There are many ways you can approach effective time management, and the best one for you will depend on your particular needs. However, I have found that there are certain actions that everyone can take that will help them spend their time more effectively so they get things done.

So, I am going to share with you what I believe are the three most important things to keep in mind when attempting to be more effective and productive with your time.

Before you put these tips into action, I invite you to sit down for a short while and think how you really want to spend your time, now and in the future. Be honest with yourself about what you really want, and I encourage you to aim for your dreams.

1. Breaking old habits - When it comes down to it, most of us have a fairly good idea of how we need to be spending our time. However, the difference between the dream and the reality can be pretty dramatic. If you want to manage your time effectively you will need to break old habits. Identify the habits that are not effective use of your time, watching too much TV for example, and eliminate them from your life. Any bad habits you have don't all have to be tackled at once or you may well feel overwhelmed. Take it slowly and get rid of one bad habit at a time.

2. The four Ds of personal management - Do it, defer it, delegate it, or drop it. Almost everything you spend your time on can fit into one of these categories. So, get it done, do it later, get someone else to do it, or don't do it at all. This may sound simple and its often the simple steps that achieve the greater results.

3. Avoiding time wasters - Time wasters are everywhere so you will have to learn to identify them and avoid them if you want to get more accomplished. Time wasters come in many shapes and forms and can eat into your day without you even realizing it. Just to give you an idea, things that can waste your time include the telephone, emails, clutter, and the internet. There are also the time wasters that are harder to identify like wanting perfection or having too many ideas.