3 Simple Tips to Master your Time and Supercharge your Success

Bharat Sharma

10/07/2018



Everyone wants to be successful, but not everyone gets to be.

Wondering why? Hint: It has nothing to do with circumstances.

Because most people are too busy living their life on autopilot. Getting up, getting to work, getting back home and getting to sleep. This isn’t a recipe for success; it is a recipe for safety.

Living the same routine 365 days in a year won’t make you successful, at best; it’ll only make you comfortable (read: lazy) in the long run.

If you look closely at successful people, you will notice a pattern. Being successful is based on your attitude in life – how confident you are, how willing your are to take risks, how strong your networking is and ultimately, how you are a product of good habits (instead of bad ones).

“Successful people don’t do different things. They do things differently.”

You might have heard the saying, clichéd as it might sound, it is absolutely true.

The truth is – every successful person is a great learner. They are driven by their passion to learn new things, expand their mind and always come up with new ways to stimulate their creative thinking.

Science has proven that we become better and smarter by learning something new and useful that adds personal and/or professional value to our lives. That’s exactly why most successful people are avid readers, thinkers and writers because they always like to involve themselves in learning.

But how do we learn fast? How do we make sure learning new things is a creative journey that makes us feel confident, smart and happy? We're about to take you through how successful people reach goals more often, more easily and more quickly than others.

So, whether your goal is to learn a foreign language, read more books in a year, or pick up a musical instrument, here are 3 simple tips to master your time and supercharge your success story -

Tip 1 – Manage your Time

Have you ever seen a creative performer on the street that made you stop and admire? Maybe, that beautiful calligraphy video you saw on the internet or the super talented child on the television who won hearts with incredible painting skills?

The moment you see a creative person with a talent, your brain starts telling you - “I wish I could learn something too. If only I had the time for it… “

The biggest reason people give for not learning anything new and useful is time (or the lack of it).

Honestly, this isn’t a reason. It’s an excuse. You aren’t short of time. You just don’t know how to manage (or master) it.

The idea behind learning new things and pursing your passion isn’t only dependent on the amount of time you have. On the contrary, it is 100% proportional to how you choose to spend the amount of time you have.

Time management isn’t rocket science. All you need to do is to set a schedule for your day. Below are 2 methods to master your time –

Find your most productive hours in a day when you have maximum energy and will. For example – if you are a morning person, it’s always a great idea to get the most important tasks done during that time. If you’re a night owl, you can reserve that time for planning your next day and making a to-do list for tomorrow.

(This technique is explained beautifully in a book called ‘Eat That Frog!’ by Brian Tracy. Basically, the frog is that one thing in your day that is the hardest thing to do. It could be working out, reading a book, writing an article or even meditating).

The point if you don’t get this task done on top priority, you’re more likely to avoid it doing during the rest of the day. Once you are through with your most important task (MIT) for the day, you can make time for pursuing your passion or learning a new hobby or skill.

Prioritize your tasks. Learning how to give your time and attention to things that matter is critical (if you want to be successful). Time is finite. Although everyone has 24 hours in a day but not everyone knows how to make the most of their time.

The simplest way to take control of your time is to allocate priority levels to daily tasks. If you need help to get started, take cues from the ‘Eisenhower Matrix’ – a time management technique used by successful entrepreneurs and leaders to get more done in a day.

This technique will help you set clear priorities and make time for learning valuable skills and pleasurable hobbies in your life.

Remember - When everything is a priority in life, nothing is.

The thing with learning new skills is that you can always make time for it, only once you learn how to make time for everything else in your life.

Tip 2 – Connect with People

Just like every other muscle in our body, our mind is also a muscle. And just like every muscle has a limited amount of energy to it, our mind too, has a finite amount of motivation. The biggest challenge you will face while learning a new hobby is to find enough motivation to pursue it daily.

How do you that? By connecting with like-minded people who share the same passion or interest as you do. Don’t feel like hitting the gym daily? Join a Group Fitness class to take advantage of psychological support and boost your fitness motivation.

Connecting with people who share the same interest or passion as you is not only reassuring but is also a great way to get feedback on your learning journey. For example – if you want to learn a musical instrument, you can join a hobby club near you and be a part of a holistic environment filled with learners from different backgrounds. That's why group hobbies are so famous and effective.

The benefits? Your motivation to learn will last longer and you will make progress faster than doing it all alone by yourself.

Also Read: 7 Websites for Learning Something New Everyday

Tip 3 – Eliminate Distractions

Picture this – you are learning to bake a cake on a weekend. You start with all the right ingredients and the perfect recipe to try your hand at baking. The next moment you get a notification about your friend’s status update or the latest news about your favorite celebrity. You put the batter down and pick the phone only to find yourself scrolling endlessly through your phone until precious minutes (even hours) are lost.

Did you know that once you lose focus, it’ll take twice the time (and energy) to get it back!

If this resonates with you, it’s time to put a stop to unimportant notifications or distractions in life. These distractions will not only dwindle your focus but they will also rob you of valuable motivation required for learning a new skill or hobby.

Whether you are practicing how to cook, write, dance or exercise, the secret of getting more done is to stay productive for longer.

Productivity begins with practice and that’s why you must practice how to get rid of the constant distractions around you.

If you’re new to eliminating distractions, the three tips below will get you started –

Put your phone on silent mode whenever you are doing something important or learning new things.

Focus only on one-task at a time. Multi-tasking will deprive you of mental and physical energy.

Don’t browse social media while working or learning. All the stories, memes and status updates can wait until you get something done.

The Takeaway

We make hundreds and thousands of decisions every day and these decisions are a result of our choices. To be successful every day, you must learn how to choose a 'growth' mindset over a 'fixed' one.

Change takes time. No matter how ambitious you are, you just cannot turn things around overnight. However, with enough diligence, persistence and awareness, you can get closer to your goals of learning new skills and adding value to your life.

The secret to getting ahead is to getting started. So, start taking small steps towards becoming a ‘better’ you and soon you’ll be on the path to success and greatness.

That’s the secret of successful people – they have mastered the art of managing their time, prioritizing their tasks and eliminating any (or all) distractions that keep them away from reaching the pinnacle of personal and professional success.

Will you be willing to give this a try? If yes, start today and make aim for continuous improvement in life! The journey ahead might be tough to begin with but the enjoyment, satisfaction and value you will get out of it will be rewarding and enriching for your life.

Also Read: 5 Hobbies that make your Smarter

Related: 6 Powerful Books that can change your Life

If you liked reading this and found it useful, please feel free to share it with people who are trying to improve their life. Knowledge is Power!