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5 big myths about your time

Guest post by: Paul Puckridge

Article Overview: Some people have told me privately that they would love to be more organised and in greater control of their time but they are worried about the negative side-effects. Side effects? What could possibly be wrong or negative about having more time and better personal and professional organisation?

5 big myths about your time

Some people have told me privately that they would love to be more organised and in greater control of their time but they are worried about the negative side-effects. Side effects? What could possibly be wrong or negative about having more time and better personal and professional organisation? Here are a few myths about time management I'd like to dispel just in case you were thinking about getting organised, but were worried there could be a downside.

Myth#1: If I was organised I wouldn't be spontaneous

The Reality: Time management doesn't kill spontaneity, it gives you the freedom to be spontaneous! While it's true you will be more aware of your time and priorities, you'll also have more time! This means you'll have time more for the things that are important to you.

Far from being restricted, you'll enjoy a life where you have more time to be spontaneous.

Myth#2: Time management is only for people who are obsessive compulsive

The Reality: If being obsessive about better personal organisation gave you back 1, 2 or 3 hours a day - time that could be spent with your partner, playing with the kids, enjoying a hobby, shopping, going to the gym, or simply relaxing - wouldn't it be an obsession worth developing? In reality time management is not about being compulsive, it's about being in control of your time and your life!

Myth#3: If I tidied my work area I wouldn't be able to find anything

The Reality: Think of your desk as a reflection of your life. Are there pages piling up just waiting to be filed and leftover cups of coffee on your desk? Does this mess overflow into your domestic life?

Again, the opposite is true. Once you get organised you will have a place for everything and know where to find things. You will feel much better about yourself.

Myth#4: There's too much to do, I can't handle it all

The Reality: It can be overwhelming to be confronted by a massive workload, but you can get organised if you choose to be.

Managing your time is the only way to deal with this overwhelming situation. By chunking down your tasks into small, manageable parts and by taking small steps until the project is completed, you'll regain a sense of control over your work.

Myth#5: It's too late, I can't change my habits

The Reality: Just think of where you would be now if you had always adopted this mindset. You would never have learned to ride a bike, drive a car, or try anything new.

While its true that forming a habit when you are younger makes it easier to change, there is nothing to stop you starting a new habit at any age. It all comes down to how important you feel it is to replace a bad or disempowering habit with a better one.

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Article Tags: Daily Planning, Get Organized, Gtd, Paul Puckridge, Planning Your Day, The First Hour Of The Day, Work Smarts, Worksmarts



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Re: What Do you Prefer More - Time or Money - I tried to answer this question, and I think it is just like what came first the egg or the hen. I want money, everybody loves money, money can buy you time, and some other things too (like food). Personally I know that if I had a bigger budget I could use it to save time and use the time I "created" for other tasks. But I want time too, there is never enough time, even if you have all the time in the world. I noticed that when I have busy busy days, I can manage my time better. Many people suffer from this problem, the more things we have to do, we can find more time to do them. So I want both, I want money to by me time to make more money for more time, and to travel around the world.
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Re: What Do You Outsource Mostly? - I haven't really done much outsourcing apart from some articles from time to time and the distribution of my article to the various directories which I really don't have much time for, but I think in the near future I will need to consider doing a bit more as I find it really difficult to try and do everything myself. MichelleJ


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