Did you know that only 18% of people use a time management system, while 82% use none? While this doesn't necessarily look like a disaster, as an individual's work routine and preference differ, it is essential to note that proper time management is likely coordinated with improved job performance, academic achievement, and personal well-being. Who wouldn't want that, right?
Time Management Definition
Think about your recent experience when your schedule became hectic, and your plan felt overwhelming. Time management is your ability to take control of your life in general. How? This refers to your ability to manage your day-to-day tasks by planning, scheduling, delegating, and maximizing your time based on your priorities from urgent to least important.
Time Management Is a Skill
When discussing time management, it’s not just about scheduling your tasks on a timetable or post-it notes. An efficient time management system is a management framework that works for you and allows you to finish your tasks without feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes, the bonus of extra free time comes with it!
Well, time management is an important skill. You might think it’s just a piece of aged-old advice, but it’s not just that. Time management skill refers to your capacity to outline your goals, organize your priorities, communicate and delegate tasks, and of course, your power to focus and accomplish what needs to be done in its required time.
Time Management Importance
When you know how to manage your time, you become more confident with working. Why? Technically, having a time management system that works for you allows you to overview your capacity to finish tasks and how you can handle these tasks better without the need to render extra time or cry over a late submission. Here are some of its benefits to better understand the importance of managing your time.
Advantages of Time Management
Reduced Stress
Taking control of your time reduces your stress at work because, as mentioned earlier, it boosts your confidence. Managing your time is also proven to reduce work-related anxiety. Using your time wisely, you don’t have to panic over your work calendar because you’re confident you can beat tight deadlines like a pro.
Improved Work Experience
A most-noted benefit of having time management skills is better to work experience. By tracking your work and scheduling it ahead of time, you become more productive, and you also earn extra time if there are any revisions or changes that your boss requires from your submission. Also, time management fosters a more professional attitude because you respond to tasks delegated to you at the right time. You don't need to request a deadline extension, just pure discipline with time.
Greater Focus, Increased Productivity
When things feel overwhelming, the typical response is to panic over how much time you have left before the due date. Well, time management can help you with this dilemma. An effective time management system encourages you to focus on goals that you tagged as urgent. In this way, it also prompts you to spend more time on bigger goals that require more time and attention. I want you to know which task needs your attention to see how your day will look.
How to Efficiently Manage Your Time at Work?
Audit Your Current Time Management
Yes, you’ve read it right! Auditing how you usually spend your time at work is essential in building a time management system that works for you. Picture your time as cash and track which tasks take most of your “cash.” You might be surprised that you spend more leisure time than work. Tracking your time allows you to realize which activities take the most time and which tasks deserve that much time to help you perform better at work.
Have a To-Do List
It is essential to plan your day because it lets you picture the intensity of your tasks. This habit will give you a bigger perspective on what and what not to expect from yourself—less work pressure and more productive performance. To outline your day, you must know how to set a real-time flow; otherwise, you will only make yourself anxious over things that are impossible to accomplish within your estimated time.
Delegate Time Based on Priority
Your simple notepad can be your next best friend, but be careful about which tasks you write at the top and bottom because it will define your overall activity for the day. To manage your time efficiently, you need to maximize this trick: prioritizing urgent things. This is an aged-old tip that will never go out of style because it saves you from mourning about a missed deadline.
An example of time management is tagging tasks based on priority. When you enter the office, you are given tasks that the administration expects you to finish the same day. You can organize these tasks based on their intensity to make the most of your time. Some urgent tasks require you to act immediately, goals that can be achieved later, and activities you need to delegate to other people.
Use Time Management Tools
What better way to manage your time is to optimize it with the right technology? There are a lot of free and paid tools that can help you build an efficient time management system ranging from mobile and web applications that will assist you in the following things:
I'd like you to organize a dedicated workspace where you can collaborate with others.
Scheduling your plan and setting reminders before the deadline.
Online file storage for easier file access.
Focus-inducing applications that reduce distraction.
These tools are made not just for tracking time but also to help you build a better workflow in the professional environment. Learn how to navigate these applications, and you will surely be a master of time management. Always remember that a deadline only becomes an enemy when you need to learn how to plan. Befriend time, manage it wisely!