The Virtue of Punctuality.

The psychology of non-punctual beings in our kind is that for them punctuality is never a priority. Managing time and being punctual are two intricately related virtues. You can only arrive on time for appointments and commitments if you manage your time well. In other words, punctuality is mastering the skill of time management. Punctuality as a trait not only displays respect for the other person’s time but also speaks volumes about your character. The people who do not endorse it as a habit, the latecomers, show a lack of commitment to success at their work. If you do not want to be called sloppy, undisciplined and unorganised, mend your habits and tweak your routines. But it is not an easy habit to imbibe and takes time and effort to be on the other side of the fence. Let us see how we can be on time for everything.

Do Not Make Excuses: Making excuses is a lame habit and is never taken seriously. If you are a latecomer, accept that you have a problem of reaching late at the time of making commitments. If admitting the fact embarrasses you, well, stop underestimating how long it will take to reach a certain place and start early. Simple? Follow the same while completing an office project.

Fix the Time a Little Ahead: All the watches – wall, wrist and cell-phone – should be put at least ten minutes ahead of the actual time. It will not only make you accomplish your tasks in time but give you a much needed morale boost. As well, keep telling yourself that what you see is the actual time and you are not ricking yourself into accepting that it is.

If You Can’t Make It, Don’t Commit: There are times when you cannot say No before accepting invitations for important functions and parties. If you know that you would not be able to make it, or do not want to go, politely refuse the invitation rather than falsely committing your presence. Same goes for work: do not take too many tasks on your platter if you cannot complete these in time.

Make a List: Make a list of how long you know your daily tasks take you. For instance, you should know how long do your daily activities like bathing, getting ready, eating breakfast, driving to work, parking, gym, etc., take. To start with, do this for a week and see the positive change this simple activity will instil in you.

Another thing you could do is to think about the person having to wait around for you. Feels miserable? Quit being late, get on with time!

What are your tips for always being on time, being punctual. Share them with us in the comments.

From Today Let’s Get Efficient.

Efficiency is not achieved by just working hard, you also have to work smart. Spending extra hours at work to complete the tasks assigned, is not a sign of efficiency. You have to squeeze more out of every hour and maximise your productivity. Working smart and hard means knowing how you can set and achieve stretch targets within the workday. When you are efficient, you feel more content and satisfied. Four ways to be more efficient at work are:

Schedule Your Day in Advance: Stop saying “First thing in the morning”, start saying “Let’s prepare for tomorrow.” You can also work on scheduling a week ahead on weekends. Habituate yourself to use a planner, communicate effectively, e-mail efficiently, organise your priorities and be realistic.

Get Up an Hour Earlier: “Early to bed, early to rise” is one of the most underrated adages. When you get up earlier than your scheduled time, you make mental notes of how you can compartmentalise your time during the day. If possible, go for a walk or find time for gym before you start getting ready for work. It is obvious, then, you will feel the need to go to bed earlier than before. Be disciplined. Be focused.

Stop Wasting Time: You have to get into the habit of utilising your time. Today, tomorrow and every day. When you are not doing what you are supposed to, you are wasting time. Take breaks and rest on purpose, do not deliberately waste your time. If you are required to undertake research on the Internet for your project, limit yourself and focus on your task rather than surfing the web viciously. Internet is a place where everything seems interesting. Resist the temptation.

Don’t Bury Sleep, Bury the TV: Do not let late night TV watching deprive you of the much-needed rest. As hard as it must be since most of us are attuned to a minimum of 2-3 hour TV viewing every day, saying “No” will not only save us time but prevent our brain from getting overloaded by rapid-fire stimuli it exposes us to, robbing us of precious sleep.

Being more productive and efficient should not be limited to your workplace, but to all areas of life. Extract more value out of your interactions and improve your life. What are the techniques that you follow to make your day more efficient and productive? The Quitter community believes in interacting with their readers, to help initiate a dialogue. Tell us what’s your key to getting your work deadlines met, tell us how it helps you from putting pressure on your life.

Quit Wasting Time. Embrace Efficiency.

Quit Procrastination.

You have sat down, had your tea, exchanged greetings, checked your e-mails. . .but you still haven’t started your work. At some point of time, we all have stood guilty of delaying, avoiding or putting off doing something that we must do. It’s called procrastination. Quit procrastination and manage your work better. Say “Now” instead of “Later,” say “Today” instead of “Tomorrow.”

Don’t simply put off what you could easily be doing today. Here’s how:

Break up Large Projects into Small Tasks: You can split your works into tiny, manageable chunks! Set short deadlines and finish those. Each completed task gives you a sense of accomplishment and powers you to do more.

Nothing Will Be Perfect The First Time: Don’t be a perfectionist from the start. Finish a job and then see how you can improve. Quantity is also important.

Well Begun Is Half Done: Focus on “beginning” to work on something, instead of “finishing” it. The next steps get clear after you have taken the first one. When you dwell on finishing a task, the mind can’t help but succumb to its mammoth pressure. Stop thinking, start doing!

Make Yourself a Challenge Zone: Pick a time when you will move out of the comfort zone and accomplish something at a faster than usual pace. Assign yourself a time-frame, say, for instance, two hours, and work the hardest in those two hours. Be brave, be productive, challenge yourself and stimulate your brain.

Be Inspired: Make friends with individuals who discourage procrastination. Get inspired by their work ethic and inculcate it in yours.

Time is the most important resource we have, so try to not waste any of it.

Quit Procrastination! Just Do It, Now!