Are you overwhelmed at work or home, or worse yet at both work and home? Do you feel that your job is running you rather than you being able to take charge of it? Understanding your style of time management and identifying what is most important to you may help you to move beyond some of these barriers.

 

First, think about what your work style is, and look at what does and doesn't work for you. Often we, better than anyone else, know what is or isn't working. Taking a look in the proverbial mirror is often the first place to start to understand what is and what isn't working for us. Are you a procrastinator, a perfectionist, or are you unable to delegate to others? If you don't know where to start in assessing your organizational strengths and weaknesses, start out by asking and observing some of the most organized people that you know.

 

Second, ask yourself how you set priorities? Setting priorities is one of the most key components of being organized. If the alarm clock doesn't go off on time, often the rest of the day feels off balance. Identify tasks that need to be completed immediately versus the less important tasks. While many of us like to feel that keeping a mental list will work, creating a written list will often help you to prioritize more effectively. It can also help to reduce stress by helping you to juggle tasks.

 

Third, how does your organization style work with your current job? You may be an organized person, but you, like many people, may find yourself frequently overwhelmed by tasks. You may need to revisit your day-to-day organization style. For example, list returning calls and reading e-mail on your to do list. By identifying when you will complete these tasks rather than responding to the time line of others, you can identify and complete key tasks in an order that works for you.

 

Fourth, and most importantly, what are your priorities for work & home? If we take the time to identify what is most important in our personal and work lives, we will have more ability to shape and prioritize tasks. Setting priorities can help us to develop a road map for our lives and empower ourselves by identifying what is really important to us. We can schedule time to spend with our kids or grandkids as easily as scheduling a business meeting, if we understand what our priorities are and take time to plan them into our day.

 

Investing in developing your personal time management skills should help you to have more control over your time and your life. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses in your personal style is the first step. Identifying the key tasks that give your life more meaning is also a key step in motivating yourself to take control over how you use your time.