Time Management Cures: Stop Making Lists

Time management. Those words are ugly and scary to someone who spends most of their days and nights on the go. They bring nightmares and visions of rules, strict schedules, and to-do lists. While these are the basic steps most time management coaches would have you work with, there are plenty of other things you can do to change your life and manage your time more effectively.

You can make lists and schedule for every minute until the cows come home, but you'll never have a grasp on true time management unless you're willing to look at your personal habits and decision-making processes. Your personal levels of emotional intelligence and your ability to make critical decisions play a huge part in your ability to manage your own time. Simply simply writing out a list of tasks cannot change some aspects of your thought process.

The key to effective time management is to find a happy balance, which will incorporate everything in your life, regardless of size or significance. While being busy makes some people feel important, it's not indicative of a well-managed life. There are six key areas of your life you need to address in order to make this work:

Physical. Your physical life is essential to effective time management. If you are not healthy, stress-free, and well rested, you'll never reach your true time management goals.

Intellectual. Learning and expanding your mind is essential. The learning process allows us to find ways to balance our lives. Learning about new ideas and thought processes gives us the tools we need in order to effectively adjust our own procedures.

Social. Do you have personal relationships or has your work turned you into a recluse? Healthy personal and business relationships will allow you to remain an active member of society.

Career. Are you actually happy with your career? Are you happy with your current educational pursuits or with your current employer? If not, it's time to consider some serious changes. No time management class will make your life more effective if you hate what you're doing with the time you do spend working.