TIME MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION:
 “One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time” Anonymous

 ‘Time’ is a precious resource. Each student has 24 hours in a day. As

studying often involves meeting deadlines, how you use these hours is
essential to achieving success at university. To meet the demands of
your studies, work out what needs to be done and when. Work out how
to use time as efficiently as possible as managing time is a skill that can
be learned and developed in order to promote balance in student life.

According to Wikipedia ―

Time management is the process of planning and

exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on
specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or
productivity.

Time management is the process of organizing and

planning how to divide our time between specific activities. The
highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. By using the
time-management techniques we can improve our ability to function
more effectively – even when time is tight and pressures are high.

There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time,
there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a
day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone
turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.

In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what
you're doing.
 Time management‖ refers to the way that you organize and
plan how long you spend on specific activities.

Importance of time management :

A dictionary defines time as "the point or period at which
things occur." Put simply, time is when stuff happens. With Good time
management a person can handle high pressures even in tight time
as time management skills enables us to work smarter not harder – so
that more work can be done in less time. Failing to manage your time
damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

 Greater productivity and efficiency.

 Handle pressures in tight situations

 A better professional reputation.

 Less stress.

 Increased opportunities for growth and advancement.

 Greater opportunities to achieve important life and career goals.

 Failure in managing time results in:

 Missed deadlines.

 Increasing load of work

 Inefficient work flow.

 Poor work quality.

 A poor professional reputation and a stalled career.

 Higher stress levels.

Spending a little time in learning about time-management techniques
will have huge benefits now – and throughout our career.

Key factors of time management

1. PROCRASTINATION:

Procrastination happens when we cannot tackle a

particular task and leave it till a later date. This often happens
because we get anxious about starting or completing certain tasks, or
making decisions that we don‘t feel confident about.

Procrastination means putting things off until tomorrow and

has been called ‗the thief of time‘. Putting things off can provide a bit
of temporary relief, but problems tend not to go away and decisions
need to be made.

Reasons for procrastinate:

1. When we delay the task we face when it seems too difficult and we
lack the confidence to take it on.

2. We worry about the disapproval of others and insulted if we fail to

complete the task.

3. We don‘t have the necessary skills to do the task well.

4. We are not clear about our objectives and the timescales are
vague.

A case study :

As a salesperson I was never keen on cold calling

because of the amount of rejection I received from people who were
not interested in talking to me. I would have a list of potential clients
in front of me and would sit and stare at it. Then of course I needed a
coffee. Also, I had to have a word with my manager before starting
and there was that report that I needed to write… and so it went on. I
was having a conversation with myself trying to convince me that
there were other things I should be doing. We used to call it ‗the
thousand tonne phone‘. Impossible to lift up and use, so it stayed
where it was. There is only one answer. Get started. Take a deep
breath, pick the phone up and dial. I even remember putting off
ringing one of my best customers one day, which wasn‘t a cold call,
and having the conversation with myself. ‗He‘ll not be in‘; ‗they are
probably not going to be interested‘ and so on. When I eventually
rang the guy his first words were ‗I‘m glad you rang Frank. We were
just talking about you the other day and need to discuss doing some
more training‘. This just goes to show that procrastinating not only
adds to our stress levels as we approach deadlines but can also mean
we miss out on opportunities by delaying.

How to beat procrastination Produce an effective to do list on your PC

or on a piece of paper make a list of what needs to get done.

 Here are some tips on making lists:

 Make a random listing of everything you would like to accomplish

during the day.

 Then prioritize the list by marking urgent works on the top

 Do not schedule secondary items, just plan to do them as time

permits.

 You need flexibility to handle the unexpected events of the day.

 The danger of the To Do list is that it tends to be based upon

urgency. So always take a moment when preparing your list to see if
the things you plan to do are going to make a direct contribution to
the purpose and goals of your job and yourself.

 Most people don‘t manage to get to the bottom of their list by the
end of the day. Don‘t worry. If you‘ve worked according to your
priorities, then you will have done the important things for that day. .
Brainstorm your goals, rewrite them in order of importance then
schedule time to begin working on them.

 You can produce a list for your daily, weekly, monthly, or annual
goals. The same principles apply to each
 Spend the last few minutes of each day preparing your list for the
next day. This is one of the most effective time management
practices.

 Last thing, you usually write a more demanding and complete list.

