From my experiences I have found thatpoor time managementcan really impact heavily on various areas of your life. The thing is, poor time management is not something that just springs up on you: if you are always late with deadlines, meeting friends or loved ones, or just generally struggling to find enough hours in the day, then the chances are that you have a problem with how you manage your time.

There are many things that you can do tomanage your time more effectively– many of which do not even require significant expense or changes to your lifestyle.

One of the most simple and effective ways of overcoming poor time management is through theuse of aday planner. Day planners can take many forms and vary in terms of complexity. At their most basic level, day planners serve as timetables which enable you to pencil in tasks which you intend to do at various times in the day. I have found that a small diary-like pocket book has worked best for me as I can carry it with me at all times.

However, a day planner is not a magic cure for poor time management and you will need to develop some good habits which will enable you to use it effectively. You have to plan proactively – determine what your key priorities are (and when you need to do them by) and ensure that you have pencilled them into the planner. I tend to you use mine as a checklist, and cross off tasks as I complete them. This gives me a very clear indication of how effectively I have managed my time at the end of each day.

When you plan your tasks it is also important to be realistic about how much time you have allocated for each one. I have tended to manage my time most effectively through blocking out chunks of time for each task rather then being too specific, although how you chose to allocate your time will vary according to how disciplined you want to be – a more flexible approach has worked better for me.

So, if you are really struggling to take control of your time then a day planner could be the first step that you can take towards becoming more organised. I would also strongly recommend that you also check out the various blogs, websites and resources on the internet dedicated to self improvement and organisation.

Have you heard of The Action Machine? If you are looking to take your time management to the next level then it could be just what you’re looking for! The Action Machine is a time management system that could help you to regain hours of lost time and become more productive. Take a look at the video demonstration of The Action Machine and check out what it could do for you!