by Cheryl A. Clausen..
Turn all the thoughts cluttering your mind into actions. The objective of improving your time management skills is simplification. You only complicate your life when you try to store information in your head about what you need to do and remember later. That approach clutters your mind, and increases your stress. Sometimes you try to avoid this by writing those things down, but you write them down in more than one place. Simplify your life by recording all these thoughts using a simple, portable, and easy to use system so you will use it. A “to do” list can do all these things for you.

Good time management skills can help you to simplify your life. Don’t create a daily “to do” list. When you make a “to do” list each day you’re doing seven time the work. Create an electronic version of your “to do” list so it’s easy to update.

Enter standing actions in your template. When enter projects list all the actions you need to do yet until the project is complete. Then once a week print your template and fill in the actions for the upcoming week.

You don’t want your “to do” list to be a list of random and disorganized thoughts. Your “to do” list should be a list of the actions you need to take now and later. Your “to do” list serves as both a check sheet for marking off actions as they are completed, and a reminder for future actions so you don’t forget them when the time comes.

Make sure as you enter things on your “to do” list that you state them as actions. Using your time is about actions not ideas. Include a section for future ideas and plans you want to make, but in the actual “to do” section every entry must be made in terms of an action. You wouldn’t write the word groceries by itself on your “to do” list. Instead groceries might be an item on your list with actions listed: make list on Thursday with items for Saturdays party, and go to store on Saturday. Your weekly “to do” list is also a great place to track your progress. On your template you may want to include a section for phone calls you need to make with the names and numbers of those to call. You absolutely want a results section where you track your weekly outcomes.

You can have the outcomes from phone calls in one place so you know exactly how many appointments you made and/or the number of sales you made. You know immediately if you are on track or off track and what you need to do to get the results you want. This simple tool helps you to keep everything together in one place so you aren’t wasting time trying hunting for information.

About the author: Cheryl Clausen can help you get unstuck. To find Time Management Tips get her free analysis. Improve your Time Management Skills, check this out.

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