 If you have some stuff to do that won‘t take very long just do it now.
It can be very psychologically rewarding to achieve a lot of things in a
relatively short space of time.

If you have a big project that needs doing begin some work on it now.
Plan how you break the overall objective down into a series of smaller
objectives. •

2. Managing Your Desk

We need systems in place for controlling the flow of

information and storing it for future reference and easy access.

We all have different jobs and will therefore need to set up different
filing systems. The key point to remember is you need to analyse how
information flows into your work space. We receive information by
mail, email, fax and telephone calls. Records need to be kept and
information stored if it needs to be accessed in the future, or if there
is a legal requirement to keep a record. To set up a filing system, look
at the flow of information into your office. Certain things require
action now, others require action at a later date, while others need to
be kept for the record and may need to be accessed later. For
example, I split my filing system between work requiring action and
work that needs to be stored.

When paper arrives into your office there are a limited number of
actions that can be taken:

 Take action straight away. Depending on your priorities for the day
you may be able to deal with this at once.

• Take action later today. Park the paper in the in-tray and schedule
some time to complete the task.
• Take action at a later date. Set up a diary dating file. File it. Have a
separate in tray for items to be filed. This is not urgent and can be
done when you have a bit of spare time. Try to do this once a week or
delegate it if possible.

3. Using the telephone

Using the telephone can be a great time waster or an

equally good time saving device – depending on the skill of the user.
With incoming calls we are at the mercy of the person calling. If you
find phone calls are high on your interruptions log and you don‘t have
an assistant to filter your calls, here are some options you can try:

• Use voicemail during busy times when you don‘t wish to be

disturbed. On voicemail, give your email address as a potential
method of alternative contact.

• Switch off your mobile during meetings unless you are waiting for
an urgent call.

• Let people know when you are most likely to be available. Be polite,
but firm with unsolicited sales calls. If you are busy, say so and
arrange an alternative time.

• When you are making outgoing calls try to set aside a block of time
when they can all be done at once. This is a much more efficient way
of making calls than doing them individually as it will focus your mind
and so save time. Set yourself objectives for each call and try to
minimize the amount of time spent on each call. Have any relevant
documents to hand and some means of taking notes during the call
itself.

• It can be difficult when dealing with people who want to chat. They
can be major time wasters. Without being rude, at some point you
need to make it clear why you are calling and get down to work. Wait
till they have finished a sentence then say something like:

4. Indecisiveness
 When you are faced with more than one option, you are
unable to choose an option and run with it. You spend excessive time
going over the options without coming to a conclusion.

The type of decision you make will have an impact on your time
management and that of others.

There are three basic types of decision-making:

1. Autocratic: this is where you make a decision yourself based on

facts you already know.

2. Consultative: this is where you consult with others to get their

ideas and opinions, but in the end you still make the decision
yourself.

3. Group: this is where a group of people make a decision, and each

member of the group has an equal say

The standard model for decision-making is:

1. Define the issue

2. Collect relevant information

3. Generate feasible options

4. Work out the costs and benefits of each option

5. Make the decision

6. Implement and evaluate Most decisions are relatively low risk and
low cost.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

Effectiveness is measured ultimately by achievement.
Time management must not be seen as only concerned with packing
more activity into the available time, it must be instrumental in
ensuring that objectives are met. Activity must never be confused
with achievement. With this picture in mind, for managing time
effectively,

we need to:

 Assess your current working practice:

Assess your current state of working, describe actionable

observations about strengths and gaps in relation to the problems we
are facing and desired future state we want to achieve.

 Know your own system?

When we know what we need and are experienced about the work we
can check the systems and see whether any of them formalise what
we want to do and, and whether making an investment in it is worth
while

For eg:

 What kind of diary do you need?

 How much space do you need for notes

 How many sections fit the way your tasks are grouped?

 What permanent filing is necessary? etc.

 Objectives Setting:

To start managing time effectively, we need to set goals. When we

know where we're going, we can prepare a road map for what exactly
needs to be done, and in what order.

People tend to neglect goal setting because it requires time

and effort. We fail to realize that a little time and effort put in now
saves an enormous amount of time, effort and frustration in the
future.
Objectives should be SMART, that is:

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed.

To manage time effectively is concerned with tackling conflicts and

making decisions about what comes first. The management structure
works best when individuals are clear about what they are expected
to achieve.

