The Importance of Time Management

I'm going to start off by being very honest... time management is not something that I am good at... at all. Which is exactly why I decided to take a deeper look into time management strategies.

Time management is not very difficult as a concept, but it’s surprisingly hard to do in practice. It requires the investment of a little time upfront to prioritise and organise yourself. But once it's done, you will find that with minor tweaks, your day, and indeed your week and month, fall into place in an orderly fashion, with time for everything you need to do.

What are the main time management skills?

• Organization
• Prioritization
• Goal-setting.
• Communication
• Planning
• Delegation
• Stress management

Why are time management skills important?

An important part to learning about time management strategies is learning why time management skills are important. The truth is, they are important for both personal reasons and work related reasons. They help you structure your hobbies and your work in a way that allows for you to accomplish both your personal goals and work related goals. For example, if your goal is to get a job, you need time to update your resume, search for openings, apply, research, and also prepare for interviews. You can start to do this by creating a plan and setting aside specific amounts of time per day to specifically work on these goals.

How to improve time management skills

• Set short and long-term goals.
• Manage your calendar.
• Prioritize your assignments.

Urgent Vs. Important Tasks

A useful step to good time management skills it to understand the difference between urgent tasks and important tasks. Urgent tasks demand your time immediate attention. Important tasks matter and must be done. However, they may have to wait until after urgent tasks are completed.

Remember:

No matter how busy you are, your health is important. Just because you have lots to do doesn’t mean that you should skip going for a walk or taking time to eat a proper meal. You should never neglect your physical and/or mental health in order to get more 'urgent' work done. The truth is, you will get more done if you are healthy.

Keep Tidy

For some of us, like me, clutter can be both a real distraction and genuinely depressing. Small bits of tidying up can improve both self-esteem and motivation. You will also find it easier to stay on top of things if your workspace is tidy. I certainly know that I have trouble finding the right clothes to wear in the morning... I also know that if I cleaned up that it wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Don’t Procrastinate, But Do Ask Why You’re Tempted

If a task is genuinely urgent and important, then I'm afraid you should start with that. If you are like me and you find yourself avoiding it... ask yourself why. Maybe there is a pattern.

Don’t Try To Multi-task

So many people try to multi-task (including me), especially when it comes to homework. The truth is... it doesn't work. It’s much better to finish off one job before moving onto another. It's for the best to finish work first... then go home and relax. It's just simply not a good idea to try and watch TV while doing your math homework.

Stay Calm and Keep Things In Perspective

This is yet another thing that I struggle with... freaking out and panicking! If this happens to you, the first thing (easier said than done) is to try to stay calm. If not, you will feel overwhelmed by too many tasks, and may not get anything done as a result. However, a strange, but very real truth is that going home, and/or getting an early night could easily help you get more done. Seriously!

The trick to take a moment to pause and look over your priorities. I write down what I need to get done, and then make a to do list in order of what can be done each day. I find that it usually makes me feel much better. Give it a try! It may help a lot by changing your views quite substantially.

Hello. Nice to meet you! How are you? Hmm... this feels like a really one-sided conversation... why don't you follow me on social media so I can get to know you too!

About the Author

I started blogging about two years ago, and my collection of blogs and articles is getting pretty impressive. I’ve taken online classes for writing, and even some classes about the art of blogging itself. It would be really awesome if you join the adventure and maybe even help me think of what to write about next. If you would like to submit some feedback or ideas, you can always tweet me on Twitter.

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Work Cited

“Time Management Skills.” SkillsYouNeed, 2011-2019. website.

“Time Management Skills: Definition and Examples.” Jobs, website.

Waterworth, Susan. “Time Management Strategies in Nursing Practice" - 2003 - Journal of Advanced Nursing - Wiley Online Library.” Journal of Advanced Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111), 14 Aug. 2003, website.

“SKILLS YOU NEED.” SkillsYouNeed, 2011-2019 website.