"We own our productivity to the same extent that we own our time and there are a number of techniques that can help us." Marc Mancini
Introduction
Sometimes, especially when we are running out of time, we wish that time were like gum and we could stretch and shrink it as we pleased. In this summary we would like to be able to provide you with the tools that allow you to do these and many other things to manage time; however, we still don't know the secret. However, in the lines that follow, we provide you with some fun facts, tips, tricks, ideas, exercises and more so that you learn to manage your time so effectively that you no longer need time to be like gum.
Taming time
Possibly our generation is so far the most productive in history, as no previous generation has had the opportunity to handle data as varied and complex in such large quantities as we have.
On the other hand, technology has also made possible the rapid transmission of data that we need for our work, to manage our accounts, communicate with friends and organize the information we receive to an increasing degree. If, in the past, companies had secretaries who were in charge of writing letters, answering the phone, filtering calls, remembering deadlines and appointments to their bosses, and also helping to organize daily tasks according to their priority, today all These tasks can be carried out by the executives themselves, so the secretaries have become administrative assistants and no longer provide their services exclusively to one person, but serve several simultaneously.This new dynamic has caused time to be redistributed so that our responsibilities have increased in parallel with technological progress: delivery times have been shortened, the amount of work has increased and we are currently working more hours to be able to control both the increasing volume of information, such as new responsibilities. A consequence of all the above is that more than ever time is money and its price is measured in productivity. We own our productivity to the same extent that we own our time and there are a number of techniques that can help make the best use of both our working time and our free time, thus reducing the stress caused by restrictions temporary in today's society.delivery times have been shortened, the amount of work has increased and we are currently working more hours to control both the growing volume of information and new responsibilities. A consequence of all of the above is that more than ever time is money and its price is measured in productivity. We own our productivity to the same extent that we own our time and there are a number of techniques that can help make the best use of both our work time and our free time, thus reducing the stress caused by restrictions temporary in today's society.delivery times have been shortened, the amount of work has increased and we are currently working more hours to control both the growing volume of information and new responsibilities. A consequence of all the above is that more than ever time is money and its price is measured in productivity. We own our productivity to the same extent that we own our time and there are a number of techniques that can help make the best use of both our working time and our free time, thus reducing the stress caused by restrictions temporary in today's society.A consequence of all the above is that more than ever time is money and its price is measured in productivity. We own our productivity to the same extent that we own our time and there are a number of techniques that can help make the best use of both our working time and our free time, thus reducing the stress caused by restrictions temporary in today's society.A consequence of all the above is that more than ever time is money and its price is measured in productivity. We own our productivity to the same extent that we own our time and there are a number of techniques that can help make the best use of both our working time and our free time, thus reducing the stress caused by restrictions temporary in today's society.thus reducing the stress produced by temporary restrictions in today's society.thus reducing the stress produced by temporary restrictions in today's society.
In Time Management, Mancini insists that there is no one time management style that fits all individuals equally, but that each person's individual style should dictate which parts of the book are useful to each. Therefore, before we can make the required behavioral and attitude changes, we need to understand our psychological relationship over time.
Within the framework of time management, the environment is made up of the main people, places and things that influence the way individuals use time. Some environmental factors may be out of our control and yet there are ways to overcome almost all obstacles. If you are able to identify how other people's behavior influences your ability to manage time, you will be able to find a way to change these behaviors or to moderate their impact on your own life.
Most people have little or poorly defined use of time. Although you are clear about how you should allocate your time, an inventory of how much time you spend doing various activities may surprise you. A simple diagnostic exercise consists of taking a small notebook everywhere and writing down what activities you have carried out, indicating how long it took you to do them. You may prefer to limit yourself to controlling your professional activities; however, the experiment will be doubly useful if you also record the activities you have carried out in your personal time.
The next step is to analyze the notes and determine, within the tasks you do at work and in your free time, which are the two to which you spend the most time and the two to the least. Also, honestly evaluate which activities you should spend more time on and which ones you should spend less on. The conclusions you reach will help you identify the areas of your personal and professional life that could most benefit from a change.
