Time Management
Chapter 21. Organize your workplace
It’s our time to create a life that we love.
Because someday,
it will no longer be our time. ― Shawn Anderson
One of the great time management tools is working
from an organized desk and workspace.
Just like a great chef cleans up the kitchen
before and after cooking,
you should finish setting up your workspace
before you get to work.
One of today’s most successful entrepreneurs said
that the key to his success
was “always working at a tidy desk”.
Peter Drucker finds
that effective leaders keep their desks tidy.
Except they are processing work at the time,
everything else is left out,
so they can focus more effectively,
get more done with better quality
and in less time.
Put your documents in both hard
and soft copies in the appropriate folders.
Just handle your current job.
Try to keep only one thing
in front of you whenever possible.
Top professionals in every field keep a neat
and orderly workspace.
Think of a carpenter,
dentist or doctor.
They always clean and rearrange things
while doing their daily chores.
Be organized and maintain order.
Make sure you have enough stationery
and documents in an easy to reach location.
You will find that there is nothing more unproductive
than having to stop working
and start over because of a lack of preparation
or the right tools.
When you kill time,
you kill your opportunities for success. ― Denis Waitley
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Organize for productivity
Many people believe that they are more productive
with a cluttered desk.
However, all the studies show that
when forced to clean up the workplace
so that there is only one task
in front of them,
their productivity will quickly double or triple.
People who work with a messy desk are found
to spend a lot of their day looking for the items
they need in the mess around them.
According to psychology,
when you see a messy desk or office,
your subconscious mind is reinforced
that you are a disorganized person.
This will lead to constant distraction
as your eyes and attention are constantly shifting
from one object to another.
To change your life,
you need to change your priorities. — Mark Twain
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Conclude
The final issue with time management is the concept of balance.
The most important thing you can cultivate in your life is balance
and moderation.
By practicing the methods,
ideas,
and techniques in this book,
you will become a better time manager
and have more time for yourself and your family.
People often take time management programs
so they can get more done every day.
However, as one sage once said:
“Life is more important than speeding up.”
The main purpose of learning
and practicing time management skills
is to improve the overall quality
of your life,
or to enhance the satisfaction
and happiness you experience.
No matter how suitable your job is,
the quality of your life will mainly be determined by three things.
The first is the quality of your inner life:
how well you know yourself,
how you like yourself,
and how you feel about your personality.
Inner growth requires time and reflection
as well as reading and thinking about life’s big questions.
The second factor is your health.
No success can make up for poor health.
Take the time to eat the right foods,
exercise regularly,
and get proper rest and recreation.
Sometimes the best use of time is to go to bed early
and get a good night’s sleep.
Finally and most importantly,
make time for your relationships.
The people you care about
and care about you are the most important actors in your life.
Never let yourself get so caught up in work
that you forget your role in relationships with your spouse,
children,
and close friends.
A great life is a life of balance.
If you spend enough time preserving
and improving the quality of your relationships,
you will find more joy and satisfaction in your work,
and you will find success.
A wise old doctor once said,
“I’ve never met a businessman on his deathbed
who said he wished he had spent more time in the office.”
Thank you, and good luck in using these ideas in all areas of your life.
