Effective Time Management In A Day For Dummies^®

Effective Time Management In A Day For Dummies^®

by Dirk Zeller

Effective Time Management In A Day For Dummies^®

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Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN 978-1-118-49111-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-49112-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-49113-3 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Introduction

Time is the only resource that people can’t borrow, buy, or barter. People may use different amounts of time to accomplish results, but everyone is endowed with the same amount of time each day: 86,400 seconds.

Your ability to manage that time is really one of the top two causes of success or failure in your life. Investing greater amounts of time into a need, goal, objective, or even weakness can tip the balance of success in your favor. At numerous crossroads in life, I had to be willing to apply more time than my competitors to achieve a competitive advantage over them in the marketplace.

Of course, if you invest too much time at work, you can be a success at the office but a failure at home. A true champion always has his or her finger on the pulse of home life and invests the right amount to keep vital relationships in life growing and thriving. The good news is that this book has both arenas covered. Congratulations on investing in yourself, your success, and your life!

What You Can Do In A Day

Effective Time Management In A Day For Dummies is about using your time more effectively to create greater results at the office and at home. It helps you with your organizational habits, discipline, systemization, goals, and values. This isn’t just a book of theory; rather, it’s one of real techniques, strategies, and tools that will help you set up an effective system for better managing your time.

Here, I help you mentally wrap your brain around the problems of time management and reflect on your needs and what system may work best for you. Then I explain how to establish a solid system that you can replicate over time. I introduce you to prioritization systems, time-categorization systems, and time-blocking strategies. You get tips for minimizing interruptions from others as well as keeping your focus and avoiding procrastination. Finally, I offer advice for checking your progress and making adjustments for better outcomes.

Foolish Assumptions

I assume that you’re reading this book because you want to use your time better. You expect to gain more time with your loved ones, you want to ramp up your success at work, or you’re looking for a little of both.

You also know that effective time management isn’t a one-stop fix; it’s a comprehensive effort that requires looking at all time-draining culprits. You’re willing to invest the effort needed to develop your time-management skills (or create them if they don’t currently exist!).

Icons Used in This Book

To help you navigate this book a bit better, you can rely on the icons in the book’s margins. The icons act as little signposts pointing out the important info.

This bull’s-eye icon points out nuggets of knowledge that are certain to give you an edge in increasing your time-management skills.

Consider this the flashing red light on the road to managing your time. When you see the Warning icon, you know to steer clear of whatever practice, behavior, or response I indicate.

This icon denotes critical information that you need to take away with you. Remember these points, if nothing else. They address the issues that you come across repeatedly with time management.

Take a break from the text for a quick exercise designed to help you refine your time-management strategy.

When you see this icon, head to this book’s companion website at www.dummies.com/inaday/effectivetimemanagement. Online, you’ll find more-detailed information about topics that I cover in the book.