Some myths about time management
Some beliefs are so ingrained that they seem true when they are not. However, their repetition or the fact that they are written makes them more credible. In the field of time management there are similar irreducible myths, in which individuals take refuge to avoid the commitment to live in an orderly manner. Below we will examine four of the most treacherous myths that could come our way.
The first is that time management is another way to label obsessive behavior. An obsession can be defined as an excessive concern for something. When an obsession triggers actions that are often bizarre and meaningless, we say there is compulsive disorder. Compulsive disorders are directly related to the use of time and, although some are relatively innocuous, others can be harmful. Examples of this are obsessing about getting to work a minute before changing the usual route or always working on airplanes or public transport. Obsessive-compulsive behavior related to time can be overcome by applying the five errors: rationalizing the behavior (that is, being aware of it), recognizing that the stress it produces is greater than good results,resolve to quit, replace it with less stressful behavior, and repeat the new guidelines until they are neutral, relaxing, and accepted.
In reality, isolated obsessive behaviors of an individual are not always problematic, it is much more common to overemphasize the importance of time.
Everyone becomes obsessed with time at some point: who has not ever been disturbed waiting for the traffic light to change color? Who has not been disturbed to see that the row next door moves faster? Who has not felt guilty for letting a weekend go by without doing anything profitable? Don't worry if this has ever happened to you, but be alert if the above situations recur frequently, as this is indicative that you are overly concerned with time.
There are also external factors that cause anxiety, especially in today's society in which technological improvements have caused individuals to become overloaded with information and, since they cannot control these external factors, they become a cause of stress. Since people react differently to stress, you should identify your own reaction. According to studies, the least vulnerable to stress have the following characteristics: they have many friends, they eat at regular hours, they sleep well, they drink alcohol in a controlled way, they do not smoke, they exercise regularly, they drink little coffee, they are affectionate, they are happy with money they have, they are in good health, their spiritual beliefs give them strength, they belong to a club or social group and they are not overweight or underweight.
According to the second myth, time management quenches spontaneity and joy. Which has its part of truth, because it is true that the most productive ideas come to us spontaneously. However, people who control their time firmly also know how to appreciate the moments of happiness that arise spontaneously and at the same time recognize an unexpected opportunity when it presents itself. If you haven't had time in the past month to do at least two of the activities you love, you need to learn how to manage your time so that you can do them regularly in the future. The same happens with work, we must set ourselves the goal of carrying out tasks that we like and motivate us. This is especially relevant if you are a director, as you often lead by example and if you are happy with your work,It will infect your subordinates with the desire to feel fulfilled with what they do. In good time management, the need to find time to work on work-related goals should be considered, since productivity is not exclusively expressed in terms of work and time: people are more productive when they do what they like.
The third myth is to blame the company for not knowing how to organize work, although we as individuals do know how to organize ourselves. It is easy to make cynical comments about the company we work for and take refuge in the belief that we cannot control the work environment. However, the more control a person has over her duties and responsibilities, the more satisfying her life and work become. The most effective in such cases is to find a way to control the environment, but if it is not feasible there are other possibilities. For example, if you experience constant interruptions in the office, ask permission to work more flexible hours or ask your colleagues not to interrupt you at certain times a day. Of course,some forms of disorder in the environment will be out of your control and in that case you will have no choice but to adapt or look for another job. But remember that it is possible to be an island of calm in a sea of storms, if you can control your own area of responsibility at least.
