Do you find yourself continually running out of time or not getting everything done that you had hoped to? Do the phrases "I can't believe that's the time" or "I didn't get that finished today" seem all too familiar? In order to optimise your time, it is essential that you manage yourself effectively.

Whether you have lost focus and motivation or have found yourself overwhelmed with activity, step back and analyse yourself, prioritise your effort and organise your daily actions.

From my experience in training and coaching leaders, managers and entrepreneurs to be their best, I understand that people think about and process time differently. For example, you probably know someone who never wears a watch, yet they always know the time or indeed the opposite – someone who checks their watch every few minutes because they are not sure of the time.

How you relate to time depends on what you focus on. Perhaps you spend your time thinking about the future or maybe you tend to live in the moment.

If you are future orientated you tend to be very aware of time and always wondering what you are going to do next. Planning and prioritising techniques work well for you keeping you goal focused and on time for appointments. In addition to that use the following tips to make the most of your time:

• Know what you want to achieve and keep focused on the end result.
• Work from a prioritised daily "to do" list, ticking off completed items as you go.
• Change your diaries and organisers to display the weeks and months ahead at a glance.
• Imagine how you will feel when you have completed your task.

If you tend to live in the moment, you will find that traditional time management tips and techniques are not that effective for you. You may find yourself deeply engrossed in your work and time may lapse without your realisation. Your ability to multitask allows you to start many projects at one time, yet this may leave you overcommitted or even forgetting important appointments. Use the following tips to optimise your time:

• Use timers or alarms to increase your awareness of how long you are spending on task.
• Discipline yourself to complete tasks before starting new ones.
• Break down large goals into step by step tasks.
• Use a page a day diary or organiser.
• Learn to say 'no' when you are over committing yourself.
• Declutter your office, your projects and your 'to do' lists on a regular basis.
• Focus you mind by asking the question "what is the best use of my time right now?"

Day by day, we are presented with the necessity to achieve more in less time. Whether you are future orientated or live in the moment, self management is the key to managing your time effectively.

How do you think about time and what can you do to make the most of it?

Recommended Reading on Time Management

It is easy to think that Alice in Wonderland is a dreamland fairy tale for children. On the surface it appears to be just that. However, if you look closer, you will realise that Alice's world translates into much more than a children's fairytale.

The story has been studied and analysed by psychoanalysts since the early 1900's and although it is filled with chaos there is lots to learn from its underlying messages.


1. Manage your Personal Growth
The most important metaphor in the story is one of growth. We see Alice grow from tall to short and from big to small. Growing up is about changing body size, dealing with ups and downs, and feeling confident or insecure about oneself. When Alice eats, she grows when she drinks, she shrinks. She soon learns to use the resources in her world to control her personal growth.

We spend our lives 'growing up' in one way or another. What are you doing to manage your personal growth?


2. Be Specific about What You Want to Achieve
Alice learns about the importance of knowing what she wants. We can learn a great deal about the importance of goals from her conversation with the Cheshire Cat.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." said the Cat.
"I don't much care where" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

Think about what you will achieve over the next 90 days! Write it down together with steps that you will take to achieve that. Imagine specifically what you will see and hear as you achieve your goal. Think about it until you can run a mental movie of what you want over and over again. In particular, think about how achieving your goal will make you feel, and build the intensity of that emotion in your mind.


3. Develop your Identity
The characters in wonderland continually ask Alice who she is. As a result, she questions her identity. When we have doubts about who we are and what we stand for, it affects our entire life. Consider the roles you have in your life, for example; a parent, a spouse, a son or a daughter, a colleague, a leader or a friend. Write out the qualities you believe you have in those roles. E.g. "I am a caring father" or "I am a creative business person". Remember that you will assume different behaviours in each role. As you learn more about yourself in each role, you will reinforce your self-belief and learn to develop your capabilities within each role.


4. Say What you Really Mean
Alice is continually told to say what she means. How often do you really say what you mean? When did you last have a really meaningful conversation? When you connect with people who share similar values, you will find that you share more meaningful thoughts, feelings and ideas.


5. Challenge your Creativity
In the latest movie, Alice's father, a successful entrepreneur, tells her that he thinks of 6 impossible things before breakfast every day. Imagine if you just thought of 1 impossible thing per day. You could find ways to solve problems or create something that was never invented before. Get your creative juices flowing by thinking of 1 impossible thing every day.


6. Follow the Advice you Give Yourself
"Alice generally gave herself good advice (though she very seldom followed it)."
Do you give yourself good advice and do you follow it? Or are we better at giving others advice and expecting them to follow it?

Whether you enjoy this fairytale for its entertainment value or search for the deeper meaning like I have, there is lots of value to be had.

We spend all of our lives “growing up” in one way or another. The underlying messages in Alice in Wonderland are about personal growth and development.  Growing up is about learning who we are, what we stand for, what we want to do, be and have. It is about dealing with difficulty, hurt and pain as well as love, laughter and fun. It is about overcoming fears, embracing new challenges and nurturing relationships. It is about using our talents and learning to be the best we can be.

This may be a children's story at heart, but we can learn a great deal from a young girl who acquires the confidence and courage to break free from rules to become that person she aspires to be.

Perhaps you have read the story or been to see the movie. Was there something in particular from the story that resonated with you?

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