Abstract
Our daily lives consist of schedules and planning. Trying to fit everything into a 24-hour
period can be nerve racking. Using your time efficiently to achieve your life’s goals
begin with good planning. Successful management of projects and tasks are based on
choices you make.
We need to learn how to manage the time we have not only for work
but for your family as well. If you are able to manage your time, your day-to-day life will
be much more easy. Building a schedule helps you to plan your daily activities. Steps to
achieve efficient are described to help you affect the control of your
time. Knowing what you have to do and where you have to be in advance can make the
day less stressful and more productive.
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Time Management
As an adult learning skill
To get more done in less time, that is the secret of successful people.
We present
these three rules from Donald Wetmore (2000) to increase your productivity. First, set
aside a time each morning to make a list of all the items you want to accomplish that day.
As you write these items down you will begin to get a clearer picture of what you need to
work on and begin to start scheduling the time necessary to complete them.
Next you prioritize your items.
Choose the most important item and number this
one. Choose the second most important item and label it two, and so on. Complete your
first item, in spite of interruptions throughout the day. Then go on to the next item.
This
way you will always complete the most important item every day. When we prioritize
we focus on the most important items instead of skipping around and doing the least
important, therefore, easier ones. Then you follow these steps every day. As you create a
new to-do list everyday, you re-prioritize items from the day before. You will feel in
control of your day and improve your productivity. (162)
One of the keys to managing your time is working smart.
If you have an
organized plan for a project, you can manage your time wisely. Start by writing down all
your projects in any order on a piece of paper. It is important to list as many of your
projects as you can think of so you can best apply a priority list. After your list is
compiled, group all similar tasks together.
It is important to prioritize the tasks in a logical sequence. This step is very
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critical in time management because if you start to work on a task, but you need other
information, you will have to stop what you are working on and complete the other task
first. This will slow down the process and waste time. A priority list will allow you to
work on the projects in the most logical order, saving the maximum amount of time.
It is very important to set goals that are achievable. Many times, goals are set too
high on initial projects, and after failing to achieve them it is hard to motivate yourself
and those around you.
When the goals are set at proper stages of a project and they are
achieved, everyone involved feels good about his or her involvement. Goals in some
cases create an adrenalin boost to a project with a feeling of accomplishment.
The opposite is true if the goals are set too aggressively and are not met. People
involved in the project may tend to give up on tasks, feeling they are already failing or
are going to fail. Goals should be one of the last steps of a project so they can be well
thought out. After gathering all the information available and input from everyone
involved, goals can be set at realistic levels.
Be firm with yourself and make the commitment of blocking some time to
complete your studies. Control your distractions by limiting their effect on you. If you
need to be alone to focus on your studies then close the door to keep people from
interrupting you. If you are interrupted, give the person a time limit; of course you would
want to keep this time limit to yourself as you do not want to alienate your family or
your co-workers.
Use your voice-mail to take your calls, and do not check your e-mails
until your studies are done. If you prefer the hustle and bustle of a busy environment
then choose a more active setting. You can get together with other students and study.
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Carter, Bishop, and Kravits suggests that you need to choose the environment that will
make the most of your abilities to study.
(55)
In many cases, you will have to rely on others to complete work in a timely
manner. It is just as important to organize others that will affect the project as it is to be
organized yourself. Give others as much notice as possible with what your needs are
with the project, and set up times with them to update you on their progress. In doing so,
you will be able to monitor their progress so they do not affect your time line. Make sure
they are very clear on every detail of each step, as well as the importance of being on
schedule.
Critical steps may require a backup plan to ensure the tasks will be completed in
an organized and timely manner.
Talk through the expectations to clear up any issues
prior to moving on to your next task. Remember that if they are not clear on what is
required, you have to waste more time revisiting the issues left unattended.
In our busy life other issues come up and we have to deal with them first. When
an unexpected event comes up and we have to cancel a previous commitment, we now
have to find time to reschedule.
