Dealing With Time Culprits

Do you often find yourself wondering where your time went? Twenty-four hours just aren't enough to get everything you need done, done. You are two days late with that budget report. You find out you do not have enough time to make your cookies for your daughter's mini-party this afternoon. You keep forgetting to find that book your aunt has wanted to borrow in a long time (provided you can find the time to search for it).

You begin your day optimistic you will get a lot of things done but you kept getting interrupted -- by your family, phone calls from friends or a co-worker who likes nothing but chat. Before you know it, unfinished tasks pile up and you begin to feel the pressure and stress brought about by not being able to fulfill commitments on time.

Beware of time culprits. They steal your precious time. Who are those culprits? The culprit can be a friend who constantly calls you every few hours to chat while you're in the middle of finishing a report or trying to beat an important deadline. Culprits can be co-workers who constantly drop by your cubicle to discuss the latest office happenings or run an idea by you. Culprits can be family members who tend to drop in and out of your home office.

Sometimes, the solution can be as simple as learning to say, "I can't talk to you right now," or "I'm busy, but I will talk to you as soon as I'm done." Learning how to deal with time culprits is a major step to mastering the art of organizing and managing your time.

However, external culprits may not be the problem. Sometimes it can be you. Do you keep putting off things? Do the words, "I'll do it later," often come out of your mouth? You may be able to manage how other people affect your time, but are you able to manage how your tendencies to procrastinate affect your time?

You can solve your time management and organization problems if you learn to identify your priorities and create a personal time plan. Oftentimes, putting your plan on paper will help you get started. Start managing your time today so you can have time to spend on the more pleasurable aspects of life.