Time Management
Do you have problems meeting deadlines or commitments? Do you find yourself wishing for a twenty-fifth
hour to the day or an eighth day to the week? If so, you are not alone; but you can learn how to make
the most out of the precious resource, TIME. Time management, like trying to lose weight, succeeds only
if you are committed to reaching a goal and are willing to sacrifice some things you enjoy doing in favor
of less pleasant activities. Time management is an important tool that can help you succeed in school,
work and other personal endeavors. By learning how to manage you time you will be able to:
- achieve more
- lead a balanced life
- have more free time
- meet deadlines
- overcome procrastination
- reduce stress
The first step to effective time management begins with finding out how you use your time. This can be
accomplished by keeping an activity or time log for a week. Doing this requires only a few minutes a day,
and is a good tool for studying both personal and work habits. The first step in preparing a time log is
to divide a sheet of paper into columns, one for each day of the week. Record everything you do during
each 15-minute increment, as soon after you do it as possible. Do not wait until the end of the day to
fill out a column.
On a separate sheet of paper, make a list of your tasks and other activities. At work this may include
preparing reports, attending meetings, talking on the telephone and taking coffee breaks. At home your
list may include grocery shopping, errands, school or church activities, and meal preparation/eating.
Using the figures from your time log, calculate the amount of time spent for each of these activities.
Evaluate your results by asking yourself, "Did I accomplish what I was supposed to? Was I often pressed
for time? At what time of the day was I most productive? Least productive? How much time was allotted
for personal activities? What activities were the biggest time wasters?" Some of the most common time
wasters at work are:
- doing things you do not need to do
- inefficient scheduling
- faulty communication
- meetings
- interruptions
- PROCRASTINATION
You can learn to be more productive and efficient, with less stress and procrastination, by incorporating
time management techniques into your work and personal routine. Put an end to that race against the clock!
Tips On Managing Time Effectively
- Get organized and avoid clutter. Develop a weekly schedule and daily 'to do' list and stick
to it. Develop a filing system that is easy to use. Simplify your paperwork by handling each
piece of paper only once. Keep everything you are not working on out of your immediate working
area and out of sight, if possible.
- Prioritize the tasks on your list in order of importance and according to deadlines.
- Don't over commit your time. Learn to say "NO". Don't feel responsible for solving everyone's
problems. Let others know what your priorities are.
- Sort your mail into action, future action, background, and junk categories. Throw away
the junk mail.
- Use tidbits of time. Take advantage of the time before meetings, flying, waiting for appointments,
etc. to plan and read.
- Avoid procrastination. Set deadlines for completion of tasks. Deal with unresolved
interpersonal conflicts as soon as possible.
- Plan each night what you (and the kids!) are going to wear the next day, and lay it out
ahead of time.
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