Time Management

In my opinion, time management is to spend time efficiently leading to the targets and according to specified priorities since it cannot be returned. It is not to live but to catch the moment. I don’t look at it in a narrow sense as enforcing it just for business life, but in a broad sense, as implementing it in every area of life.

It is important to distinguish business life and family life from each other. Like a battery that needs to be charged, people need to relax and engage in issues that will motivate themselves as well as to work. Therefore, if we succeed in managing time efficiently, it will also allow us to spend longer time with our families and hobbies.

Based on Imam Ali’s words, “rubies are achieved with times, but times cannot be achieved with rubies”, we should spend time efficiently and combine streams flowing for nothing, making them an efficient river. Otherwise, we will scatter around like a leaf against the wind.

In this article, I will share my experiences related to personal time management.

Personal Time Management

Time management has great importance at present in not the big fish, but the slow fish eat the small fish and in which media and similar time thieves increase. None of those I have read and watched has planted in my face as severely as those in the video below (“If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for?” -Franz Kafka-).

“What would be your perfect day?”

Please spare time to watch the video below about time management, then keep reading the article.

(Note: If you are searching for the course of your life, Brendon Burchard might help you so much.)

Having watched this video, I have been convinced that a perfect day for me is that in which I spend 6 hours developing myself in topics I have selected in the direction of my goals. (sporting, reading books, working on a project, worshiping, etc.)

Eventually, a second problem arose at this point; well, how will I follow and account for that? (“You cannot manage those you cannot measure” -Edwards Deming-). After several program trials, I decided that the SwipeTimes program was the most appropriate option, and I proceeded on my way with that.

The program is quite simple. It offers a very convenient utilization for Android users using its Widget opportunity. You select the predetermined activities over Widget on the main screen, and then the time counter is set to zero, and restart to count. I have been using it for about one year without any problem using its useful characteristics, such as reporting, exporting, backing up, and labeling, and it has fallen into my habit.

Eventually, my experience of many years in cost control and my curiosity about database/analysis programs brought me a step further, which is to transform these valid data into knowledge. I used the Microsoft Power BI program for this purpose, which I am already interested in. However, the same reports might easily be achieved in Excel as well; my way is just from a special curiosity.

Let me detail the issue now…

The Time Management Report consists of three sections: Brief Report, Details and Productivity Chain.

Brief Report

Details

Productivity Chain

Considering the aforementioned report, it can be assumed that I spare considerable time a day for this issue. That is not the case. Totally 35 activities, on average happen during the day, that is, I make a selection from Widget 35 times, this figure, I suppose, is one-third of the number of ring-ups and hang-ups a day.

Besides, every few evenings, I print the report exporting to see the state of affairs. Since the BI Program is fully automatic, it is enough only to press the “update” button. The duration covering exporting, looking at, interpreting, and closing the report is about 5-10 min. Let’s assume that we do this every day regularly; it takes less time than looking at Facebook once. Whereas I think we look at that many times during the day.

Although the SwipeTimes Program includes statistical data, I needed this program which I prepared at Power BI, to achieve more brief and guiding information.

Well, what did all these efforts gain? Thus, I became aware of thieves and started to spend days more productively. By setting a target of working for 6 hours a day, and when I approached my target I noticed to produced something. The books I read started to end, my English level started to develop, my breath started to be sufficiently longer when sports, etc. I saw something changed around me eventually as I proceeded in this way. (Targets are often available to guide you, not to reach them. -Bruce Lee-).

The report consists of three main headings and activities (Due to my habit of the database, the program is entirely in English);

1. Improvement

• ALES – Math

• ALES – Turkish

• AOF

• Blog

• Driving

• edX

• English 1) Reading

• English 2) Listening

• English 3) Speaking

• English 4) Writing

• English Study

• Pers Dev – 1) General

• Pers Dev – 2) Martial Arts

• Photography

• Power BI

• Purchase

• Reading

• Religion

• SCM

• Sport – 1) General

• Sport – 2) Walking & Running

• Sport – 3) Weight Training

• Sport – 4) Boxing

• Sport – 5) Martial Arts

2. Work

• Break

• Driving

• Eating

• Meeting

• Transport

• Project – x1

• Project – x2…

3. Relax

1. Comm

2. Eating

3. Guest

4. Hobbies

5. Meeting w Family

6. Meeting w Others

7. Personal Care

8. Sleeping

4. Waste

1. Others

2. Transportation

Whatever I do during the day, I uncompromisingly select from the list above.

Let me review the sections in the report;

Achievements

Here is the harvest area. Knowing is good. Goodness is deceptive at the same time. Therefore, it is essential to follow up on results regardless of the figures.

There is a rule in planning. One should detail as much as he can follow up. For this reason, I described as much as I could follow up.

Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance is a heading about which many studies have been conducted, especially recently, and it has been increasingly awakened day by day.

Our work and private life feed each other. In other words, if the rate of one increases, the performance of the further decreases. Setting out from the muscle sample, if you balance exercise and relaxation correctly, it will allow you to exhibit healthy development. But, if you exceed one of their limitations, then both your pains will get more severe, and your development will get slower.

Although work-life balance is wrongly perceived by managers, it is crucial due to the reasons above. To balance both our work life and private life to some extent will lead to success in both. This is a cycle.

Regarding the graph, I haven’t included idle time in the formula because it likely arises from the Development, Work, and relaxation sections. The chart is important because it shows me at which point of the target I am.

Long-Term Trend

This graph showing the distribution of the main headings every month is beneficial for indicating the monthly basis tendency while showing the big picture.

Ideal& Perfect Days per Month

I have two targets in order during the day. The first one is a 4-hour target, which is needed not to be broken like a chain and eventually allows a rhythmical proceeding. The second one is the 6-hour target, and it drives the “Perfect Day” target.

10K Hours Rule Status

10K Hours Rule, stated by Malcolm Gladwell in his book, namely “Outliers” (even if various criticisms are available), had considerably drawn my attention. The conclusion he reached after conducting multiple studies is that one might become specialized in any topic provided they consciously practice 10K hours on that topic ( the website of the brief writing related to the book: https://www.wisdomgroup.com/blog/10000-hours-of-practice/ ).

I created such a list to identify my status.

Productivity Chain

Continuity is the most critical trivet of development and needs to be interrupted like a chain. I awakened that nearly two years ago in Barış Özcan’s video titled Breaking Chain. In this video, Barış Özcan states that provided even a little progress is made patiently on the way to the target, success will be achieved, he also shows examples of how it will be made.

I follow up on my stability for the achievement of the target from the below graph that I created.

Improvement Hours per Weekday

I didn’t follow up on this graph on which I see the distribution of development activities by the days of the week, but I included it in my list since it is helpful for me in seeing the tendency.

Hour Band Overall

On this graph, I see the distribution of topic headings by hour intervals of a day. Although I don’t follow up on this graph, I included it in my list since it is helpful for me in seeing the tendency.

In ending …

Figures, Graphs, Reports…All of these should be a reflection of the strategy on the way to the target in harmony. Every graph should serve the target, and we shouldn’t be able to see the target without them. Also, imperfect knowledge can lead to making a wrong decision, useless information causes confusion and makes focusing difficult.

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January 5, 2019 - Nizhnekamsk / Russia