You’ve probably heard of the adage, “We all have 24 hours in a day,” and if that sounds trite, that’s because it’s true!

Time is the greatest equaliser, and successful people understand the value in not just managing, but also maximising their time.

Granted, we don’t all find ourselves in the same situations. I have friends who find it difficult to manage their time between two jobs and looking after their kids. Taking care of the many things on our plate can be quite the balancing act.

However, I believe that time management is a fundamental skill that anyone can learn even if their situation doesn’t seem perfect.

So, let’s get you managing your time better, with these three tips on spending your time the same way successful people do!

1) Spend Time Planning

I can already hear you groan from here. Planning is tedious, right? Why waste time planning and reviewing when you can start right away?

Well, while it’s true that overplanning could actually hinder you from getting things done, planning is a necessary step in achieving any goal.

It might take time, yes, but imagine how much more time you’d be spending and wasting if you dove straight into any project without thinking and then have to do many edits, or spend countless hours debugging and troubleshooting.

Of course, you should start working, but you have to start with a concrete plan. Project planning has always been linked to project success, and you should always want your project to succeed more than to just get it started.

So how do you start planning?

First of all, you have to consider what you value. For some, they want to be able to have time for their kids, or time to exercise. For others, they have less expenses and can afford to save more. It really depends on your situation and what you deem to be of value.

But whatever the situation, it’s crucial to plan. You can’t go into a battle not knowing what you have to manage, so make life easier for yourself by allocating your resources and preparing contingency plans way ahead of time.

2) Spend Time Learning from Others

Like many of you, I have introverted tendencies. I like the idea of spending alone time with a good book, or a nice meal, or even a movie. When it comes to success, however, it rarely is something you can achieve all on your own.

It doesn’t matter how smart or how fast of a learner you are, there’s always something you can learn from others. Whether they’re your predecessors, or experts outside your industry, or even just the people you work with and talk to every day. Spending your time properly necessitates using that time to absorb as much knowledge and wisdom as you can from others.

The most successful people will tell you so much of their time was and is spent learning from others. Legendary artist Pablo Picasso was influenced by Paul Cezanne and Henri Matisse. Fashion designer Vera Wang had Polly Allen Mellen. Basketball great Tim Duncan was coached by Gregg Popovich.

If you make sure to commit some time to learning from others, rest assured that it’s time well spent. Aside from the knowledge you gain, you also potentially forge long-term relationships that can help you significantly in the future.

3) Don’t Stress Out Too Much

Apart from staring at our phones, we can probably all admit that one of our biggest time-wasters is spending ungodly amounts of time on senseless worrying. I’ve experienced this kind of crippling anxiety firsthand, and it’s honestly not worth the stress.

One way to get rid of this is to ascertain if the problem is within your control. If it is, then act on it. If it’s beyond your control, then there really isn’t anything to worry about. Breathe, clear your mind, and find ways to destress.

It also helps to develop good coping skills. You can do things like write, meditate, or exercise. There are so many things you could do to turn that stress into positive energy instead. There are always going to be bumps and detours along the way, but the good thing is that you always have the chance to improve.

Hopefully these lessons will help you to better manage your time, and keep you on the road to success!

To your success,

Mario

[Visit www.mariosingh.com now to enjoy a FREE e-book of my latest “37 Essential Principles for Massive Success” when you subscribe!]