Time, there is just not enough of it. Most of us feel this way, at least some of the time. Modern life is simply hectic. We seem to be running almost all the time and we just never seem to get to the end of the task list. Sound familiar? We thought so. The result of all this, among other things, is a sense that we are not in control, in charge, and “on top of things”. We feel helpless, tired, sometimes angry, often frustrated. It is called, in a word, stress. It can lead to burnout, depression and other psychological problems too.
You cannot have extra hours in your day (just 24 like everyone else) but nearly all of us can learn to use these hours more efficiently. Time management is a vital part of building coping capacity and handling stress. Here are some of the very best time management tips:
Diarise. Not using an organised diary is almost criminal. Planning your time is crucial to using it best. Electronic or paper makes almost no difference but being diligent (record all appointments and tasks) and realistic (allow for travel time, unexpected delays, etc.) are key.
Organise. There is a terrible myth that being organised is somehow “not cool”. What is really not cool is being inefficient, messy, confused and forgetful. Getting organised means tidying up, using lists, getting rid of clutter, etc. You can do it, you should do it, and it is way-cool.
Focus. One thing at a time. Multi-tasking? It’s a nonsense, at least in the way that most people understand it. Focus on the task at hand until it is done. Thinking about other stuff, doing two things at once, etc. just slows you down and creates frustrations – there are a few exceptions with simple “mindless” tasks such as some household chores and there are ways to use “dead time” well such as listening to a book in the car, but the general idea is over-done. By all means plan well and get several things done in an hour or a day…but one at a time.
Break. Nobody can work solidly for hours on end without getting tired and slow. Short frequent breaks help you get MORE done.
Switch Off. Think about some phone-off time each day, if possible. Disable auto-arriving email and go-fetch your email when you want it, (once you try this you’ll wonder how you ever lived any other way). Think, very carefully, about whether you need to be available 24/7 and for whom?
Prioritise. There are times when you simply cannot do everything. So do the thing that’s most important. Say no to the other thing. And move on. Guilt-free.
Two-Minute Rule. Sometimes we can spend more time organising and planning a task than it takes to do it. Some experts suggest that if you can do a thing in two minutes or less, it’s best to do it straight way. The idea is to be direct, immediate, and efficient. This might work for you so give it a try.
Time is almost certainly your most precious asset. Use it well. Use it wisely. Don’t waste it. Understand its value. Start right now.
It seems pretty clear that time is a scarce and precious resource for most of us. Time management is a challenge and an opportunity. It is a skill that can be learned (nobody is born being a good manager of time). There are some great ideas on this page. You have Google. Why not start developing better time management skills, today?
Reading articles like this (making time) gives me hope and inspiration!!
Time is precious and if not used well. It gets wasted. One thing I have realized is that as individuals we would try to be “organized”, write down all the list of things we need to do for the day but one thing that is a silent killer to our time is procrastination and postponement. In addition, we tend to write down the list and forget to write down the time in which we have to do those tasks and end up mixing up times and forgetting what was meant to be done and at what time. In order to use my time wisely and make sure I do not procrastinate nor postpone tasks. I use the 5 second rule. This is from waking up till coming back from work. I count down 5,4,3,2,1 then do the tasks. Secondly I divide my 24hours. E.g. 24 – 8 hours of sleep = 16hrs. 16hrs – 2hrs for work prep and driving to work = 14hrs. 14hrs – 8hrs at work = 6hrs. 6hrs – 1hr to home = 5hrs. So the 5hrs left is the time I have at home to work on my personal projects,prepare supper and bond with family. It’s very important to spend less time on tv or social media and more time building yourself by diving your 24hrs and applying the 5 second rule to every task you do. Then, you will never waste time.
We all are granted equal hours of the day and at times one wonders why time flies, In order to manage time you organize your work load. If you come across a difficulty tackle easier tasks first and that way works for me as I would still fall within my schedule. I always believe that if you really like something you always make time for it period
I have a embrace the saying “time wasted never returns”. Once you loose that specific time it is gone and gone with whatever could have been done with it. As a mother, employee, gym person and a student, I have learnt to have my priorities straight and utilize my time effectively to do what is important to me. This includes your thinking process…what you spend time thinking about has a huge effect in your life. Time is scarce, spend it wisely.
