How you want to spend your time and how you want to lead your life is something that is personal to you. Because of this, effective personal time management is something you can only achieve if you are in touch with what you really want from life.

When you hear the words 'time management' you probably have thoughts of diaries, timetables, schedules and meetings. However, effective time management isn't really about any of these things, it is about you personally. Of course, diaries and the like are useful tools for keeping yourself organized, but there is much more to it than that.

However, before you look at any of that you need to find your own personal reasons for spending your time effectively. The best way to do this is to ask yourself:

• What do I want my life, both personally and professionally, to look like, feel like and be like?

• What do I see as possible for myself and others?

You need to think hard about these to find the true answers within yourself. I encourage you to aim for your ideal and write down the answers that come to you. After some thought you are likely to get a picture of ideally what you would like your life to be like and how you really want to spend your time. This is your personal vision and your goal as you begin to manage your time effectively.

As you begin moving towards your goals and changing the way you spend your time you will carry your vision uppermost in your mind. Remember that this is what you really want in life and I invite you to use it a source of inspiration and motivation.

So, you can see that effective time management is a very personal process in many ways. To really make the most of your time you need to be in touch with yourself and what's important to you.