time) cannot be planned entirely without a trace.

2. Bringing the tasks together - an action plan.

To make a good time plan, it is important to always have an idea of ​​​​the upcoming business. It is advisable to divide them into long-, medium- and short-term tasks, set their priority and act in accordance with it.

3. Regularity - consistency - consistency. You need to work on time plans regularly and systematically, consistently bringing the work you have started to the end.

4. Realistic planning. Those. you need to plan only such a volume of tasks that the manager can realistically cope with.

5. Compensation for lost time. It is better to make up for lost time as soon as possible, for example, it is better to work longer once in the evening than to catch up on what was lost the day before during the next whole day.

6. Fixing results instead of actions.

It is necessary to fix results or goals in plans, and not just any actions, so that efforts are initially directed directly to achieving the goal. This will help to avoid unplanned activities.

7. Establishment of temporary norms.

Experience shows that as a rule, as much time is spent on work as is available. Therefore, it is necessary to set precise time standards, to provide in the plan exactly as much time for this or that business as it really requires.

8. Deadline.

To avoid procrastination and postponing cases, it is necessary to establish exact deadlines for all activities.

9. Recycling - double-checking.

The plan needs to be constantly revised and rechecked in terms of whether certain tasks can be fully completed.

10. Coordination of temporary plans. In order to successfully implement their plans, the leader needs to coordinate them with the plans of other people (secretary, boss, subordinates, colleagues).

goal setting- the most important stage in planning, since a clearly formulated goal serves to concentrate efforts on important areas. Goal setting requires expressing our explicit and hidden needs, interests, desires or tasks in the form of clear intentions and precise formulations, as well as orienting our actions and actions towards these goals, and their implementation.

Goal setting means looking to the future. Orientation and concentration of our forces and activity on what must be achieved. Thus, the goal describes the end result. It's not about what a person does, but about why he does it. Goals are a challenge and motivate a person to take action. Without goals, there is no Evaluation criterion against which to measure work. Goals, in addition, are also a scale for assessing what has been achieved. Even the best method of work is worthless if it is not clearly and unambiguously defined in advance what a person wants to achieve.

Goals are the "instigators" of action, the motives that determine human activity. If any individual has set a goal for himself, then a state of tension arises as a result of this, which acts as a driving force and which disappears only when the goal is achieved.

To set goals, you need to think about the future. Traditional thinking within the framework of particular tasks is fraught with the fact that a person can get lost in trifles. Thinking in terms of goals promotes the subordination of the particular to the whole. It becomes clear in which direction to move, and what should be the end result.

Goal setting is an ongoing process because goals are not set once and for all. They may change over time, for example, if it turns out during the follow-up process that previous perceptions were fundamentally wrong, or that requests were over or under.

Goal setting means the conscious implementation of one's actions in accordance with a guiding line or benchmark. Of fundamental importance here is the awareness of where a person wants to go and where he does not want to go (i.e., self-determination), so as not to end up where others want to take him. Goals serve to concentrate forces on really key areas.

Knowing your goals and consistently striving for them means focusing your energy on things that really matter, instead of wasting your energy in vain.

Knowing your goals can mean significant self-motivation to work. Random successes are good, but rare. Planned successes are better because they are manageable and happen more often.

The prerequisite for planning - and hence for success - is to know exactly what, when, and on what scale to achieve. Goal setting is an absolute prerequisite for planning, decision-making and daily work.

Many researchers in the field of "time management" distinguish the following rules for setting goals:

1. The scale of the goals.

Goals in management are determined by the planning period. If a plan is drawn up for the future, then the most general, strategic goals are set here. They reflect the most important, global results that a person must achieve in order to fulfill the tasks assigned to him.

When drawing up a plan for a period of 3-5 years, the goals are formulated more specifically and many of them have very specific quantitative characteristics. These goals may relate to improving the well-being of the person himself, for example, acquiring an apartment, a car, placing a child in a prestigious educational institution.

The most specific are the goals that need to be achieved within the execution of a shorter period of time. In this case, quite specific tasks are developed and indicators are set that must be achieved.

As the planning horizon approaches a specific day, the scope of goals narrows. Dealing with the definition of goals for a particular period, a person is simultaneously engaged in time planning, establishing at what time intervals each specific result should be achieved.

