An entire industry has been born out of need to better manage our time. You can buy leather bound planners, fancy software packages, books, tapes and hand-held computers. You can even attend week long seminars that teach better time management skills.

I'm sure most of those resources are very good. I'd like to suggest however, before spending your hard earned money on any of them, you try these 10 simple tips for effective time management.

1. It's not time management. It's self management. You can't control time and so, you certainly can't manage it. You get as much time as anyone else. You CAN control yourself - what you be and do in each moment of time. In words of English poet, Austin Dobson, "Time goes, you say? Ah, no! Alas, time stays, we go."

2. Keep and USE a simple, "block" type, weekly calendar. I use a two page weekly calendar with one hour increments in each block. Page 1 covers Mon-Sun, 4 a.m.-12 noon. Page 2 covers Mon-Sun, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Each one hour block of time should be big enough to write in any appointments. You can use Microsoft Works to print a calendar such as this. Keep it with you at all times.

3. Keep a simple, "block" type, monthly calendar. Any appointments that don't fall in current week can be written in one of blocks on your monthly calendar. Again, Microsoft Works will produce a monthly calendar such as this. Keep this calendar with you all time as well.

4. Plan your week in advance. Spend an hour Sunday evening planning coming week. Transfer appointments from your monthly calendar to your weekly calendar. When you see how many open blocks of time you actually have, you'll feel a much greater sense of control and peace.

Any worthwhile, challenging goal requires sustained effort. Doing things necessary for a day or two isn't hard. Where most people fall down is in stringing those days together and thereby creating progress, momentum, and ultimately, successful accomplishment.

What follows are ten ways to maintain your focus, your energy and your optimism while pursuing your goal. They've worked for me and they'll work for you. When I've employed all of these components, I've never failed to achieve my intention.

1. Have Powerful Reasons. With a strong enough reason you can and will find how and wherewithal to achieve your reward. Reasons plus belief keep you motivated. When you're excited about your goal, it doesn't seem like work. If you're not excited, your efforts will require more discipline and energy. Make sure it's YOUR goal. Make sure it excites you. And then act enthusiastically.

2. Write Your Objectives Down. This is a critical step. Don't think it, ink it. When you write your goals down, they appear not only on paper, but they become indelibly written upon your consciousness.

3. Visualize. "See" your objective already in existence. Nothing can withstand power of a clear, multi-sensory vision of what you are intending. What does it look like? What will people be saying about it? How will you feel? The more detailed and "real" you can make your vision, more powerful it will be. It will operate like a magnet and draw forth all kinds of things you never thought possible.