Time management is a skill, a tool and medication.
it is a solution to most problems you can encounter in life and can help prevent unnecessary stress and tension. One needs to teach him/her self to master it in our daily lives to be an organized successful individual. I believe it is an exercise to our minds too as you become more alert and unforgetful when you exercise this skill.
Don’t do everything on your own at the workplace. One should not accept something which he knows is difficult for him. The roles and responsibilities must be delegated as per interest and specialization of employees for them to finish tasks within deadlines. A person who does not have knowledge about something needs more time than someone who knows the work well.
Also, one needs to prioritize the tasks as per their importance and urgency. Know the difference between important and urgent work. Identify which tasks should be done within a day, which all should be done within a month and so on. Tasks which are most important should be done earlier.
Have a to do list as far as possible (it can change a lot constantly but helps to give direction and focus).
Keep focused on your current task and finish it,one task at a time. Give yourself a reward once done things like going to get yourself some water or a coffee, regular breaks after doing one or more tasks helps you feel refreshed and ready to go on to the next task. Try not to get distracted by e-mails and phone calls in between. just amend your to do list as you go along to keep you focused on priorities and those tasks that can be done later.
The most important Time is now and the wonderful thing is that it’s free, BUT it only becomes priceless when you know how to use your Time wisely – Unfortunately Time is the one thing we can never get back.
“Time management” is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high.
In our environment there can be no planning as the moment you sign on there is someone with a problem that needs your urgent attention, All plans for the day falls away. I find the best way to manage your stress levels and avoid going into depression is to do as much as you can and notify management reasons for your delays which must be credible and logic. in this way there is no need to stress or get depressed as you cannot complete your work. If there are deadlines prioritize that task and get that done first, the balance will follow.
The use of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp has crept into our lives and effectively gobbles up more of our time. This intrusion is something that we haven’t been taught to manage and we are not always even aware of the amount of daily time we spend on these sites. Of course, our brains also release dopamine when we get new messages and comments and we just HAVE to see them immediately.
There are some useful apps available for download that show you just how much time you are spending online on your cellphone and the results can be eye-opening. Parents tends to think it’s just their children who spend too much time online but actually our generation is just as guilty. I believe that by being aware of this, we can manage usage of social media more effectively and free up some time.
Ask colleagues or friends how they do certain tasks. You’ll be surprised to find that most of the time there are quicker/ easier ways to do things that could save you time and money.
I don’t buy the narrative that there is African time. There is nothing like African time only one thing about is that Time is time regardless where you are. Respect time and it will respect you and your dreams. Learn to balance your life with time and you will reap success.
This article is helpful as another reminder of key tools which can be implemented to manage our time, sharing what could work well if implemented and what works less well as a current practice.
what would further be helpful is that the article could have a call to action for the reader to agree to put in place particular actions which the reader would implement to more effectively manage time.
Another tip which could be utilised,is if one implements the act of fetching email as opposed to auto download, that one books a timeslot in the focus room, which is in place at Sanlam Investments to respond to those emails in a quiet and focused space, with no interruption, hence, dedicated time to complete the specific task at hand.
Thanks Inge. Yes, getting more deliberate and “structured” around email can really help. many people do not notice just how much time email consumes. I agree that the habit of checking email every few minutes is inefficient, distracting, and problematic. If your job is primarily about rapid email response, fair enough, but for most of us there is an opportunity here. I, for example, only check my full Inbox twice a day. Disable “auto send/receive” (now you must click to get email) – it might just change your life…..
The one trick I have learnt, and what I share with others is to ask yourself one question. Is it important or is it urgent? If it is urgent, do it now and if it is important, plan a time to complete it.
A lot of the time people so not know how to priortize and therefore become overwhelmed with their day.
Thanks for this Joe. I think some of the most efficient people use this approach of urgent or important or neither. I do not want to get into too much detail here but the interesting decisions come around items that are urgent but not important – there is a rush but the task is not strategic or life-changing for anyone i.e. it is not important even though it is urgent. Do we tackle all of these tasks immediately (many of us do) or do we start demoting some of this “urgency” in favour of more important things? Tricky…..but very interesting, think about it……
“I don’t have time to xyz”… no, in reality: “xyz is not important enough for me to spend time on it”. Think about your choices and that time is a scarce resource – use it wisely and spend it on people, things, goals that are really important to you.