2. Clarity, specificity and measurability of goals.

The easiest way to ensure that a goal is effectively achieved is to present it in a way that is quantifiable. Finding personal life goals and defining them means giving direction to your life. This will create conditions for an objective assessment of the progress of work, as well as those measures that are taken by a person to achieve this goal. One of the methods for concretizing goals is their written registration, which contributes to the fact that more or less bold ideas and desires are often recorded. Thus, a person learns to constantly engage in their goals and refine them. In writing, the goals are also visually imprinted and less prone to forgetting. If the goals are clearly defined, then they automatically become binding: fixed on paper, they encourage permanent analysis, re-checking and revision.

3. Attainable goals.

The goals that management sets for the organization and its employees should be consistent with the financial, production and other resources available. Otherwise, an organization that raises the bar too high could end up in a catastrophic situation.

4. Mutually supportive goals.

Goals should not contradict each other, but on the contrary, they should support each other so that the achievement of one goal does not interfere with the achievement of others. This allows you to more effectively control the process of performing the assigned tasks in case of any problems, quickly find and eliminate the cause.

In order to succeed, you need to learn how to choose the right goals. Each person has one main, most important goal, which is broken down into many small intermediate lower-level goals, the achievement of which ensures the achievement of a higher-level goal and, ultimately, a higher goal. It is necessary to set clear, mutually agreed goals that can be turned into direct actions so that they can be directly planned. Clearly defined goals fixed on paper automatically become mandatory, prompting constant analysis, re-checking and revision.

To achieve something and be successful, you need to spend time and money. Certain methods and careful disposition are necessary in order to achieve the goal as well as possible and in a reasonable time:

What goals do you want to achieve?

Do they agree with each other?

Are there a so-called higher goal and certain intermediate goals on the way to the main one?

Do you know what you yourself can do for this (strengths) and what you still need to work on (weaknesses)?

Finding personal goals can be accomplished through the following four steps.

(1) Development of general ideas about life aspirations.

(2) Differentiation in time of life goals.

(3) Development of guiding ideas in the professional field.

(4) Inventory goals.

There are rules for organizing the working day, which can be divided into 3 groups:

rules for the beginning of the day, the main part of the day and the end of the day.

Rules for starting the day

1. Start the day with a positive attitude. Try to find some positive start to each day, as the mindset with which you begin to tackle the challenges ahead is essential to your success. Ask yourself three questions every morning:

1. How can this day bring me closer to achieving my goals?

2. What should I do to get as much joy out of him as possible?

3. What can I do today to maintain my lifestyle (to support my health)?

Creating a positive attitude usually does not take more than two minutes. Give yourself those two minutes before starting your "standard morning routine."

2. Have a good breakfast and without haste - to work. Without sleep, without breakfast, as soon as possible to work - such a start can just ruin the day! Don't say you don't have time for a leisurely breakfast, it's a matter of prioritizing (you just need to go to bed early to get enough sleep and eat a hearty breakfast).

3. Start work at the same time. This is an element of self-discipline, contributing to the mobilization of forces.

4. Check your plans for the day. Use the ABC analysis method or the Eisenhower principle. It has been established that a ten-minute preparation for a working day saves up to two hours of working time. So win these two hours! In addition, when planning a working day, consider the following rule: you need to plan no more than 60% of your time, and 40% is a reserve fund for unexpected and urgent matters.

5. Get down to business without buildup. You should categorically refuse such a "morning ritual" as reusable greetings, lengthy discussions of the latest news, etc. (Think of time wasters). Of course, social contacts are needed, and you are not a robot. However, they can be moved to less stressful times, such as lunch and afternoon.

6. First - the key tasks. You should start the working day with the tasks of group A, all other tasks can wait. Don't look through correspondence first - incoming business mail rarely deals with cases that have the highest priority and must be completed immediately.

7. Coordinate the plan of the day with the secretary. The secretary, if you have one, is your most important partner when it comes to creating optimal conditions for activities. You should devote the first time of the working day to him, even if it is a couple of minutes. The secretary should be aware of your affairs. Coordinate with him all the dates, priorities and plans for the day. A good secretary doubles the efficiency of his boss, and a bad secretary reduces it by half.

Mid-day scheduling rules.

1. Prepare your desk for work. Remove from the table all unnecessary papers for solving problems of group A. There should be no more than six documents on the desktop at the same time. This is psychologically justified: firstly, extra papers absorb time, and secondly, order on the table stimulates order in thoughts.

