We all know that no matter how organized we are, there are only 24 hours in a day, no extensions whatsoever. We sometimes feel that we don’t have enough time to do the things that we love doing. We often stretch ourselves too thin, wondering why we couldn’t get everything to fit in our hectic schedule.

If we learn how to manage the time in our hands, then everything will just be as simple as pie. To enjoy my day more at the same time increase my productivity, here’s what I’m trying to get myself used to:

Start the day early.
Whether I’ll go to the gym or just prepare my stuff before going to work, it’s always good to start early. That way, I’ll get to avoid being frazzled early in the morning, hurrying myself up and coming to the office looking distressed and shit. This morning I wasn’t late for work, I hope I’ll find enough motivation so I can keep it up.

Check for time-wasters
Admit it, most of the time we fall prey to a lot of time-wasters like excess surfing, chatting, sms, emails or even personal calls. I try to monitor my daily activities so I can make adjustments where needed. I don’t check my email all the time, I sometimes ignore them especially when I feel most productive. I don’t want to get sidetracked and eventually lose my concentration with my work. I don’t think I need to see every piece of email the second it arrives.

Prioritize. Set goals for the day.
Before I start a task, I check first which ones urgently need my attention. Some people start with the difficult projects first before they do the easy stuff. Others do it the other way around. Hey, whatever floats your boat, man. Follow what makes you comfortable with work and pretty soon you’ll see you’ve already finished everything in a breeze.

Don’t over-commit.
Saying no isn’t bad at all. When you feel like you have your hands full then say it politely or ask for an extension. Set a comfortable leeway when you’re being asked about how long it will take you to complete the project or whatever it is that you’re doing. I don’t have to stress myself by worrying how I can meet a deadline. If I’m distracted and I hurriedly do things, the quality of my work is sacrificed. That’s the last thing I want to do with a project. Set your own pace, for sure you’ll have everything done on time leaving no room for mistakes.

Find inspiration.
I like to read and reflect on an inspirational quote. More than 10 years ago, an aunt gave me a book by Norman Vincent Peale, Have a Great Day and I still read it up to now. I even share it with Ali. It contains a collection of positive thought for each day. It gives me motivation for my day ahead.

I also look forward to Ali’s little notes. They never fail to make me smile. The notes that he leaves on my desk are usually cute drawings of stuff. Ah, I’ll discuss that in detail sometime soon. Check out ArtiKulet from time to time for updates. *wink*

Next time you’ll have the time to go out with friends, leisurely walk in the malls and maybe even cook a really good meal. Find the time to do the things that you love doing. You can even use them as motivation so you’ll easily finish the the things that you don’t love as much.

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