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
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Introduction
T ime is the only resource that people cant 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 isnt just a book of theory; rather, its 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 youre 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 youre looking for a little of both.
You also know that effective time management isnt a one-stop fix; its a comprehensive effort that requires looking at all time-draining culprits. Youre willing to invest the effort needed to develop your time-management skills (or create them if they dont currently exist!).
Icons Used in This Book
To help you navigate this book a bit better, you can rely on the icons in the books margins. The icons act as little signposts pointing out the important info.
This bulls-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.