By Stella Vasileiadou,
As Buddha once said: “The trouble is you think you have time.“.
Whether you live in a city or not, perhaps you are a victim of the fast pace of modern living. Therefore, time management is one of the most crucial skills for a person to possess.
What does time management mean and why is it that important?
“Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between certain activities.” This does not imply that you have to work harder, but smarter. For instance, by not knowing what the next task is, you suffer from loss of control of your life. That can result in higher stress levels and anxiety. Also, not being able to meet deadlines or a weak performance lowers your self esteem and you can ruin your reputation. Besides, who would want to rely on someone that cannot get something done on time, right?
What you’ll gain by managing your time effectively:
- You will be (almost) stress-free! Make sure you track your progress on a regular basis by writing down the things you have to carry out. Every time you complete an activity, check it off on your “to-do” list. This technique actually could be proven only beneficial to you because you will be able to know what’s left to do or not, and be better organized.
- More free time, yay! Managing time well, helps you spend more time doing things you really enjoy, such as spending time with your loved ones, or why not practice that hobby of yours? Remember that life is not only about responsibilities and things you have to do. Life is for enjoying the little things, too.
- It’s one of the most important soft skills that employers seek. In 2021, the ability to prioritize and schedule your work is a must-have quality for everyone that wants to be hired at any organization or company, given the extremely large amount of information and the speed of its diffusion.
But, how to make the best out of your time?
In my opinion, the key to success is to prioritize your tasks wisely, based on their urgency and importance. Not all tasks have to be done right away, others could be set aside to be carried out later, whilst some might require special attention and extra work, so you will have to set up a specific day and time in order to complete it. Plus, it is important to remove excess activities or tasks. Try to think what is significant and what really deserves your time. Removing non-essential tasks and activities frees up more of your time to be spent on genuinely important things.
Reference
- A Brief Guide to Time Management, CFI, Available here