The fourth and final myth is that of one size fits all. Many books offer magical time management recipes that could be applied to anyone and any situation. However, the author again insists that each individual must adapt his style of time management to his own physiological and psychological needs. On the other hand, there are also cultural constraints that most of these books obviate by assuming that we are all guided by Western budgets. However, companies that have contact with other countries or that have a multicultural workforce must be aware that their operations are different. For example, in countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries, the work is carried out in a linear way, that is,a person performs only one job at a time, the schedules are well defined and people are punctual. A well-structured company sets its goals clearly and the activity begins early in the morning and also ends early, efficiency is valued and it is bad for people to waste time chatting with colleagues. However, in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, southern Italy and Greece, the style of work is characterized by overlapping, that is, many people perform the same task at the same time or one person performs several tasks at the same time, schedules are flexible, people are late and goals are sometimes fuzzy. The work environment is more important than efficiency, so it is not surprising that people place great value on personal relationships established in the professional environment.For their part, the Japanese show a curious mixture of both since they are punctual, organized and efficient, and yet they invest a lot of time and effort in promoting social relations in the workplace and, although their goals are clear, they are not usually neither written nor communicated by word. Although stereotyping is not without risks, it is true that there are certain patterns of behavior that are repeated in many cases.It is true that there are certain patterns of behavior that are repeated in many cases.It is true that there are certain patterns of behavior that are repeated in many cases.
Put the ducklings in a row.
This cutesy phrase refers to the way ducklings often swim in single file behind their mother. In this section, we will examine five ways to rank tasks according to priority so that you find a grading process that fits your style. The first of these is the ABC System, recommended by almost all time management experts and used by more maniacs of the order than any other. It is about assigning letters to tasks according to their importance, so A corresponds to tasks that must be done immediately, tasks B are those that should be done quickly although they are not as fast as tasks A, tasks C can be postponed without problem and D tasks theoretically don't even need to be done.The advantage of this system is that it deprives emotionally charged tasks; For example, perhaps the least we want to do are the month's accounts, but if it is a task A, we have no choice but to do them first. Apply this system to your current situation to get a clear view of how it works: for example, make a list of ten things you have to do tomorrow and rank them in order of importance by rating them accordingly. The ABC System has several practical applications, since we can qualify the tasks that we list in the agenda, those of the list of things to do and even create a tray system on the desk in which we classify documents such as A, B, C or D.but if it is a task A we have no choice but to do them first. Apply this system to your current situation to get a clear view of how it works: for example, make a list of ten things you have to do tomorrow and rank them in order of importance by rating them accordingly. The ABC System has several practical applications, since we can qualify the tasks that we list in the agenda, those of the list of things to do and even create a tray system on the desk in which we classify documents such as A, B, C or D.but if it is a task A we have no choice but to do them first. Apply this system to your current situation to get a clear view of how it works: for example, make a list of ten things you have to do tomorrow and rank them in order of importance by rating them accordingly. The ABC System has several practical applications, since we can qualify the tasks that we list in the agenda, those of the list of things to do and even create a tray system on the desk in which we classify documents such as A, B, C or D.The ABC System has several practical applications, since we can qualify the tasks that we list in the agenda, those of the list of things to do and even create a system of trays on the desktop in which we classify documents such as A, B, C or D.The ABC System has several practical applications, since we can qualify the tasks that we list in the agenda, those of the list of things to do and even create a system of trays on the desktop in which we classify documents such as A, B, C or D.
The following system is a variation of the previous ABC and consists of using cards or post-it on which we will write the tasks that we have pending, we will place them all on the table and then we will order them in order of importance or need for action. You could also use a large magnetic board where you can easily move tasks around. This system has the advantage that it can be used by several people at the same time, and it is also a visual system that provides an overview with a single glance. The Inventory System is another variation of the ABC that starts from the idea that the best way to learn is to review what has been done during the day and apply it the next day, so it is crucial to evaluate the productivity of each day establishing each tomorrow what you want to achieve that day.Although this method is not itself a time-saving measure, it does generate time-saving behavior changes.
The Reward System starts from the question that every person should ask himself when he is going to start to order the tasks according to his priority: "what is the reward?" The tasks are ordered according to whether the reward we obtain from their accomplishment is high, medium or low. This system presents the difficulty that our emotional reactions and the context of each action influence the decision. One of the ways to measure the use of time in this system is to find out how much money we earn in an hour of work and every time we are wasting time or someone is wasting our time, let's think about how much money we are wasting.