 Prioritization:

Prioritizing what needs to be done is especially important. Without it,

you may work very hard, but you won't be achieving the desired
results

Most people have a "to-do" list of some sort. The problem with many
of these lists is they are just a collection of things that need to get
done.

To work efficiently you need to work on the most important, highest

value tasks. This way you won't get caught scrambling to get
something critical done as the deadline approaches.

Plan the work and work the plan:

any real progress with time management needs a plan. Not only
is it updated regularly, it should show accurately and completely your
work plan for the immediate future, and give an idea of what lies
beyond. It may include:

 A daily plan

 A weekly plan

 Commitments that occur regularly (weekly or monthly or annually)

 A plan for the coming month (perhaps linked to a planning chart).

 Managing Interruptions :

Dealing with the uncontrollable or interruptions should be

acted smartly
 Things occur that cannot be predicted, and a proportion of
the available time is always going to go in this way. For example, a
manager on the sales or marketing side of a commercial company
may have enquiries and queries coming from customers that are very
important and must be dealt with promptly

The next issue is knowing what to do to minimize the

interruptions you face during your day. It is widely recognized that
managers get very little uninterrupted time to work on their priority
tasks. There are phone calls, information requests, questions from
employees, and a whole host of events that crop up unexpectedly.
Some do need to be dealt with immediately, but others need to be
managed.

We have to leave room for interruptions, and contingency time for

those unexpected events that otherwise will cause lot of chaos in our
schedule.

Finally quick summary of tips to manage your time:

 Procrastination only causes you stress.

 Use lists to prioritize your time and reduce procrastination.

 Manage your physical files as well as your electronic files.

 Try to have a clear desk.

 Draw a map of where everything should go based on the flow of

paper and information into your office.

 Manage the flow of paper in one of the following ways, either: Do it

now OR Delegate it OR File it for future action and schedule the time
when you will deal with it OR Get rid of it (shred, delete

 Manage your incoming and outgoing telephone calls.

 If you are a manager use different styles of decision making to

make better use of your time and your team‘s time.

What Is the 80/20 Rule?

 The 80/20 rule is pretty simple to define. In short, 20% of your
efforts will end up producing 80% of your results. So, you should manage
your time in a way that focuses on that 20% instead of the other 80% or
evenly over the entire 100%.
The 80/20 rule can be simplified to three key steps:

1. Identify what your key results or goals are.

2. Apply the 80/20 rule to prioritize your tasks.
3. Protect the most important activities from the least important
activities.

Applying It to Time Management

Using the 80/20 rule can help you manage your time better.
Let's go over a case scenario of exactly how this can be true.
Jake owns his own small business. He knows that his key goals right now
are to acquire new customers and find a new accountant to manage his
business finances,
step 1 of implementing the 80/20 rule. Now that he knows what his goals
and objectives are, he needs to manage his time with respect to any
incoming information or task that may affect him from reaching these goals.
So, he now moves on to
step 2. He's going to develop a system whereby he can prioritize any
incoming information or tasks. For instance, besides running his small
business, Jake has a lot of other tasks over the coming weeks, like reading
up on trade journals. He is going to prioritize them in order to manage his
time in the following categories:

 A, for the most important tasks, the 20% that will lead him to his key
goals. Jake needs to set a time limit for these activities. For example,
one such task could be marketing his product to get new customers or
making a job listing to get that accountant.

 B, for the somewhat important tasks, 60% of them. This could be

learning something new and useful about his business field by reading a
trade journal.
 C, the least important tasks, the bottom 20%. This might be something
like checking his email about a minor website glitch that needs to be
fixed (and can wait).

TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

 ‘Time is Money’ is an old saying but hold true even today and for coming
generations also. Studies show one of the major reason for Stress is
lack of Time management or prioritizing work. It is observed that if one
of the task misses the deadline or the date of completion its effects will
spill over other projects. In short if time is not managed appropriately
then it will have a Domino effect of delay on all the activities. To
overcome the same lets understand the below matrix.

Time Management Matrix

Definition: Covey’s time management matrix is a time management tool that
individuals and businesses can use for prioritizing key tasks and finding out
time wasters.

The main task of the Time Management Matrix is to help a person in

prioritizing work.

