Time. One of the most valuable things that cannot be bought. Time itself may be infinite, but it is no secret that the time we all have is limited. Each and every single day, we must strive to utilize the small amount of time allotted, in order to live a truly productive life. It is crucial to remember that proper time management allows you to get more done in a specific amount of time and to ultimately be productive and efficient. Therefore, this article will help highlight the importance of having adequate time management that not only enables us to work hard and achieve our goals, but also live our lives to the fullest.
- Don’t overdo it.
One of the most crucial things to understand about time management is that no matter how good your time management may be, you will not have time to do an impossible number of tasks. Thus, one must determine how many tasks they are able to sufficiently do within a certain time period, and not continuously overload on their tasks, which often results in people or particularly students, completing assignments and tasks with less effort. This results in less than satisfactory work that can impact your performance as a student or a worker. No matter what circumstance you are in, performing less than deemed passable or satisfactory will not lead to good results.
- Prioritization
Additionally, one must prioritize the tasks they wish to complete in order to achieve good time management. Prioritization helps greatly because of the fact that important tasks are completed before less important tasks. However, it is acknowledged that there are numerous tasks and not all of them can be classified within a single category. To further explain, there is a clear difference between tasks that are urgent and tasks that are more important. A task may not be urgent yet still be important, and vice versa. In this case, a person must use their judgment to determine which tasks to complete first. Usually, the ones that are most urgent and important, and the tasks that are less important and also not urgent at all are approached only after they finish their previous tasks.
- Set goals.
Goals must be set to ensure success. This is because goals help define what a person or company wants to achieve, usually under a time constraint. These goals will inevitably and indirectly force an individual to complete a task on time. Having this extra motivation can help lead to more productive work that can then lead to more successes in other fields. Wanting or desiring something spark habits that an individual utilizes for more success in whatever they seek.
- Start tasks earlier.
In order for time management to be more manageable, people must have a possible amount of time in which they complete their duties or assignments within. Thus, it is important to start things as soon as possible which then prevents any cramming or time crunches that can deter one’s performance or activity in other areas of life. If possible, it is highly recommended that one should start a task even before they are assigned to complete it. More time results in more freedom and flexibility in their schedules.
- Use a source to help plan your schedule.
It is highly recommended for individuals to utilize a planner to help remember what tasks to complete within a time period. This not only allows someone to remember what exactly they need to do, as mentioned earlier, but also allows them to hold themselves accountable and remind themselves each and every single day as they check it. They know that each and every day they put it off, the more they lose time within their day or week to do other things, as they must spend time completing that specific assignment. This planner can help students remember what tests to study for and especially what homework to complete on certain days. Additionally, it can help employees determine what specific tasks they themselves need to complete, and even what tasks other employees must complete within a certain time crunch.
- Focus on specific tasks.
It is also recommended to focus on one particular task at a time. This allows you to not juggle multiple things at once, and potentially mix up the content. The fact that multitasking is effective is merely a myth. There is no real benefit to multitasking as it can result in slower workrates as one bounces from one assignment to another. Focusing on one specific task at a time also allows individuals to stay more focused in general, and are less susceptible to distractions from whatever they are doing at the time.
- Be organized.
It is very important to keep an organized workspace. This allows individuals to help recall where they kept things better and prevents loss of materials or work resulting from unorganized spaces. It also allows individuals to be more productive and prevent the unnecessary time of searching for things you have been working on. Finally, the act of keeping an organized work space will inevitably result in a lesser likelihood for stress as individuals know where important tasks/assignments are held and have a more efficient working space to complete them .
- The method of timeboxing.
This method basically is where you complete tasks within a certain time frame in your day. Thus, you complete assignments from a specific subject in a certain time interval in your day each and every single day, allowing for a strict schedule to follow and maintain. This also ties back to the idea of prioritization, as tasks that are more significant should hold longer time slots, in order to properly provide yourself with the time needed to complete these tasks/assignments. In the end, it is your responsibility to ensure that tasks are completed within a limited time window, and to follow it as strictly as possible.
- Plan ahead the day before.
Additionally, it is also quite important to plan ahead the day before. It allows individuals to know what sort of work they need to get done the following day, and much hard work should be put into each task. This also allows for a lesser likelihood of forgetting what things to do as you hold yourself accountable even before it is possibly given to you. This process does not have to take an unreasonable amount of time and 5-10 minutes at the end of each day allows for good planning that almost gives a brief outline to the next day or even week.
- Get rid of all potential distractions.
When it is time to work, it is only your time to finish whatever tasks you need to complete. Put all distractions away, most commonly electronic devices, that hinder you from finishing tasks as fast or as efficiently as possible. You must also be in a proper working environment, that inherently works best for you, and allows you to get things done quickly yet still satisfactorily. Except in group projects or tasks, this method works best in helping you get things done faster. It can also help to keep technology, unless it must be used for the task, away from immediate reach and access.
Sources:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/improve-time-management-skills
Pictures:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325564
https://www.thesimplicityhabit.com/what-to-do-if-you-dont-like-using-a-planner/
https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/scheduling.html