Finally, according to the Pareto Principle, in any order of things 80% of the value derives from 20% of the same. For example, 20% of the mail we receive provides us with 80% of the useful information, while the other 80% is useless and 80% of the clothes we usually wear equals 20% of what we have in the closet.. When ordering priorities, many people use this principle to weigh the relative importance of certain activities, since it gives us a key to change our behavior and at the same time create value.
Leaving for tomorrow what can be done today steals your time
According to psychologists, people postpone things due to some conflict or hidden fear. A person may have an obligation to achieve certain goals, however a multitude of opposite emotions cross her path. Time management experts have identified the eight most frequently cited reasons for postponing things: four of them are internal (fear of change, fear of failure, leaving everything to the last moment and a tendency to make too many commitments) and the four others are external (unpleasant tasks, overly complicated tasks, fuzzy task flow, and fuzzy goals). Taking this information into account, identify the reasons why you leave things you could do today for tomorrow. If it is for internal reasons, the fight you must undertake is against yourself.If, on the contrary, it is for external reasons, you will have to do everything possible to shape the environment in which you live and work.
An interesting exercise is to make a list of job duties, personal responsibilities, and long-term goals you've left unattended, short-term tasks, phone calls, a vacation, etc: you'll be amazed at all the things you've left behind. of doing. Eyes that do not see heart that does not feel, a subconscious and quite frequent way of postponing things is to refuse to see what we are not interested in. In such cases, we must strive to bring all these things to the conscious. It is curious to note that at some point we all postpone something, in fact some companies -such as express parcel companies or stores that open the day before Reyesbasan their commercial strategy on this knowledge. However, if we are able to control this current trend,We will have taken a giant step to efficiently use time.
In the following lines we present some of the most effective strategies to overcome barriers and, perhaps, motivate you to get down to work by starting to do the same things that you have been putting off. First of all, if the task is unpleasant, we recommend that it be the first one done in the day, that the night before you put it in a place where you can see it, that you pass it to someone who can enjoy doing it, or that you make a list of advantages and disadvantages. If the task is beyond you, we suggest that you divide it to conquer it, find a quiet place to do it, and that once you have started it, do not stop. If the task flow is unclear or not well planned, we recommend that you make a flow diagram as is usually done in TQM (Total Quality Management). Finally, if the goals are not clear,It is best to restate them explicitly so that we will not settle for saying "sales will increase significantly," but rather say "our goal is to increase sales by 12%."
If we delay things because we are in a rut and we fear change, there are three solutions that could work quite well: change the physical environment (since customs live in the usual places, if we change rooms we will change our point of view), change routines and patterns (for example, take a different route to work) or just do nothing (you will get so bored that you will feel the dire need to change). If what we fear is failure, we must be brave and remember Roosevelt's words: "the only thing to fear is fear itself." If we tend to accept more commitments than we can meet because we are unable to say no, because we want to be liked, or simply because we live intensely and have very broad interests,We must be aware that nobody can do everything they want all the time and put limitations. Finally, if you are addicted to leaving everything for the end, know that it is a dangerous habit, because working at the last minute makes more mistakes, there is no time to correct them and if there are unforeseen events, you will lack time. It is difficult to overcome this vice, but you must convince yourself that it is harmful and you must plan your time using one of the aforementioned strategies: flow charts, divide and conquer, etc.but you must convince yourself that it is harmful and you must plan your time using one of the aforementioned strategies: flow charts, divide and conquer, etc.But you must convince yourself that it is harmful and you must plan your time using one of the aforementioned strategies: flow charts, divide and conquer, etc.
How to delegate efficiently
Some of the tasks you are doing right now are not part of your job, so you might want to delegate all those issues that should never have been delegated to you. Delegating is not limited to managers, directors, and other supervised employees. The tasks can be delegated downwards, upwards and also laterally, depending on the position that the person we are going to delegate occupies in the organization chart. As a general rule, we will delegate tasks that we don't want but that others might want to take on and tasks that someone else is more qualified for. On the other hand, the delegation has its own economic philosophy: whenever possible, we will delegate to the person who has a lower salary and has the ability to perform the task.It is a logical matter that when one person is performing a task that another person who earns less could perform, he is wasting money, since the first should be devoted to more important things.
