Manage Your Time Effectively
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By Nirjhar Chakravorti
(an Inspiration Series Essay)
Many a times, we found that we have lots of things to do throughout the day. But we really can't keep track of the works and end up with missing many important tasks which we supposed to complete in that particular day! Many of the unaccomplished tasks cause various short and long term losses as well. Why it happens? Our forgetfulness is the reason? Honestly we can't blame our memory, because brain is not to remember only to dos, rather brain has various other things to do as well. The reason for forgetting important task may be result of our unstructured or lack of planning. If we are little organized, our days will be more fruitful and satisfying.
How we can be organized?
First and most important thing we can do is to preparing daily To Do List. It helps us to identify the work to be accomplished in a day, priorities, etc. Also if any task remains unaccomplished, it becomes well noticed. We can complete the task in following days or prepare some contingency plan.
Who can do To Do List?
The answer is simple. Anyone! Yes, anyone, irrespective of age and profession. The only important thing is your attitude towards positivity and life.
When to do the To Do List?
It's always better to write the To Do list at night and plan next day before going to bed. If you fail to prepare the list at night, then write it at the earliest possible time of the day.
How to do To Do List?
It's better to have a small notebook/ diary.
On a page, please write Date at top right or left, for which you are preparing the To Do List.
After that write To Do List at left side with underline.
Then think of the activities you have to do or you want to do and write down one by one with serial number. Whatever activities come in your mind, just write down. Don't think about the importance of the task or priority of the task. If you feel you have to do the task, then must write it. Except few normal daily work which you do without fail, like breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc, you can write down all tasks. The task may be small one, but if it's essential, then you must write it down. Example, if you have to call a friend for two minutes to enquire about the college timing after long holiday, then it must appear in the To Do List.
How we can be organized?
First and most important thing we can do is to preparing daily To Do List. It helps us to identify the work to be accomplished in a day, priorities, etc. Also if any task remains unaccomplished, it becomes well noticed. We can complete the task in following days or prepare some contingency plan.
Who can do To Do List?
The answer is simple. Anyone! Yes, anyone, irrespective of age and profession. The only important thing is your attitude towards positivity and life.
When to do the To Do List?
It's always better to write the To Do list at night and plan next day before going to bed. If you fail to prepare the list at night, then write it at the earliest possible time of the day.
How to do To Do List?
It's better to have a small notebook/ diary.
On a page, please write Date at top right or left, for which you are preparing the To Do List.
After that write To Do List at left side with underline.
Then think of the activities you have to do or you want to do and write down one by one with serial number. Whatever activities come in your mind, just write down. Don't think about the importance of the task or priority of the task. If you feel you have to do the task, then must write it. Except few normal daily work which you do without fail, like breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc, you can write down all tasks. The task may be small one, but if it's essential, then you must write it down. Example, if you have to call a friend for two minutes to enquire about the college timing after long holiday, then it must appear in the To Do List.
How to Prioritize Activities in To Do List?
It is a very important area which needs to be emphasized. After writing tasks, now you have to prioritize them. Make an additional column to put priority against each item. Your sense of prioritization defines your futuristic prospect of life. For daily To Do List, you can apply your own judgment and prioritize tasks. While prioritizing, you have to be logical and rational. In general, you must give priority to the things which are directly related to your earning, career, profession, education and of course family, true friends and true people. Rests should be considered as non-priority items. Keep some time for any hobby like painting, recitation, poetry, sports, fitness training, reading value based books which never promote any hidden agenda like religion, racism or radical thoughts having potential to create difference in society.
Never mislead by wrong concepts and wrong people with hidden interests while prioritizing your tasks. If someone talks good and says the words you want to hear it doesn't mean that he or she is a person with good intention. Always remember that drugs have power to pull you, but it doesn't mean that you will end up in taking drugs. It's true for all negative forces. Any negative force has hidden power of attraction. Be strong and courageous to avoid negative tasks and negative people from life. We all are intelligent, so we must use our intelligence to understand people's mind and importance of the task in broader perspective while prioritizing tasks and people in life. Why I'm stressing on people? Because, being a social species, we always interact with many people and our daily tasks are some or other way driven and motivated by people only.
Always give importance to have contact with good people without any hidden agenda in life, perform important tasks like paying your bills regularly, learn some subjects which can help you for establishing yourself as an professional, involve in activities which can help you professionally, perform tasks through which all human being get served without any sense of division amongst anyone. If you are fighting your life every day for earning money, then don't waste time by teach subjects which has no value for professional growth, like any language of no professional value or religious books whose basic intention is to camouflage wrong intentions with good words. While prioritizing emphasize on performing value based tasks and learning subjects which has relation to science, technology and/ or commerce, true arts, human values in true sense. The bottom line is to be logical and to prioritize your tasks keeping larger perspective of life. Your everyday is important, so add value in everyday's life by proper utilization of To Do List.
When to do a task?
After prioritization, put tentative time to perform each task in a new column. Be realistic in putting the task timing. If you feel that you have taken too many tasks in a day, which you can never perform then re-do the list with practical approach. You can stretch the working hours of the day little bit as well. You may outsource few tasks to others to perform if your resources permit.
Be confident.
Once you prioritize your daily tasks, then be confident and determined that you'll follow that list next day. Now as the day progress, start doing things as per list. Try to tick task once it's accomplished.
Be Realistic.
Be futuristic.
After analyzing the day's task, make plan for the next day. After a week of spend, please review how you spend the week on daily basis with respect to To Do Lists. If you find, everyday you have failed to attend more than 50% tasks from To Do Lists, then there is possibility that you are doing some mistake in planning. You may planning for lots of work to do which is unrealistic, or you may be missing activities to do in totality, or you are doing some error in prioritizing, or you are not serious to follow To Do List, or any other planning related issues. So you may be bit careful or serious to prepare and follow To Do List in next time.
Don't think much.
Just prepare To Do List tonight and try to spend tomorrow as per the list. Try for 3-4 days. If you feel that it's really a good thing, then continue with To Do List. Be sure, if you can follow To Do List consistently for two months, then definitely you'll be able to understand that your days become much easier, life become more organized and positive.
All the best.
After analyzing the day's task, make plan for the next day. After a week of spend, please review how you spend the week on daily basis with respect to To Do Lists. If you find, everyday you have failed to attend more than 50% tasks from To Do Lists, then there is possibility that you are doing some mistake in planning. You may planning for lots of work to do which is unrealistic, or you may be missing activities to do in totality, or you are doing some error in prioritizing, or you are not serious to follow To Do List, or any other planning related issues. So you may be bit careful or serious to prepare and follow To Do List in next time.
Don't think much.
Just prepare To Do List tonight and try to spend tomorrow as per the list. Try for 3-4 days. If you feel that it's really a good thing, then continue with To Do List. Be sure, if you can follow To Do List consistently for two months, then definitely you'll be able to understand that your days become much easier, life become more organized and positive.
All the best.
