The secrets to effective time management.

Time management this year has defiantly not been one of my strong points.

Mix that with forgetfulness, the tenancy to loose everything topped with a scoop of pure laziness comes a pretty poor performer.

But my friends the year 2013 is a new year, yes, a new year for self discovery and getting down to business.

So in order to fix all of my other flaws, i suppose developing effective time management strategies is the way to go.

As an entrepreneur i am starting to realise that i am gaining a lot of different things on my plate that i have to juggle and find a distinct balance for. Some of these things that i do include the following:

• Toastmasters 
• Cert IV in Hospitality (thought work)
• Time to go to the gym
• Time to have with my partner
• NEA award with my University
• Safety committee at my Workplace
• Having a shift worker job
• University in general
• Managing this blog and in a few months a full business
• Somewhat of a social life?
• plus, i am sure there is a lot more there i just have forgotten to mention

If you are in my situation too i have developed a few different way that you can get your shit under control, by using my own life as an example! Enjoy! 

1. Prioritise! Prioritise! Prioritise! This is the main key to achieving anything in life. In order to get what you want and achieve your goals you need to get rid of all the shit in between that is holding you back!  So for example, both my number one priorities would be my partner and my day job. Can’t judge me, girl’s gotta have the moolah. My number 2 priority would be University. Then the blog and then my diet/ excersie plan
2. Organise your year, then month, then day, then hours, then minutes. I have started early this year! I have two different diary planners, one bright pink the other a professional black leather one. My pink one is for all of my notes and other things that come up during the day that i need to remember or taking down important notes from uni. The black one for planning out my day, what i need to do, where i need to be etc. Not much difference but i think it will work for me. Another thing that i have started to do as well is on my whiteboard in my room, i have a week planned out on it. On this week, you can see the basic things that i need to do.
3. Tend to your priorities each specifically, like they are your boyfriends and you need to treat them all differently to keep them happy! For work, i make sure i have my roster on hand at all times, when planning out my week ahead, i always work my university time table around it. (I totally forgot to mention i do uni by correspondence aye?) With accordance to concentrating on uni commitments what i personally do is at the start of each trimester i go through all of my course work and figure out when all of my assignments are due and write that information down on big colourful cardboard. I then stick it up on my door so i can always be reminded that my assignment is late yet again -.-  I also have been provided by my university with a weekly wall planner. This planner has all 7 days of the week and all 12 hours of the way put into a giant table print out. THIS THING SAVES MY FUCKING LIFE! I encourage you to draw one up yourselves.
4. Think of the reason why you are working so hard. I often get down because i forget why i am trying to work so hard. Practically all the time i think to myself, how come everyone i know is having fun, travelling, finishing uni off so easily etc. The reason i do work so hard is because of my situation at home. I hope that i can be the mother that i never had, that means being a hard working woman that is respectable in her carrer and established in life.  So in order to remember that, i am going to write it down on a large yellow piece of cardboard and stick it in front of my study desk, just to remind me what i am working for and to find the motivation to keep going.
5. Don’t forget your loved ones. Often i am guilty of forgoing my partners needs for my own, because i am plain and simply too busy because i can’t manage my shit properly. It sucks for him and it sucks for me because our relationship is not up to scratch. At the moment it has gotten to the point where we have no time to even have sexy time because it is just too hard to schedule it in. So i am going to make a promise now —  I will get giggy with it at least 4 times a week. Yes all you other women out there — pick up your bloody game. So pretty much, 2 times on Saturday and 2 times on Sunday. LOL. Your welcome for knowing that. Also, i want to make the promise that i will take him out for a nice dinner at lease once a week – just so he knows he is special 🙂
6. Figure out what you need and what you don’t need. Okay, so there is a lot of things that i don’t need cluttering up my life. So let’s reduce them together, shall we? Toastmasters. Let’s say that i do my 6 more speeches, obtain my certificate then put it on hold for a while. Check. NEA. Okay that  can also wait till the last year of my degree, there is no need to worry about it now, however if a opportunity arises, opportunity will be perused. Check.  Gym and Diet. Planning effectively and ahead of time to fit these things in with all of my other commitments will help.
7. Never be afraid of asking for help. I have always hated showing people that i am struggling to do well. I have always been afraid of telling people that i am not coping right now. I guess the year 2013 will hopefully mean that i can realise that my partner is just that, my partner and is there to help me cope with everything that i need help with. So there is no need to be afraid.

Time is precious and it is escaping us every second. We need to be able to control it and make those evaporating seconds turn into effective opportunities to achieve everything that we need to do. As an entrepreneur developing these strategies early will allow for you to develop your own personal balance between everything on your plate and keeping yourself sane.

Wish me good luck…