Time management

Time management, simply stated, is controlling the use of one’s most valuable resource: time. Proper time management allows for the elimination of wasted time, the refusal of excessive workloads, and the allocation of time appropriate to a task’s importance. It leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness, and it reduces the effort needed to accomplish goals. The absence of time management is characterized by last-minute rushes to meet deadlines, days that seem to somehow slip by unproductively, and unexpected crises. Lack of time management increases stress and interferes with performance. Poor time management is sometimes associated with being overconfident. Perhaps the reason time management is not widely practiced is because it is seldom included as a measured part of PERFORMANCE APPRAISALs and standards, although it has been shown to lead to improved performance. Time management has many facets. The simple concepts of planning activities and keeping an organized journal can help anyone with a hectic schedule. Since time management is a process, it must be planned, monitored, and reviewed. With a little self-discipline, anyone can manage their time better by planning each day and each week effectively. A good way to start gaining control of time is to track how time is used for one week, after which the activities and time spent in each activity can be reviewed. One can then determine which activities were necessary (a good use of time) and those that were not. Time is often wasted in changing direction between activities. Organizing similar tasks together can reduce start-up time, and a journal can be used to identify where time savings can be made. One positive aspect of time management is that a balance can be chosen objectively and self-imposed. Personal time can be set aside when it is convenient and needed and still allow work productivity. Vacations, meetings, social outings, and appointments can all be coordinated through regular time management. Once people have implemented time management into their lives, that control can be used to augment their careers. Good time management promotes efficient work practices, focuses on chosen activities, and helps people meet long-term goals and objectives. It does not solve problems but will help reveal them and provide guides to reviewing and implementing solutions. Time management requires little effort and allows people to take control of their time in the ways they see necessary and most effective.