Time management refers to the way that you organise and plan how long you spend on specific activities. It may seem wrong spending precious time learning about time management, instead of using that time to get on with your work, but the benefits can be enormous.
We all have exactly the same number of seconds, minutes and hours in every day. How we utilise them will determine how productive we are, how effectively we achieve our objectives, targets and goals, and how relaxed or stressed we feel in the process.
You know the situation – you haven’t stopped all day, its 6pm and you are still at your desk having not completed the important report you promised you would write today – what went wrong!?
By managing your time you can benefit from:
- Greater productivity and efficiency
- Less Stress
- Greater opportunities
- A better professional reputation
Failing to manage your time can lead to:
- Missed deadlines
- Inefficient work flow
- Higher stress levels
- Work can become a poor quality
If your time management is becoming an issue why not try and keep a time log for the week – note down what you have been doing in 30 minute intervals. At the end of the week review how your time has been spent. There may be a particular interruption or task that you are doing that consumes time – can this be delegated out or is there a smarter way of you achieving your goal in a shorter time frame?
Once you have a completed time log you can start to take control of how you spend your time – a daily planner may help you divide your time to ensure you make the most out of each section of the day and prioritise your important tasks.
There are lots of articles and resources available to support you with your time management some of which can be found here.