Manage Your Mind and Manage Your Time

Just like a mosquito bite, what starts as an invisible sting the night before, can swell to a big and itchy problem by the time we look at it in the morning. So try this on for size. While in bed at the end of your day, quiet your mind by taking three deep breaths. Count them. It's hard to focus on useless self-chatter when the mind is focused on the act of counting and breathing. Continue to breathe steadily as you begin to picture yourself actually doing one important thing you know how to do, but have delayed. Allow yourself time to get a clear image and let your subconscious mind absorb this action image for several seconds before letting it go. This practice of deep breathing and quieting your mind before sleeping may allow you to busy yourself in more productive ways upon arising without having to think about your actions so consciously. And, like counting sheep, this practice of counting breaths may help insomnia that results from worrying about what needs to be done.

Procrastination, putting off until later what you could be doing NOW, is a huge time management issue. Yet it's simply a symptom of a struggle — a struggle within us to act on what is desired rather than what is needed at the moment. In the work setting, the needs of the company mission must be met before personal desires are met.

Be your own commander. If you can't put self-command in your mind to do it now, it's not as likely to get done. This is part of managing yourself to manage your time.

One ongoing plan of attack to use right here and now is to stop and ask yourself, aloud in your workspace if need be, "What is the best use of my time right now?" For most people, there is a clear and present opportunity, rather than a danger, that jolts us into immediate action.

Among the strengths of the great thinkers and managers of our time is the practice of thinking on paper (or e-paper). If you can't manage yourself, you probably can't effectively manage anything or anyone else. So use paper to help you manage — plan, organize and remember — better.

Some people put pressure on themselves to plan and remember details in their heads as if they will be criticized for having a poor memory otherwise. The best minds put thoughts in writing.

One ongoing plan of attack to use right here and now is to stop and ask yourself, aloud in your workspace if need be, "What is the best use of my time right now?" For most people, there is a clear and present opportunity, rather than a danger, that jolts us into immediate action.

Writing uses different areas of the brain than speaking or hearing. Use a calendar for important deadlines and meetings. This lessens the likelihood of forgetting the important dates and allows you to use your time elsewhere.

The benefits of squishing a time management bug will go far beyond the obvious advantages in the workplace. They can include improved levels of personal fitness, healthier family finances, improved relationships, even a healthier brain.

If you try the tips above, the thinking that underlies them just may help you to throw out the old and bite into some new strategies for a better day and a better you - as early as tomorrow.