Improving your time management doesn’t have to take you a long time. In fact, just 10 seconds can make a big difference. How? By taking a small amount of time before you do any task and asking yourself a powerful question. A question that can help to identify if this is the right thing to do, how it can be done quicker or if there is a better way of doing it.
Developing the skill of asking yourself powerful questions is an important aspect of managing yourself rather than just managing time. Yes, daily plans and diaries helps tremendously, and combined with these powerful questions your time will be spent much more effectively.
So, how do you start using these powerful questions? First, before you start any task, whether it’s big or small, be willing to stop for just a few seconds. Then ask yourself a question so you can first identify whether you need to do this to task or delegate someone else. If it is a task you need to do, is it the next step to take and is their a better way of achieving the same results.
Asking yourself powerful questions only takes a few seconds and can save you quite a bit of time as you identify how to spend your time more wisely. When you ask yourself one of these questions, be willing to listen to your own answer.
As you get into the habit of asking these questions, you will get better at it. Where do you start by making sure that its a powerful question? As a general rule, your questions should begin with the word ‘what’ and be open-ended. This way, possibilities will be opened up, solutions can be discovered and you’ll be moved forward.
Let me share with you some examples of powerful questions that can help you to use time well.
“What is the most important thing for me to focus on at the moment?”
“What one task specifically do I most need to complete today?”
“What isn’t getting done that needs doing?” And added to that, “What will it take to get this done?”
“What is the next step for me in this moment?”
As you ask yourself the question, give yourself a small amount of time required to listen to the response. If you are now clear and know the best way forward, great, go for it!
If you feel unsure or lack clarity, then I invite you to note down these thoughts. Once you can see the problem on paper, look to see how you can break it down into smaller parts to discover your answer and the way forward. It may be that you need to ask a more specific question or slightly different question.
Asking these questions and listening to the answers only takes a very small amount of time. They could save you a lot of time as you consider whether each task is the best use of your time now and if so how to complete it efficiently.
Time Management - Accomplish More By Doing Less [5:45m]: