Managing Your Time

Effective time management requires orgainization and planning, but anyone can accomplish this. Remember to make some time for "down time," and to keep reasonable expectations.

Tutorial

Time management is an important part of the success of almost any endeavor. If you are one of those people who has trouble getting started or staying on task, you might find that working on your time management techniques will have a tremendously positive impact on both your personal and professional life. With effective time management, you’ll probably have more time to be productive and more time to play – and who doesn’t want more time for both?

One good tool for time management is a personal calendar. Typically, you’ll need a system that allows you to make entries and edit those right up to the last minute. A time planning program for your computer and personal electronic device (such as a Blackberry) will allow you to enter appointments either on your computer or on your device, then synchronize the two so that both are always up-to-date. Some people simply prefer to have a paper day planner that they carry while others need nothing more than a dry erase board. It all depends on your preferences and your scheduling needs.

No matter what method you use, keeping a schedule will help you see how much (or how little) free time you have in the next few hours, days or weeks. Sometimes, just seeing how much you have to do will help you stay focused to achieve more.

Don’t forget that a good time manager also allows some down time. Schedule yourself a longer lunch in the middle of a busy day. Relax and regroup during that time to be more ready to focus on the tasks slated for the rest of the day.

Multi-tasking is an important part of effective time management but remember that you are only human. Don’t overload yourself. Failure to accomplish tasks that you’d planned to complete could spark a lack of confidence and enthusiasm that will lessen your effectiveness for the rest of the day.