Time management

You like everybody else have a “to do” list that is very long. I will show you how to prioritize what’s important for your business and as result get more benefits from it.

What you want is to function well, whether you are under pressure or not. Therefore, your concentration must be on results in order to limit your stress.

By the way – forget you are busy.

You probably have heard of the Pareto Principle, or the “80:20 Rule.” Typically, 80% of unfocussed effort generates 20% of results. So the remaining 80% of results are achieved with only 20% of the effort.

Even if the ratio is not always 80:20, this pattern recurs so frequently that it is the norm in many situations.

I am sure, you run out of time on a daily basis, weekly and monthly. We simply do not have enough time in order to do everything we would like to do.

Managing your time means control. You need to choose what to work on and when, but in order to do that you must have a system that works for you.

How to get the best out of your time:

• Goal setting.
• Prioritizing.
• Procrastination.

Goal setting

Sometimes restaurant managers or owners do not set specific goals. Do not let this happen to you.

The benefits of goal setting are:

• Sense of awareness.
• Responsibility.
• Defines actions.
• Makes you set priorities.
• Gives you a roadmap.
• Guides decision making.
• Exposes your strengths.
• Betters your self image.
• Results in a sense of achievement.
• Helps you to visualize.

Excuses for not setting goals

• Waiting for a miracle.
• Will take too much time.
• Conditioning.
• Fear of success.
• Predictability.
• Fear of losing.

It is said that people give up on goals before they have even started. Do not let it happen to you.

Set your goals well in advance, by following the easy SMART formula

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely/Tangible

Specific:
Who: Who is involved?
What: What do I want to accomplish?
Where: Identify a location.
When: Establish a time frame.
Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

Measurable:
How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable:
Develop the attitudes, abilities, skills and you will find the financial capacity to attain them. You start to see yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

Realistic:
You must be realistic; make sure you are willing and able to work. You can set aspirational and realistic goals; you decide how.

Remember: an aspirational goal is commonly easier to reach than a little one because a low goal exerts a low motivational force.

Timely/Tangible:
You must have a time frame that is tangible. Do not say you want to achieve a goal “ASAP,” as this is intangible.