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Symptoms of Poor Time Management
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Poor time management affects every part of your life. Many people convince themselves that they are effective time managers because their diary is full. They are constantly rushing from one place to another, and they feel that they are incredibly busy. Having a full diary does not mean that you are managing your time correctly; it merely means that you have a full diary. This is the most fundamental principle of time management, and one which is constantly misunderstood i.e. effectiveness is far more important than efficiency. Efficiency and effectiveness are often used interchangeably but they are not the same thing.
Efficiency is getting a lot of tasks done.
Effectiveness is getting the right tasks done.
As a skilled time-manager, you need to focus on effectiveness. If you are already effective, the efficiency tends to take care of itself, but if you are focusing on efficiency, you are probably not being very effective. There is little point in completing a lot of tasks if they are not the tasks which are going to help you achieve your objectives. A skilled time manager gets the right tasks done; anything else is just poor time management.
The following list covers some of the most common signs of poor time management. Regardless of the quantity of work you complete, if you are experiencing these symptoms, you are likely to have some poor time management practices.
Click here to view a video about poor management practices.
Poor time management impacts every area of your life, from work to relationships. Don’t fall into the trap of mistaking being busy for being a skilled time manager. Getting more done does not automatically mean that you are managing your time effectively. If the extra tasks are unimportant, you are just filling your schedule. Focusing on getting the important tasks done is the key to effective time management. If you find that you are regularly displaying any of the symptoms of poor time management; you need to change your focus from efficiency to effectiveness.