Another way to delegate is outsourcing or outsourcing of services for certain tasks in order to maximize the value of the company. Here are some examples: database management, office work, research, editing, phone calls to give easy information, making appointments, word processing, sales and marketing, computer programming.
Most people find it difficult to delegate because they fear losing control of the activity or believe they are the only ones who can do it right. The way to overcome these obstacles is to become emotionally detached and to be aware that the only way to have control is to hand it over to someone else, since this will allow us to control more important aspects, leaving other details that rob us of time. The opposite defect is that of delegating excessively in order to avoid responsibilities, which is not very motivating. Remember that delegating does not mean abdicating.
Learn to say no
Telemarketing operators know that people find it difficult to say no and take advantage of those who are educated. In some places, the calls that consumers receive to make sales over the phone are so frequent that there are companies that are dedicated exclusively to removing people from the lists of telemarketing companies. In the workplace, there are two questions that we must ask ourselves before saying yes to something that does not convince us. The first is what responsibilities will the engagement entail and the second is whether we would consider it to be a good use of our time if the engagement started tomorrow.
If the answer is no, psychologists have identified a four-step procedure for saying "no" to be safe, diplomatic, and effective: Give a reason, be diplomatic, suggest a reward, and don't postpone the decision. As an exercise, the author suggests that we make a list of our current responsibilities that we probably should have said no to and reflect on how we would act in future situations.
Information overload is one of the things we have to learn to say no to. To avoid it, the author recommends that, when reading a report, we first read the summary of the beginning and look at the information contained in the report, that we subscribe to publications that condense the information, that we avoid watching television in real time and we opt for recording programs to avoid advertisements, that we mark the web pages that we use the most to be able to access them quickly and that we get hold of a telephone answering machine that limits messages to 60 seconds.
Meetings and committees are another element that we must manage more effectively. The average manager spends half a week in meetings, and of that time, according to various studies, six hours is completely unnecessary. However, in many companies, meetings have become a mandatory ritual that is almost impossible to refuse. His role is to make sure that the meetings he attends make the best use of everyone's time. To do this, send the participants the agenda in writing 24 hours in advance, assign the meeting a clear start and end time, set at least one goal for your meeting, cover a logical number of topics, invite only interested parties, never call a meeting because it is the custom,never ask a work team to do a job that could be done by one person, create a favorable environment for productivity, establish a basket of ideas, at the end of the meeting summarize the agreements, assignments and decisions and, finally, through a written summary of the meeting, make a list of the steps that must be taken in order to reach the goals set. On the other hand, if you are not the person presiding over the meeting, you can always volunteer to perform tasks that enhance the efficiency of the meeting, such as taking minutes or making the agenda.Using a written summary of the meeting, list the steps that will need to be taken in the future to achieve your goals. On the other hand, if you are not the person presiding over the meeting, you can always volunteer to perform tasks that enhance the efficiency of the meeting, such as taking minutes or making the agenda.Using a written summary of the meeting, list the steps that will need to be taken in the future to achieve your goals. On the other hand, if you are not the person presiding over the meeting, you can always volunteer to perform tasks that enhance the efficiency of the meeting, such as taking minutes or making the agenda.
Bring dead time to life
A recent study identified six reasons why employees miss work more frequently: socializing, keeping things where they are, forgetting things, "mobile" offices, bad habits reading and the people who steal our time. The fact that socializing is the first cause is indicative that many bosses consider social relations to be a loss of productivity and that, in addition, their subordinates socialize more than they should, while they for their part probably feel guilty for sneak away from time to time. However, a working day without contact with other people can be sad.A Xerox Corporation study concludes that employees obtain more valuable information when they go out for coffee with their colleagues than by studying the company's operations manual. Socializing in reasonable amounts increases employee satisfaction and morale, and consequently, productivity.