Many times when something like this comes up, it is hard
to find the time to reschedule. If you have a schedule of your day-to-day activities, you
should always have a time open in case you have to reschedule an appointment. This also
gives you time to yourself when that time you set aside is not used.
Putting time aside for various events that might occur can take some stress off of
you too. You would not have to stress because you would have the time there already.
Without putting aside some free time, people tend to stress out because they do not know
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when they would be able to fit things in.
Being able to have time management skills lets
you have an understanding of time, and how to use it wisely.
In order to organize your time, you must set goals in your life. Goals are certain
values that you have. Values are principles or qualities that someone considers important.
For example, your religious beliefs, friends you have, relatives, authority figures, and
the media.
People must choose their own values and then examine them closely. Are they
right for you? How will they affect your own life? Are they your choice or someone
else’s? After you determine which values are right for you, you then set timeframes for
your goals to be completed. Times should be broken up into short-term and long-term
goals. Breakdown long-term goals into stages. Determine which parts of your goal needs
to be accomplished in a day, in a week, or longer and prioritize them.
Next a “Personal
Mission Statement” should be conceived. This statement should tell you about your
character, what you want to achieve in life, and the principles by which you live. A good
example of this would be the Constitution of the United States. There are five basic life
settings by which we all base our goals on. Personal Goals are mostly associated with our
personal appearance, character, and conduct with others.
Our family goals consist of our
marital status, how many children we would like to have, and relationships. Financial
goals involve the balancing of money amongst various bills, and preparing for the future.
Education goals pertain pretty much to the type of schooling you wish to pursue, and how
far you want to go in your learning. Lifestyle goals play a part in the location of your
home, who lives with you, and what you will do with your leisure time.
Pick goals that
allow you to live how you choose to, not what somebody else wants.
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Procrastination is defined as the gap between intention and action (52), so states
Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD, director of the procrastination research group at Carleton
University in Ottawa, Canada, Walker (2003). There are many reasons for putting off
things until the last possible moment. Fear of failure that you will not complete the task
successfully, fear of change, unwillingness to start an unpleasant task.
The fear of being
successful is a fear you do not associate with procrastination. If you become successful
then you have added responsibilities and choices. You will not do anything if you are
afraid of doing the wrong thing. You need to conquer procrastination by recognizing it
and not giving in to it. Start your task right away, the quicker you do it, the sooner it is
finished.
If you feel overwhelmed then break your project into smaller tasks. Concentrate
on each task and complete it, do not worry about the end result. Set your priorities and
get motivated to finish these tasks. You will start to develop good work habits and
procrastination will not be a problem any longer.
When you set a priority, you identify what’s important at any given time.
Look at
your five life areas to determine which areas have priority over others. You do not have
to include all areas. They could consist of only a few. For example, family could be a
higher priority than your leisure time.
By setting your priorities, you get closer to
accomplishing your goals. There are two basic types of approaches to time management.
One is a factual and linear person. They organize activities around a specific timeframe.
The other is a theoretical and holistic person. They focus on the whole picture while time
passes them by.
Other ways that help to plan your time would be to schedule your week.
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Take ten to fifteen minutes before you start your day to plan your daily activities. This
will save you a lot of time in the long run. Write events and important appointments
down on a calendar in the home. Use a scheduling book and carry it with you at all times.
Sometimes saying “No” when you are working is difficult.
Especially if you are
the workaholic type or just plain run out of time because you did not plan your day. From
time to time there may not be somebody around that can complete your assigned task
because it needs your expertise. It is a good practice to say “No” every now and then.
You can benefit from this by having more time to yourself, delegating your authority to
others, takes stress off of you, and other people may gain experience from the way you
manage your time.
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References
Wetmore, D. (2000). Time management; Planners. Successful Meetings, 49 (9), 162. Retrieved June 21, 2003 from EBSCO database.
Carter, C.
, Bishop, J. , & Kravits, S. L. (1998).
Goal setting and time management: Mapping your course. Keys to Success, 55
Carter, C. , Bishop, J. , & Kravits, S.
L. (1998). Goal setting and time management: Mapping your course. Keys to Success, 35-52.