2. Set deadlines. Sometimes tasks are assigned to you, because you are also someone's subordinate. So, the deadlines set for solving a problem are very often accepted unconditionally, even if they do not fit well into your plans. And we must try to adapt them to our interests and "bargain time." In short, ask for twice as much time as it takes to complete a given task; this is often easier than you think. As for assigning tasks to subordinates, I advise you to give them about a third less time than, in your opinion, is necessary for solving the problem. If that's enough, you'll save time, if not, you still won't lose.

3. Avoid actions that cause backlash. Many leaders tend to engage in more and more new cases, problems and ideas, and in doing so, they cause an appropriate reaction to their actions, which can affect the time schedule. For example, very often, having participated once (out of pure interest) in a meeting, the manager receives additional duties that are not provided for by his plan. He can be entrusted with something, included in the working group, etc. Therefore, it is best to double-check all actions (letters, telephone conversations, agreeing on deadlines, etc.) from the point of view of their necessity and the danger of a response.

4. Reject additional pressing issues that arise. In every enterprise, in every department, various kinds of urgent circumstances or unforeseen situations arise. It should be remembered that distraction by the so-called urgent circumstances leads to forgetting the planned important things for a while. Whether it is worth doing this - decide on a case-by-case basis, depending on the circumstances.

“We get tired and exhausted not because we work hard, but because we work poorly, we work in an unorganized way, we work stupidly.”

Physiologist N.E. Vvedensky

Time - manager t is a time management technique that includes rules and principles that help a person to properly organize his time and achieve maximum efficiency in any business. With the help of time management, a person can consciously control the time he spends on various activities, while increasing the efficiency and productivity of his work or leisure. Planning, distribution, prioritization, setting goals helps a person cope with the crazy rhythm of modern life. Time management helps a person to do everything without stress and avoid chronic fatigue.

Initially, time management techniques were used only when doing business, organizing work. But now time management methods are also used in a person’s personal life in order to manage to cope with everyday issues, properly organize their leisure time and rest.

The history of time management

Back in the 1920s, the Scientific Organization of Labor said that the efficiency of using time depends on the personal efficiency of the person himself. The League "Time" appeared, which published articles in newspapers under the name "Struggle for Time". In the 70s, the timekeeping method, which was developed by the biologist Lyubishchev, gained popularity. This method is a tool for developing effective human thinking, which contributes to the rational management of personal time and increasing personal efficiency.

In 2007, the first department of time management was opened in Moscow at the Financial and Industrial Institute. Today, this direction has become very popular and popular. There are a lot of trainings, seminars on planning and rational distribution of time.

time manager this is a person who takes into account the psychological characteristics of people, working conditions and offers more efficient work schedules. He is able to reveal in a person all his hidden reserves and suggest how to increase his efficiency.

The process of communication between a time manager and a client is similar to a psychological consultation in which he listens to a person, gives tips and advice on how to allocate time, how much time to devote to rest, how to prioritize. How to plan your day so that you can do everything without stress.

Time managers conduct not only individual consultations. Often they are invited by companies as experts to help improve the labor process. First of all, teach the manager how to correctly distribute his working time and correctly distribute duties in the team. They study the activities of the company, the amount of time required to solve certain problems. After collecting information and analysis, the time manager makes adjustments to the company's daily routine.

• Analysis of the time spent on certain tasks.
• Statement, formulation and definition of the goal.
• Making a plan to achieve the goal, as well as setting priorities.
• Realization of the goal. A hint on what steps to take according to the plan.
• Making lists of things to do.
• Recording time with timekeeping.

What are the advantages of a person who has learned how to properly plan his time?

“Time wasted is existence; Time used to good use is life."

E.Jung

• Achieves set goals.
• Achieve your goals much faster than others.
• Able to achieve success in any field of activity.
• He has more time for rest, communication with relatives and friends.
• Can do a lot more things in a given amount of time.
• Can increase his income and retire by properly distributing responsibilities between employees.
• Can get rid of chronic fatigue, is not subject to stress.
• Always has a clear plan of action.
• It has a sense of inner freedom and independently controls its life.

Types of time management

Now there are many different approaches to the problem of time management. Experts distinguish three main types:

• Personal (personal) time management. It is associated with the personal self-development of a person, the ability to properly and fruitfully organize his day.
• Professional time management helps a person to effectively perform his work, organize his working time correctly or reasonably distribute responsibilities in a team.
• Social time - management regulates interpersonal relationships or time management of several people. For example, corporate.