There is a maxim that says: "a place for everything and everything in its place." It is calculated that people spend three hours a week trying to find things they have lost and most of the time it is not that they are lost, but that they are out of place. Regardless of the type that you identify with, to navigate your desk you must follow a style that reflects your thinking process, that adjusts to the nature of your position and that allows you to find things quickly and without causing stress. If your style meets these criteria, stick to it; But if you don't, it's time to start looking for a different way to organize your space. There are some simple and obvious tricks that work for everyone:Reserve your desk surface only for active projects and the most frequently used office supplies; Store office supplies in the top drawer, place the phone on the opposite side of the hand with which you write (if you are right-handed to the left) so that you don't get involved with the cable when speaking so you can take notes; Create a reminder file in the bottom drawer and place separate folders (one for each day of the following month and eleven more for each of the remaining months) the documents by date; make a filing system for the most important documents in the bottom drawer; check that your desk is well lit and your chair is comfortable. Regardless of the species to which it belongs, divide the desk into three sections and keep the central one empty to work,Put ABC trays on your desk, take out everything you don't need immediately, and at the end of the day order and prepare the desk.
Forgetting about things is another reason why you lose a lot of time at work. 50% of all the things we hear or read we forget in the space of a minute. If you can't access the information you need again, write it in your calendar or somewhere else that you can easily access. It takes less time to write a note than to search for a lost thought.
If the office were the only place where we work, everything would be simpler. However, nowadays telephones are mobile, computers are portable and we could almost say without fear of being mistaken that offices are mobile. Wherever information technology reaches, there is an 'office'. It is becoming more and more common for people to work on airplanes, on public transport that takes them to work, and in queues, either because they are very busy, because they have to meet a deadline, or simply because they are bored. Many managers take homework when they go on vacation and according to experts, it is not a bad habit if they like what they do and do not bother others.
Managers who took part in the above study rated reading as one of the most important causes of wasted time, yet reading is the only way to gain valuable information. Until some other technological medium overcomes it, written information is the best way to distribute information. As we have said before, the problem is actually information overload and the only ways to stand up to it are to browse, highlight or read summaries.
Another problem is people who spread out in their conversations on the phone or in person, or both. For those who talk too much on the phone, it is advisable to call them when they know that they do not have much time, for example when they are going out to lunch, make it clear that we do not have time from the beginning, pretend that something or someone demands our attention and say "what Sorry, I have to leave you »and even locate the call and then answer them by e-mail or by leaving a message in their voicemail. To those who overstretch in person, counterattack by standing when they come to visit you in the office, let them know you don't have time, stand up when you're ready to end the conversation, lean your body towards the other person using an effective tactics of body language or as a last resortuse the safest counterattack: stand up, ask the person to accompany you to make photocopies, continue the conversation while you work, and when you are done simply tell him that you are glad to have chatted with him or her, leave him there and go back to your desk.
Tools to enhance time management
Recently a wide range of tools has appeared that allow us to better manage time. Some of them are a preview of what technological advances will bring about in the future, while others are curious non-technological inventions like post-it. Before choosing any instrument that helps us better manage time, whether electronic or on paper, we must answer five questions: Do I need it? Do I need all its functions? It's easy to use? It is safe? Will it quickly become obsolete?
