TIME: Its Characteristics

Once you have accepted the fact that you cannot do everything and have stopped living as though you can, you have taken a big step toward becoming an effective time manager. Identifying priorities will become second nature. Acting on the basis of priorities will become easier. In your efforts to control time, your understanding of time and attitude toward time are crucial to your success.

Many people refer to time as a resource. A resource is something that lies ready for use, or something that can be drawn upon for aid. Time fits this definition. Begin to accept time as your most important resource. Time is a tool that can be drawn upon to help you accomplish results, an aid that can take care of a need, an assistant in solving problems. However, time is not like other resources, because you can't buy, sell it, rent, steal it, borrow it, lend it, store it, save it, multiply it, manufacture it or change it. All you can do is spend it.

SUCCESS IS UP TO YOU

Developing a time management action plan is another important step in your improvement effort. Clarify your objectives, the ways in which you hope to improve your use of time. Then decide on the actions necessary to accomplish those objectives. Put both the objectives and the actions in writing. Give a copy of your written plan to someone who is important to you. Promise improvement by a certain date. Tackle your improvement effort in progressive steps.

When you begin drafting your action plan, be sure to think about possible obstacles. Obstacles has two types. The first are those that come from within, your own shortcomings. The second are those created by your environment. Both types of obstacles can prevent you from reaching your time management objective.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Exactly what is success? The dictionary defines is as "accomplishing what is attempted; a person or a thing that prospers." Success may be measured by wealth, position, family relationships, or dozens of personal or professional variables. But regardless of how we define it, success means something rather specific to each of us.

Hard work alone will not make us successful. the willingness to work hard may be a big part of our success, but its not the only factor.Many of us work hard and never succeed. Some of the most obviously qualified fail, and some with tremendous handicaps succeed. Clearly something besides hard work accounts for the difference between success and failure.