Connectnigeria Articles

By Kobe Eru Godwin

A wise man once said that ‘it is better to work smart than toil, because in the end working smart saves time, energy, and greater forms of result are produced.’ New ideas and innovations spring up on a daily basis, due to the level of technology the world is exposed to, creating wide business coverage and accessibility. But one thing still stands; every activity, task or experience falls under the umbrella of time, a constant we can’t change. With so much to do, where our to-do list is saturated with goals that are accompanied with deadlines, time is of the essence. How does one balance this equation? Forget not, family and love ones are inclusive in the chain. To be called a success in life one must know how to balance the spheres of our individual lives. There are various ways to maximize your time to accomplish more without getting out of balance. It is so ironic how some people work so hard and achieve less, thereby struggling to balance parts of the equation. Research and evidence from great achievers has shown that is not by doing more or working harder; the key is actually to find ways to do less and think more, to be less busy and more productive This is a little key secret that separates the blue bloods, great achievers from the rest of the world. Time is man most priceless gift, and how it is managed separates the haves and the have-nots. One major skill great achievers have is ‘time management.’ So how does one accomplish more with less time? Plan Your Day (Prioritize) Map out a plan for each day. Don’t just jump at anything that comes your way, listen to your moods carefully, what do you feel inspired and motivated to do? Consider what you feel you should accomplish for that day, write them down. On your list separate the major and minor tasks, so you will know which to concentrate and accomplish first for the day, the minor activities can come later when spare moments are available. Go with the flow (Work with your moods) When you work with your moods you’re in a state of flow and when you’re in this state you accomplish more in less time. Working with moods is a natural instinct, like swimming in the direction of the ocean current, effortlessly; more ground is covered. But in the reverse, time is spent, energy is burnt and less is achieved, so listen to the voice, follow your body language. Less is more (Keep it simple and straightforward: KISS) Focus on the content and tasks that matter without getting too caught in the middle. When faced with any task, look for ways to keep things simple and avoid spending time on complexity that doesn’t add much value to the overall objective/goal. Keep your eyes on the work that will have the biggest impact. No matter how complex a situation or task looks, the best way to handle such is to keep all tactics and approach simple. Reload (Take time to recharge) If you really want to be productive, you need to take time to work out, do something fun, take a vacation, read or just do something relaxing. Maintaining a steady reservoir of energy physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually requires refueling it intermittently. Human beings are designed to pulse rhythmically between spending and renewing energy. There’s plenty of evidence that increased rest and renewal serve performance. What we all battle against in the line of achievement, be it in the work place or the field is the absence of intermittent renewal. Study shows that the best violinists almost never practiced more than 4 ½ hours a day. What they instinctively understood was the law of diminishing returns. Time management (The master key) Time is life’s most precious commodity, and how it is managed separates the classes within the society (rich and poor). Time creates a balance in life, it makes us all equal, and the trick is how we manage it to make the difference. Good time management has a direct impact on outcome (income, productivity, yields and lifestyle) in life. It is an open secret, a prolific weapon if used judiciously. Find a safe haven in any area of life you find yourself, a career or business path you don’t have to struggle with. Spend more time on what gives you energy, and guard against, eliminate, delegate or mitigate those things that deplete your energy. Delegation is a strategy of accomplishing more in less time. Be Consistent and Implement Consistency is a discipline you find in all great achiever. Inconsistency is the subtle but great stealer of dreams and desires, it dilutes purpose and vision. Commitment to consistency turns one into a professional in almost no time; it gives one the sense of direction and focus. In being a master of your art, time and energy is saved, because you are an authority in that field. Consistency makes anything possible. Knowledge is not just power, the end product is what you do with the knowledge; this is where the power and authority lie. On the road to success learning is not what we lack, implementation is. A lot of people use their entire life to learn, but they never take time out to act, review and improve on anything they’ve learned. Stick with the ideas until you realize some transformation in its implementation. It is not the size of the dog in a fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog. It is not the number of hours we put into a job that determines the value we generate. It’s the energy we bring to the hours we work. In the real sense, one cannot create time; the only way you can gain more time is to stop doing some things. Focus on your goals, be goal oriented, learn how to prioritize. When you say yes to a particular thing in life automatically you are saying no to something else, choices matter a lot in life. For the working or business environment, create a workplace that truly values a balanced relationship between intense work and real renewal. Remember one thing; time can never be created or destroyed. We can only gain time by proper management, a potential advantage to accomplish more in less time.