Managing your time effectively is a skill that can take many, many years to perfect. However, there are some simple steps you can take to begin putting your time to better use each day. In this article I will give you three simple steps to set you off on the right path.

Step 1 - Your ideal day

It is natural that we think about time on a day-to-day basis. Each day is a time unit that can be identified and choices made quite easily, so this is a good place to start. First I encourage you to imagine your ideal day. Think about how it would begin, what you would do, your working environment, the people you spend time with, everything about your day. Your goal is to spend your days in this way.

Step 2 - Keep a time log

In Step 1 you looked at the dream, now you need to look at the reality. You need to figure out how you really spend your days. Not just how you think you spend them, but tracking exactly what you spend your time on and writing it down in a time log. If you keep this up for a week you will clearly see how you spend your time.

Step 3 - Prioritize and plan

When you look at your time log you will see that there are many things that you spend your time on that are a waste. Maybe they are unnecessary; maybe you don't enjoy them; or maybe you will spot a more time-effective way of getting something done. In any case, you should be able to remove a lot of things from your average day that are a waste of your time. Keep the things that are important to you, the rest can go.

Now, I invite you to make a time plan for each day that includes only things that you enjoy and that are an effective use of your time. Once you start doing this, you will be a lot closer to managing your time effectively.