Basic concepts of time management

Time management concept- it is a way of understanding and perceiving time. The concept of time management helps to determine the reason and purpose why a person needs to learn how to manage his time. Realize the value of this process, as well as understand the basic principles of time management.

Time Management Techniques- a certain sequence of actions that will help solve a specific problem.

Time management system- a set of concepts and methods that will allow you to achieve your goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Improper organization of work or illiterate organization of activities by management leads to the fact that company employees feel a constant lack of time. This affects the efficiency and success of the enterprise as a whole.

Lack of time occurs when:

• There is no daily schedule.
• If the assistant manager is not aware of his daily routine.
• Phone calls and visitors often distract from the main activity.
• If the manager does not know how to distribute responsibilities.
• If the work is done in a constant rush, which leads to rapid fatigue.
• If employees do not correspond to their positions.
• If employees inadequately assess their capabilities, the speed of work.
• If there is no motivation among employees (for example, salary is too low).

To improve the efficiency of the enterprise, it is necessary to teach employees how to plan the work for the day. When drawing up a plan, you need to devote 60% of the time to the main tasks, 20% unforeseen and 20% spontaneous cases. The main thing is to accustom the team to make plans for the day systematically and regularly.

The effectiveness of time management in management depends on how employees are trained in planning, prioritization, control of time for completing tasks, as well as the correct sequence of tasks.

To solve these problems, you can invite an expert in time management or train the manager of your enterprise, who will issue tasks to employees and monitor the effectiveness of their work. The manager must issue both basic and several spare tasks. At the end of the day, the employee submits a progress report.

Personal time management in time management

As for personal time management, there are basic time management rules that apply in personal life:

1. Never take work home.
2. Organize your life in such a way that it takes a minimum of time.
3. Plan free time in advance. This should include emotional enjoyment (going to the cinema, theater, concert, museum). As well as physical (sports, dancing, etc.).
4. For rest, use not only weekends, but at least one day in the middle of the week. For example, ride a bike after work or go to the sauna with friends.
5. During the holidays, limit calls, mail, the Internet in order to truly relax.

1. The basic rule of time management is the correct goal setting.

If you learn to clearly define your goals, as well as determine which tasks are secondary, then you will save a lot of time.

If you spend your time on something, it means that at that moment you think that it is very important. But is it? Ask yourself, will the result of this action help you get closer to your goal? What is a goal? The goal is a person's desire for something, when the whole process is aimed at the final result.

When setting a goal, you must first determine the main values.

Recognize your abilities and motivation. Analyze the problems, needs and difficulties that may arise on the way to the goal. Present clearly your goal in the smallest detail, its end result. Plan your actions, look for resources and start implementing.

There are different methods of goal setting. But all methods have a common goal setting algorithm:

1. The goal should be as specific as possible with a clear end result.
2. The need to achieve the goal must be justified. Why is this needed and what will I get from it?
3. The goal must be realistic and the mechanism for achieving it must be clear.
4. It is necessary to clearly define the time limits for which the goal must be achieved.

2. The second basic rule of time management is prioritization.

Knowing how to prioritize is very important. There are things that are less important in achieving the goal, and there are those that play a major role.

3. The third basic rule of time management is planning.

After setting a goal, the next step is planning. Planning is an integral part of time management. It consists of the following main steps:

1. Drawing up a time management plan.
2. The stage of drafting a project, in which you can maneuver, think over different options for achieving the goal.
3. The stage of identifying the necessary resources.
4. The stage of identifying people who can help you on the way to the goal.
5. The stage of fixing the results of planning in the form of a business project, a map.

When a person begins to engage in planning, thinking is activated, creativity is turned on. By making a plan, your goal becomes more specific, you begin to understand what you really want and how to achieve it. This is a kind of practical guide to action.

Until a person makes a plan for the implementation of what he wants, he is in constant reflection on this topic. But not thoughts, but actions bring you closer to the goal. When a detailed plan is drawn up, which takes into account different ways to achieve the goal, this gives you the opportunity to maneuver. It does not work with some means and methods, you can try others. Planning develops in a person flexibility and readiness for any situations.

Making a plan gives you a high chance of success. Having a plan gives you confidence in yourself and your abilities. All successful people and entrepreneurs are planning.

