Self-Management can help us take control of our actions, through accountability, productivity, and motivation. It helps us control various aspects of our life. This includes the choices we make, our reactions, and our ability to prioritize and control our feelings or thoughts.
In order to be a good employee, a good student, or a successful entrepreneur, we all need self-management skills which in turn help us to achieve our goals.
But due to the spoon-feeding of our education system and current surroundings, we lack these skills. We don’t give a second thought to improving upon these skills. These can considerably help us in navigating our lives in a meaningful way.
Let's talk about the essential self-management skills.
1.Organization: Organizing is the key to self-management. We all know that our brains are very good at coming up with great ideas but when it comes to storing those ideas and then recalling them is a difficult task. Therefore we need to create systems around ourselves in order to jot down ideas when they strike us. We can use to-do lists, sticky notes, note-taking apps on our phones. Whatever means you choose they should be readily available and it should be easy to recall items at any given time. This system will make you less likely to forget stuff and slip things through the hustle-bustle of everyday life. Over a period of time, you will build a library of notes and all the learnings you have gathered over the span of years.
2.Goal Setting: Setting goals is easy following through is the tough part. Goals can be a great compass that gives us the directions we need to follow. But there is no point in having direction if we are not walking. We need to develop systems that will help us move forward in the direction to reach our goals. Therefore while setting goals always map out systems and plans on how you are going to achieve those goals. If my goal is to run a marathon, I will have to start running daily, maintain a healthy diet and make sure that I am on the starting line on the day of the race.
3.Time Management: Time is the most valuable resource we have. When we say “I don't have time” to do something we just mean that it’s not a priority for us. We are doing things we most want to be doing. Therefore to be efficient with the time you can use the following techniques;
The 2-minute rule: If something’s going to take less than 2 minutes to do, do it right now.
Batching: Batch multiple instances of the same thing together. Check your WhatsApp messages once or twice a day rather than checking your phone every 10 minutes.
4. Stress Management: Stress can show up in different ways for different people, managing stress and being able to move on when something is not going your way is an important part of life. Everyone has their techniques and methods on how to manage stress. I generally follow a very easy method of taking a nap or going for a small walk. This gives me time to think and it generally calms my nerves. I have heard that meditation is also a great way of stress management and I would definitely give it a try someday.
5.Meaningful Productivity: So by now we have figured out our goals, created systems around them, and allocated time as per our schedule. We just need to start doing things in an efficient way and also enjoy the process. At this point, productivity comes into the picture. It is figuring out systems to get things done sooner rather than later. It is making the most out of your time in such a way that you create something meaningful.
Self-management is one concept that can help us achieve our personal and business goals. This is not an easy job but it’s totally worth it and has the potential to improve our lives in a significant way.
