Urgent and Important Time Management Matrix

Whatever you want to achieve is tracked in time, which is why goal setting is time bound. Effective time management is the root of all successful endeavours. As the old saying goes, time is money, spend it wisely. Time is a resource that everyone has in common. Have you ever wondered why two people of exactly the same age are so different in terms of achievements? You might say it is the difference in parental background, difference in opportunities available and so on, but what makes the difference is the amount of time managed ‘effectively’ in order to achieve ones set objectives.

A lot of people leave important schedules till it becomes urgent and rush to have the task done, this reduces productivity and effectiveness. Often time, people also tend to prioritise activities or tasks that are not necessarily important. The ability to differentiate what is important and what is not and attending to important task till it becomes urgent is the paramount principle of effective time management.

Research has proven that most people spend more time in aimless and unproductive activities and the least time in productive activities that are critical for success. Here are sample templates on effective time management matrix that would help set your priorities right. (Template adapted from www.businessballs.com)

	Urgent	Not urgent
Important	1 - DO NOW emergencies, complaints and crisis issues demands from superiors or customers planned tasks or project work now due meetings and appointments reports and other submissions staff issues or needs problem resolution, fire-fighting, fixes Subject to confirming the importance and the urgency of these tasks, do these tasks now. Prioritise according to their relative urgency.	2 - PLAN TO DO planning, preparation, scheduling research, investigation, designing, testing networking relationship building thinking, creating, modelling, designing systems and process development anticipation and prevention developing change, direction, strategy Critical to success: planning, strategic thinking, deciding direction and aims, etc. Plan time-slots and personal space for these tasks.
Not important	3 - REJECT AND EXPLAIN trivial requests from others apparent emergencies ad-hoc interruptions and distractions misunderstandings appearing as complaints pointless routines or activities accumulated unresolved trivia boss's whims or tantrums Scrutinise and probe demands. Help originators to re-assess. Wherever possible reject and avoid these tasks sensitively and immediately.	4 - RESIST AND CEASE 'comfort' activities, computer games, net surfing, excessive cigarette breaks chat, gossip, social communications daydreaming, doodling, over-long breaks reading nonsense or irrelevant material unnecessary adjusting equipment etc. embellishment and over-production Habitual 'comforters' not true tasks. Non-productive, de-motivational. Minimize or cease altogether. Plan to avoid them.

VACANCY: Internship Opportunities

Here is an opportunity to acquire vocational skills without paying a dime! You will receive firsthand experience of your chosen field. Apply today, send your CV to sesewa@hotmail.com

Nature: Unpaid Internships

1. Baking and Confectionery

Location: Yaba

Duration: 3 months
Internship description

The internship is expected to equip interested individuals with skills in baking and other catering services.

Qualification

.    Applicants must be interested in developing culinary skills as well as other management skills as it relates to the profession.

.    Applicants must mirror SESEWA values.

2. Make-over

Location: Yaba

Duration: 3 Months
Internship description

The internship is expected to equip interested individuals with skills in make-up and other related areas.

Qualification

.    Applicant must be interested in make-up and fashion, must be teachable and willing to sharpen personal skills and develop new skills

.    Applicant must mirror SESEWA values.

3. Fashion Internship

Location: Yaba
Internship description

The internship is expected to equip interested individuals with skills in fashion designing, dress making and other related areas.

Qualifications

.    Applicant must be interested in fashion and style, must be teachable and willing to develop new skills.

.    Applicant must mirror SESEWA values.

7 Tips on Career Development

For some people, career development starts earlier than usual, for others, it begins after college graduation. Whatever path you choose, there are some fundamental tips you need to adopt to speed up career development. Waiting too long in one position does no one good. Read these tips carefully, you might have to go back to it again….and again.

1. Be clear about what you want: If you have been following previous posts, you would realise that we have been laying emphasis on knowing what you want, the path to self discovery. Knowing who you are and what you want is the beginning of every worthwhile journey. The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going (David Starr Jordan). How can you proceed on a journey without having in mind where you are heading and why? When you are considering a leap in your career, it is important you have already started off on the right note. Whether you are opting for developing your career as an employee in an organisation or a personal business, you have to proactively determine what you want. The ability to maximize your strengths and distinguish what should stay at ‘hobby or leisure level’ and those that should be ‘career focused’ makes the journey easier and faster.
2. Have an end in mind: Having clarified what you want to focus on, you need to have a target you are aiming at. What would you consider as the Peak of your career? Then begin to set achievable goals and develop the strategies that would serve as a compass for your career development pursuit. The best way to predict the future is to create it (Abraham Lincoln). Have a sense of direction, many careers are broken because for lack of direction.
3. Improve yourself on a daily basis: Today’s victory becomes tomorrow’s history. Don’t dwell on the achievements of yesterday, let your history be up to date. Strive for improvement on a daily basis, this is made possible when you set goals and make plans towards achieving them. If you already have a Bachelor’s degree, don’t dwell on the title of being a graduate, go for professional courses. Attend certified training programs and seminars, educate yourself by reading books that are in line with your chosen field. Have an open mind towards learning.
4. Learn from those who have been there: It is not good enough to learn from your mistakes, the wisest thing is learning from other people’s mistakes and take note of their strong points. Believe me, someone has done, or on the path to whatever it is you are building a career in. Be humble enough to get all the knowledge and application you can.
   
   
5.  Go the Extra Mile: Going the extra mile is what distinguishes the average person from the champions. I can never forget a line I ones read from a textbook in High School, ‘the courage to fail is very cheap, every fool can afford to fail’ that has become my mantra. A speaker once narrated how he was in a plane with the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote. While everyone was sleeping and chatting away, he was busy all through the flight working on his computer. This singular experience sums it up, no wonder he keeps coming up as one of the most influential people in the world. It is going that little extra that makes the difference. Winning in business or in personal life is all about inches: going small distances successfully, then going farther still.
   6. Believe in yourself: Aiming for the upper position in any endeavor requires self believe especially when you hit a roadblock or dead end. You need to keep on persevering and go on with shear doggedness. Sometimes the position you are aiming at might seem almost improbably, but you need to keep at it.

         Want it bad enough: Imagine what we would do if we don’t have other options? If you want anything bad enough, you will get it regardless. This is what achievers have   in common. Although career development does not happen overnight, wanting it bad enough sets your mind in motion and equips you with the will-power to get keep through towards achieving your career goals.