Email is one of those tools that has turned out to be a curse disguised as a blessing. Any human being who, after returning from vacation, has found several hundred emails waiting for him in the mailbox, will perfectly understand what we are talking about. The blessing is that it allows us to communicate instantly. To balance the pros and cons of email, here are a few ideas: First, don't use email for situations that require a chain of mailings and responses like making an appointment, making a call more efficient; keep it brief by writing a single topic; On the line in which the subject appears, be clear and write a phrase that attracts attention; if it's urgentphone first and then send an email or fax to reconfirm the conversation; DO NOT SCREAM: according to the "netiquette", writing in capital letters is equivalent to shouting, therefore, avoid it; Instead of forwarding the message to a large number of users who don't need it, send copies only to interested parties; send long messages as attachments; Check your email regularly but not constantly, that is, do not obsess or insist on reading each email when it arrives, as it is preferable to do it once an hour or twice a day depending on the amount of email you receive; use software programs that free you from spam or unsolicited advertising; Print only the information that is strictly necessary: for example, if it is an appointment or a flight, just copy it to your calendar;make friends with the delete key and icon, since most messages deserve to go to the trash and those that don't, archive or resend them; answer the questions by inserting the answers into the body of the message, but note first that you will do so; Check the spelling and grammar of the messages you send as mistakes make it seem unprofessional; contact excessively talkative people on the phone via email; create an automatic reply to notify those writing to you that you are on vacation or on a business trip; finally, declare a day without email - weekends are usually best.answer the questions by inserting the answers into the body of the message, but note first that you will do so; Check the spelling and grammar of the messages you send as mistakes make it seem unprofessional; contact excessively talkative people on the phone via email; create an automatic reply to notify those writing to you that you are on vacation or on a business trip; finally, declare a day without email - weekends are usually best.answer the questions by inserting the answers into the body of the message, but note first that you will do so; Check the spelling and grammar of the messages you send as mistakes make it seem unprofessional; contact excessively talkative people on the phone via email; create an automatic reply to notify those writing to you that you are on vacation or on a business trip; finally, declare a day without email - weekends are usually best.create an automatic reply to notify those writing to you that you are on vacation or on a business trip; finally, declare a day without email - weekends are usually best.create an automatic reply to notify those writing to you that you are on vacation or on a business trip; finally, declare a day without email - weekends are usually best.
PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), also known in Spanish as palm by allusion to one of the best-known PDA brands (Palm Pilot), are handheld computers and represent, it is said, the future of today's personal computers both desktop like laptops. For some people, PDAs have already become an indispensable tool, and the reasons most frequently cited by people for their use are their compact size, their function of setting appointments and activating alarms to alert them, their memory for databases. and address book, Word-type word processing programs, Excel-type spreadsheets and even PowerPoint-type presentations, Internet compatibility, MP3 music and some other functions depending on the model (and therefore the price).PDAs also have their disadvantages and can be more time consuming than a traditional paper agenda. It is also true that they are evolving so rapidly that in some countries such as Japan there are already specialized PDA magazines, which can be consulted to compare prices and properties, as well as to learn curious functions. Furthermore, there are other simple paper tools that are and will continue to be essential for communicating and managing time. For example, despite being up-to-date in terms of technological advances, in the United States Armed Forces, cards are used instead of e-mail for internal communications because their small size requires conciseness, because they are easy to carry,because they move to action and because being written by hand they promote open communication and commitment.
Another important point for effective time management is filing, as a well organized filing system will allow you to save documents and find them quickly when you need them, whether it is an electronic system, hanging files, an accordion file or any other system of the many existing. The most important detail is that the files are subdivided alphabetically, numerically, chronologically or by topic. Finally, the essential tool is your environment: your desk, your chair, your filing cabinets, the shelves, the walls. An efficient environment will make you more productive, yet few environments are as inflexible and difficult to modify as the work environment.
Someone has already been in charge of choosing the colors, the desk and the equipment, so at most they can put up a photo of their loved ones, bring a lamp or hang a picture. However, the more a company tries to take care of its corporate image, the stricter it becomes with desktop customization.
conclusion
After reading this summary, you will have realized that perhaps you are not managing your time as badly as you thought or perhaps this reading has given you the key to change some small destructive habits that were eating your time. In any case, know that you do not have to take everything to the letter, because the important thing is that each one incorporates those details that adapt to their style.
Next, Ezequiel Kahan, Master Engineer in Cognitive Psychology, suggests how to be more effective in our daily tasks through the performance of 3 activities that are usually carried out by the most competent people and thus, have time for everything.
