Can’t find the time for time management? You’re not alone. Most of own at least one book on time management, many of us own several but all the books in the world won’t help us alleviate our problem, in fact in an ironic sort of way collecting time management books will only serve to increase our stress level instead of lessening it.

It’s important to understand the value of time but the answer is not to try and cram in more than will fit! It’s pretty easy to let time management linger in the back of our minds as something we should do, but simply can’t find the time.

Does this sound familiar? A long morning run before watering and weeding the plants, before going off to an eight-hour work day (plus commute time), a lunch meeting, a 3 p.m. presentation where you’ll need to be fresh and alert, a dental appointment after work, grocery shopping, cooking, an evening tennis game, reading, TV, thinking guiltily about that craft or woodworking project you started in 1998…. And what about unscheduled time-wasters, such as searching fruitlessly for the right-size coffee filter? Or reluctantly taking that phone call from an old windbag friend who has won more talk-a-thons than you have won tennis matches?

If this sounds like a day in your life – or if you wish your schedule could be this “relaxed,” then you have hit the wall, and have probably bounced off it a few times. You are in task overload and it’s time to apply some time management skills to help you gain back those wasted hours.

So, do you acknowledge that you could benefit from learning to better your time management? Good! You’ve completed step one and you are ready to delve headlong into It’s Your Time, where time management is as easy as one through seven.

Now that you have completed step one, it’s time to determine the factors that have been preventing you from applying better time management skills and organizing the space around you.

First, ask yourself a few questions:

ØAre you a procrastinator?
ØDo you spend too much time on unimportant things and issues?
ØDo you create an unrealistic schedule that you cannot achieve?

These are typical patterns for people who have problems organizing themselves and applying realistic time management. Human beings can be quite creative in coming up with excuses, but if you step back a bit, they all sound pretty much the same. Chances are, however, if you are reading this article, you are willing to make the change and start applying some much needed time management skills in your life.

A good place to start is the space you live in. Having the space around you organized does not mean everything has to be neat and tidy. There are organized people who apply time management to their workspace without having an immaculate desk. They do, however, know what is on their desk and know how to find it. Time management is often a personal choice of systems that fit into your lifestyle – the key is to be consistent and you will be well on your way to time management and you’ll get back those wasted hours.

About the Author

Joe Cirillo’s book, It’s Your Time has been featured in Oprah’s O Magazine among other national publications. He lives in Sun Valley, Idaho where he is currently releasing his second book My Italian Cookbook, Original family recipes brought over from Naples, Italy. Contact The Cirillo Company today to be placed on the advanced copy list.