Basic planning techniques. Short description

1. ABC planning is based on the fact that you need to do the most significant things first (under the letter A), and then B and C.

Category A cases are the most important. They make up 15% of all cases and bring 65% of the results. B - important cases that make up 20% of all cases and bring 20% ​​of the results. Category C - these are the cases of the least importance, they make up 65% and give a result - 15%.

2. Pareto Rule Or the 80/20 principle. This principle applies to any daily activity. 80% of the things you do in a day give you 20% of the results you want. And 20% of planned important things bring you closer to the result by 80%.

For example: 20% of people own 80% of the capital, 80% of people own 20% of the capital. 20% of clients give 80% profit, and 80% of clients give 20% profit.

3. Timing- this method lies in the fact that you need to record every minute of all your actions and how much time you spent on them. This will help you understand where and what your time is spent on and how to adjust your schedule.

4. Making a list of tasks- This is the simplest planning method that allows you to plan both time and affairs.

How to make a proper to-do list and follow it?

1. To begin with, observe yourself. How much time do you need to complete different tasks.
2. Write a to-do list for the evening.
3. Write down specific items. For example: go to the store. Attach a shopping list to this item.
4. Plan your whole day, not just work.
5. Start your day by doing easy tasks. To immediately check the boxes and cheer up for the whole day with the thought that following a to-do list is not so difficult .. For example, doing exercises and preparing breakfast.
6. The to-do list should always be in sight.
7. Do not write more than 7 priority cases on the list so that you don’t get nervous later that you didn’t have time to do something.

• Try all the planning methods and choose the most suitable one.
• Keep records.
• Don't try to do everything. Do the most important and priority things first.
• Plan your every day. And also make an additional plan for the week.
• Always carry a pen and notepad with you.
• Start a success diary, it will motivate you and remind you that you are on the right track.
• Learn to say "no". This will help to avoid communicating with unnecessary people, doing unnecessary things.
• Before you do anything, consider how urgent it is, how important it is, and how this action will bring you closer to your goal.
• Analyze your habits, activities that waste your time. By timing, it is easy to track those actions that you need to get rid of.
• Don't do other people's work. Don't be a tool to achieve someone else's goals. Concentrate on your goal.
• Take time for self-improvement.
• Don't stop there. Once you reach one goal, set the next one.

1. Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People considers time management as an element of self-improvement. Here are his tips:

• Do what you have to do first. Don't put off important things for later.
• Your goal should be a priority and important. Move towards her.
• Perform all actions based on priorities.
• Don't spend a lot of effort on achieving an insignificant goal. The resources spent and the end result must be commensurate.
• Look for all the ways to make life easier.

2. David Allen advises to properly organize the workplace, to acquire all the necessary stationery. Also, create a file cabinet, for each case, create a corresponding folder. Allen also advises writing 4 to-do lists:

• Make a list of things that need to be done in the near future;
• Include in a separate list projects that require an integrated approach;
• Make a separate list of projects that, for one reason or another, cannot yet be completed;
• "Someday" list.

3.Julia Morgenstern advises to evaluate first how much time you spend doing your tasks. What factors are distracting you. You may be distracted by social media, extra responsibilities, unrealistic deadlines, or psychological obstacles.

• For each action, a time frame must be set.
• If you cannot perform some action, then analyze it, perhaps it can be postponed for a while, delegated to other employees, or completely abandoned.
• Sort things and affairs, clear the space of everything that you can do without. Give each thing its place, and each task its time.

"Eat a frog for breakfast"

So that all day your thoughts do not return to the task that you do not want to do or it is unpleasant for you, start the day with it. So you will be freed from the emotional stress and burden that you would have to carry all day.

"Elephant Steak"

If you are faced with a global task, for the solution of which you need to do a lot of actions, then divide this work into parts. Don't make an elephant out of it, cut it into pieces. This will make it easier to get started on the task at hand. And also this approach contributes to a better understanding of this problem.

Learn to say "no"

Time management does not teach you how to do as much as possible, but how to do what needs to be done correctly. Say "no" to unnecessary things, people. Don't become a tool for anyone to achieve their goals. Concentrate on your goals.

Strive for automation and maximum simplification of your activities.

Do similar things in a row, as the brain gets used to a certain area of ​​​​activity. And every time he gets through it faster.

Listen to your biological rhythms. Do work at a time when you feel a special surge of strength and activity. During the period of least activity, give yourself a break. Listen to the needs of your body. Sometimes a 15-minute break is enough to open up a "second wind".

The best time management books to read:

• Effective time management. B. Tracy
• Time drive. How to manage to live and work. G. Arkhangelsky
• Tough time management: take control of your life. D. Kennedy
• Work less, do more. C. Gleason
• To hell with all of it! Take it and do it. R. Branson
• Extreme time management. N. Mrochkovsky, A. Tolkachev
• Practical course on time management. I. Abramovsky
• How to work 4 hours a week and at the same time not hang around in the office “from call to call”, live anywhere and get rich. T. Ferris
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. D. Allen

The effectiveness of time management depends on you following its basic rules, as well as a clear understanding of why you need it, how to manage your time and what benefits you will have.

This technique can be used not only at work, but also in everyday life, try to teach your children to it from childhood. Measured - Analyzed - Planned - Executed - Analyzed. A few steps at the initial stage and repeated repetition will lead to the execution of actions on the machine, after some time it will become a habit and will be performed on a subconscious level.

Time management is convenient

In general, it can and should be customized. Often the organization of time is required only in those cases when we do it because it is necessary, have you noticed? It seems to be an interesting thing, but it may be a little fed up, maybe the mood or well-being is not suitable, maybe just laziness, then you have to turn on the internal mechanisms of self-discipline, adjust motivation to the desired level and control your activities.

And when you don't have to do it, remember? In two cases: when laziness and idleness are complete, and when we are so passionate about work or business that we do not notice how time is rushing. In such cases, they say: “I didn’t have time to look back, but the working day was over.”

Where is the truth?

The truth is always somewhere in the middle, however, if some recommendations help one person to be more effective, then they can be effective for at least several more people. Now we will not discuss how to organize our time when mother laziness has overcome us, or when enthusiasm is burning in the soul. I will share with you two simple ways that can be effective for you when you just need to work.

2 easy ways to organize your time

First way:

Just do.

Second way:

Just take more breaks.

Are you smiling? I see your misunderstanding... In fact, friends, the methods are time-tested. I assure you that for some of you they will be a lifeline at the right time. It is better to take more breaks, maybe after fifteen minutes, maybe after 10 or 5 minutes, but even in this case, you will move forward, and not stand still. You will not notice how you get involved in work and you will no longer need breaks.

About techniques

These are very simple ways to organize your time. I know that applying such things as task planning, dividing tasks into important and urgent, the Pomodoro technique, keeping a diary, using - etc., as a result, will significantly speed up our activities, this is indisputable.

But still, you need to find the main thing that your body listens to, and consciousness does not strongly resist. Find what will help you.

We share our business

Let's remember once again that all our affairs can be divided into 4 groups:

• Urgent - Important
• Important - Not urgent
• Urgent - Not important
• Not urgent - Not important

Find information about this Eisenhower method, and learn how to apply it when planning. And do the most important things first: the urgent and the important. This method helped me a lot to cope with the huge turnover of cases, which had no end at the time when I worked as the head of the branch of an advertising company, and at the same time work was carried out on several areas of equal importance in importance.

Who controls whom?

Gradually it became clear that it was no longer the turnover that controlled me, but I managed affairs and successfully organized my time. The advice of Artem Farievich about the “monkey” that managers constantly put on my neck helped in time, I learned to return their own “monkey” to them, they had to agree with it themselves. I learned to say “no” in time, to refuse without offending another person, to politely end the conversation if I understood that he was stealing my time.

Friends, all this is very interesting, in fact. Now, sometimes, it is even difficult to understand what is more effective in solving and performing certain tasks. It is important to understand that you will have your own methods that will work for you.

When you realize that you know how to value your time and the time of other people, it becomes clear that you begin to do more in the same time as before. You gradually master the art of time management, the main task of which is to organization of time.

In custody

Friends, you must always remember that if an overload begins, you can stop and take a deep breath and exhale. Also a great tool - it helps! We always want balance: mental, physical, and material... Our life directly depends on the quality of our time that we devote to work, family, friends, travel.

When we know why we are working on our own, and this is certainly ourselves and the dearest people in our lives, without any doubt, the quality of our life will improve. And this is exactly what it is worth living, creating and achieving a balance between health, wealth and happiness.