M. Scott Peck once said, “Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it”. And no truer word than this. Have you wondered why you have a list of things you plan to do for the day and at the end of the day you get to do nothing? Or have you ever missed an appointment or interview all because you didn’t get there on time probably because you woke up late or had to do some work before setting out?
Have you ever thought we need more than 24hrs in a day just because the time went so fast on you and you couldn’t finish your task for the day? Are you the type of person that even if you have more than 24hrs in a day it’s still never going to be enough for you to complete your daily task? Are you the type of person that always submit work projects or school assignments at the dying minute? Then you have a problem with time management.
What is Time Management?
Time management in the simplest definition is the ability to manage your time well. It is the planning of different activities concerning time and getting them done in less time. It is making the most of your time efficiently on activities and yielding productivity. It is also having the time to do whatever you need to do without being rushed about it or it is a big deal for you. Have you ever wondered why your colleague at work always meets up with his projects before the deadline and you that is being given a single project will always submit close to if not after the deadline? Well, that’s because that colleague of yours has good time management skills.
Time management is an essential skill that every business-oriented person should have. It is a skill every successful person must have as time management isn’t only needed in our businesses or workplaces. Time management spreads towards our family, social life, and even the things we have an interest in because the result of good time management skills brings about productivity. Have you noticed that when you manage your time well and you’re able to do your activities as expected you’re relieved of stress for the rest of the day? In your workplace, when you submit the work assigned to you at the expected time, don’t you think you’re building a good reputation for yourself as a professional? And when you build your reputation well, it opens more opportunities for you in the line of your career and even for your future goals. These are the benefits of having daytime management skills much as there are benefits to having good time management some people still lack these skills.
And that’s why they can’t relate to this as they’re always stressed out by the end of the day and it looks like they did the most work of the day. You might want to start asking yourself these questions. Am I good with keeping to time? When it comes to working on different activities can I manage my time well and work effectively without losing focus? If your answers are No then you might need to study the tips for effective time management.
5 Tips For Time Management.
1. Set smart goals and avoid distractions.
Those who can manage time effectively are goal setters and so, you must have a specific goal you plan to achieve for the day. Be realistic about your goals. Know your capabilities and set your goals towards them. Set goals that are worth your time and can be achieved. Once your goals are set, avoid distractions such as mobile phones, to be able to focus and complete your task on time.
2. Set your priorities right.
For you to be productive in your daily activities you should know your priorities and set them right. There are some activities in your daily tasks that are not urgent and not too important, you should know that you can do those later and so, treat the urgent and important activities first and immediately. You should also know the activities you can give to others to get done for you. Prioritizing your daily activities is one of the best ways to get your work done effectively.
For instance, as the leader of a business team, you should know what tasks can be distributed to your team members in which it doesn’t have to be done by you and also when those tasks should be done. By doing this you’re managing your time, being relieved of stress, and as a team, you can achieve the task for that day.
As the mother of the house, you should know taking care of the home and your children are both important priorities. But when your children are in school, which of the priorities becomes urgent? Taking care of the house of course. And so you must be able to differentiate between the activities that are important and urgent activities that are important but not urgent. Get rid of excessive tasks and the ones that aren’t essential and focus on activities that deserve your time.
3. Make a to-do list.
What’s time management without planning? What’s setting priorities without having a plan or something to do? You should make a to-do list where you’ll write out your plans for the whole day and even for the future. As the boss of a company, you can schedule meetings and trips ahead in your to-do lists. Technology has made it easier as you can set reminders on calendars for particular events or meetings making you in control of your activities.
When there’s a to-do list, it reminds you of activities that need to be done and prepares you for the whole day. And this helps you manage your daily activities well even when you have a lot to do as you’re already prepared mentally for the day.
4. Set task deadlines.
Setting up a time limit for a particular task is another tip for good time management. When you say to yourself oh in an hour, I should have finished cleaning the house. Or I should have submitted this particular school project before this particular time. It brings to your consciousness that you don’t have the whole time in the world and so you must get to complete this particular task quickly and at this particular time. With setting deadlines, you not only work effectively but also work smart because before you know it, you have accomplished a particular task at the specified time intervals and you’re not overwhelmed with the number of tasks as you’re taking it slowly concerning the time set.
5. Avoid procrastination.
Procrastination is also called the thief of time. According to Brian Tracy, your greatest resource is your time. If your greatest resource is time, then procrastination is the thief of great resources. Have you ever planned on doing a particular thing but then procrastinated till you never got to do that thing again? Have you ever been given a task as an employer at work and the next thing you say is I’ll do it later? Why does it later, why not now? What if you eventually forget? The moment you notice that a particular task given is important and must be done urgently, you don’t have to wait to do it later. Start with it. By not procrastinating you get to complete the task and even if it’s before the deadline, you’re relieved and you have the time to relax.
Conclusion.
Time management is a must-have skill if you want to experience productivity in your workplace, relationship, social and personal life. Assess yourself well to know where you need to improve and be intentional about making changes. Time management is not gotten in a day and so, you must continually practice these tips above to improve yourself. With effective time management, you work smart and still accomplish more within a short period.
