The Art of Time Management
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Imagine there is a bank account that credits you each morning with Php 86,400. It carries
over no balance from day to day. At the end of the day the bank deletes whatever part of the
balance you failed using during the day. What would you do? Would you drain it to the last cent?
Of course! Well, each of us has a bank and its name is TIME. Every morning when you wake up
it opens a new account for you. Every night it burns the remains of day. So what will you do with
your 86,400 seconds?
Sometimes we all wish there were more hours in the day but since we’re stuck with the
24 we’ve been given, it pays to make the very best use of them that we can. Time management is
one of the most beneficial skills that will take you far in life – personally and professionally. If
you aren’t managing your time effectively, your day would be in a chaos. Time, being such a
crucial aspect of life, deserves to be treated in the most respectful way. If we learn to master the
art of time management, our life would experience a positive change.
Learning the art of time management could yield a positive impact in our lives. It allows
you to accomplish more in a shorter period of time which leads to more free time, which lets you
take advantage of learning opportunities, lowers your stress and helps you focus which leads to
more success. On the contrary, people who struggle with time management on an ongoing basis
don’t do themselves many favours. It can result in procrastination, lower grades and test scores,
lack of sleep and punctuality, additional stress which later on can result in the downfall of your
career.
With effective time management, you can easily manage the hours to the best effect.
Keeping track of time and managing it effectively won’t always be easy, but there are a few
things you can do to stay on top of your tasks.
Wake up early – (Start your day right) Remember all of us only get 86,400 seconds a day so
better maximize it! You can definitely try waking up a little bit earlier and make your day longer
than others. You need to at least have slept 6-8 hours to be at your energy levels. You can set up
an alarm maybe 15-20 minutes earlier than before and you can use it to meditate and prioritize
your day.
Plan your day
Whether it’s a weekly or a daily schedule, it’s better to plan everything ahead. Take at
least 20-30 minutes to plan your day or week. Make a to-do list of the things you want to
achieve. You can use different time-tracking tools to help you in remembering them.
Prioritize Wisely!
Separate your MITs or Most Important Tasks so you know which one you will finish
first. To make it easier, you can separate them into parts like this:
Important and urgent: Do it right away
Important and not urgent: Decide when to do them
Urgent but not important: Delegate if possible
Not urgent and not important: Set aside for later
There are many methods to help you prioritize your goals for the day but whatever works for
you, you should do it.
4.) Block distractions – Learn to say NO!
There are things that rob us of valuable time. Distractions are an everyday occurrence so you’re
best bet when it comes to time management is not to put off tomorrow what can be completed
today. Whenever you are working on high-priority tasks, put that phone on silent mode or “do
not disturb” mode and turn your mobile data off. Adding too many responsibilities to your plate
can lead you to the path of unproductivity and lead to further frustration. You can always offer to
help delegate the task to other people.
5.) Take small breaks frequently – Refresh and Rejuvenate
Leaving a 5-10 minute gap between tasks allows you a little room for manoeuvre. Smart time
management is not always about doing something or the other. It also emphasizes on the fact that
little breaks after an hour or so can take your productivity to another level. If ever you feel a bit
stressed, it’s okay to rest and unwind a little bit. Take a breath or a coffee break.
Time management plays an important role in our day-to-day lives. Even educating yourself about
the basic time management tips can do wonders in your life. Every minute is precious, don’t
waste it doing something that isn’t adding any value to your life.
