Your self image affects the way you "manage time"
It helps to understand how the internal picture you hold of
yourself affects your
ability to make the best use of your life. Your self-image affects how
well you
spend your time. When you have a positive self-image with regard to
"time
management", you feel in control rather than as though you’re simply
reacting
to external pressures. You have the ability to take the events of your
life and
organize them so they make sense. The first step to becoming someone
in control,
someone who is an outstanding manager of his time, is to explore and
improve
your self-image.
Formed primarily from your suggestive environment, your self-image
is the subconscious
mechanism responsible for guiding your behavior.
The importance of this is that we
always act consistently with the image we have of ourselves. So if you
see yourself
as someone who is overly busy with far too many things to do, someone
who is
disorganized or working too hard, someone who refuses to set
priorities and stick
to them (within reason) then you may not "manage time" well enough to
suit yourself.
This self-image serves as a veritable handcuff to your abilities
and hampers your
efforts at controlling your time. In fact, you cannot expect to behave
in a way
different from your self-image programming any more than you could
expect to
put a chocolate cake mix in the .oven and an hour later take out an
apple pie.
You always get out only what you put in. Your self-image regulates
your behavior
just like a thermostat controls the room temperature. It determines
how you use
your time, knowledge, skills and experiences. And remember, we don’t
question
the validity of our self-image. We simply proceed to behave as if it
were true.
So the key to becoming an outstanding "time manager" is to start
thinking of yourself
and speaking of yourself as an outstanding time manager. If someone
asks you about
your day, tell them, "Today has been great. I’ve managed my priorities
very well today.
I don’t have time to tell you anymore now because I’ve got things to
do." Vocalize,
verbalize and then actualize.
Changing your language or terminology changes your self-image.
Changing your self-
image changes your attitude. And changing your attitude changes your
actions. I often
like to say, "Attitude outranks facts." Think, "How would I act if I
were already an
excellent time manager? How would I act if I were the most effective
time manager
in the world?"
Imagine someone offered you $20,000 to play the part of an
excellent time manager
in a movie.
What are some of the things you would do? Well, you’d have
your desk
organized.
You’d move quickly. You’d work on one thing at a time.
You’d work from
a list.
You’d anticipate and plan for interruptions. Shakespeare said,
"Act the part,
become the part."
It takes about two months to create and set a habit
of behavior.
If you start acting like an excellent
time manager, really pretending
you’re already
a model of personal effectiveness, the habits will lock in,
and soon you
will become an excellent time manager in reality.
______________________________________________________________________________
Return
to Free Stuff List
Return to
Self-Esteem list
