Procrastination is the thief of time. Time once lost is lost forever. There are numerous quotes on the most precious commodity called time — yet, we often find ourselves saying, “where did the day go”, or “this year has flown by so fast”. Time is a finite commodity, yet the number of things we want to achieve in our lives is infinite.
Efficient use of time, through time management skills, helps us bridge the gap between our finite time and our infinite goals. Given below are some time management tips. At first, some of them may appear to be common sense, but you will soon see that these skills will help you make more productive use of your time and decrease your stress levels.
Set a Goal: Every morning, spend a little time deciding what you want to accomplish in the short term (i.e. that day), and set a time frame for each task.
Keep track of wasted time: Just as you schedule your tasks, schedule breaks between tasks to catch your breath and keep track of how much ‘break time' you spend during the day. You will probably be shocked at the result. Breaks are essential for our continued functioning; however, too many breaks are a waste of time.
Interruptions: No matter how strict a time schedule we make, we are living in the midst of others who also have their own plans — therefore, interruptions from others, even for important matters, tends to throw us off our schedules. There are some interruptions that can be controlled, like automatically directing telephone calls to an answering machine so that you can attend to them once you have accomplished your goals for the day. Consciously try to limit the time spent with people who casually drop by, especially when these unexpected calls are during the ‘work time' you have allotted yourself.
Effective time management will help you find many moments during the day that you thought you had lost. It will help you take control over your life and you will reduce your stress while increasing your productivity.
Respect your time and others will respect it too.