It identifies all the tasks or works that need urgent attention and helps
understand commitment, personal roles, work, and goals.

Stephen R. Convey tossed the idea or concept of time management matrix by

classifying tasks into four different quadrants

1. Urgent & Important

2. Not Urgent but Important
3. Urgent but not Important
4. Neither Urgent nor Important

Following the matrix, every work in the world can be divided based on how
urgent and important they are. Let us delve into these four quadrants right
away

Table of Contents
Four quadrants of Time Management Matrix
Q1 – Urgent and Important
Few things in the world can occur suddenly, for instance, critical
cases, accidents, more unwanted scenarios, etc. All of these things are
overbearing and can come to anyone at any point in time.

High priority directs towards critical tasks as the impact is immediate. As

an experienced individual, the outcome can be influenced by making the odds
in the favor.

This means prioritizing the critical and urgent work first gives you
benefits. Highly effective people always make the right choice regarding the
urgency and importance of tasks.
Example of Urgent and Important Quadrant 1 Matrix

Some of the last-minute urgent tasks, emergencies, and critical issues. are
parts of this matrix. Working on a project that is due in the upcoming day is an
example of such important and urgent things associated with quadrant 1.

Q2 – Important but Not Urgent

Planning and Time management are the two main areas of focus
within this quadrant.

In this quadrant, the tasks are usually time-sensitive, but they lack the
importance and the critical element within them. More or less, all the tasks in
this quadrant have deadlines to adhere to. Moreover, the deadline can be in
days or months.

Updating documentation, maintenance scheduling, training staff,

and evaluation are some of the activities that fall under the second quadrant.
This kind of work will have the most significant payoff in the long run but will
not be as urgent that it needs to be finished within a time limit.

Example of Important but Not Urgent Quadrant 2

Long term projects and the goals of the organization are parts of this
time management matrix. Planning and strategizing over a long term
project are key examples of quadrant 2.

Q3 – Not Important but Urgent

The third quadrant is also referred to as the quadrant of
“Deception.” All of the work at the office or the factory is interrelated until and
unless all the departments work together in unity, the work will be incomplete.

Similarly, personal work and professional work can sometimes get into each
other way.

For instance, a phone call from the home can go on for thirty-odd
minutes due to the urgent nature. But, at the same time, it may not be that
important compared to the deadline of the project that needs immediate
attention.
Example of Not Important But Urgent Quadrant 3

Distractions and Interruptions, minimum value “busy” work are the

parts of the Q3 matrix. Time tracking, replying to emails and phone calls, etc
are examples of quadrant 3.

Q4 – Neither Important Nor Urgent

The habit of perturbing about the uncontrollable things, thinking about
the wrong metrics can be the elements that hinder effectual output. This
quadrant deals with the minimum priority of work; these are neither important
nor imperative.

For instance, running small errands, finishing household chores

during work hours. It can also be going through social media and browsing
through shopping sites that will ultimately not add value.

So, this becomes a challenge to manage the priorities based on a

scale of low to high. These tasks need to finish during the flexible hours when
the workload is a bare minimum. This will ensure that the results don’t get
affected.
 The Time Management Matrix is a self-management tool, developed by
Steven Covey in his infamous book, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People. It's now widely used by business and individuals to prioritise the
important tasks and identify time wasters
 Simple formula to manage time is have focus on Quadrant II and
address the Quadrant I has and when task comes up. Beware that
activities of Quadrant IV do not consume more of your time.
 If the time management is done well, you could achieve your goals
smartly.

SMART goal setting

What Does SMART Mean?

SMART is an acronym that you can use to guide your goal

setting. Its criteria are commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's
Management by Objectives concept.To make sure your goals are
clear and reachable, each one should be:

1.Specific (simple, sensible, significant).

2.Measurable (meaningful, motivating).

3. Achievable (agreed, attainable).

4. Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).

5.Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely,

time-sensitive).

4 Ds of Email Decision Making

With increase in use of technology and internet availability

people are addicted to prompt repose. But this is one of the reason
why general impulsiveness and impatience has increased in the
millennium generations. They would wish to see and reply to every
message now and now. To overcome this habit below are the four Ds
that can be of use.

 1. Delete: All those non required messages/ mails

 2. Do: The urgent mail should be replied at the earliest
  3. Delegate: if the mail is not directly pertaining to you, delegate or
assign the mail to the concern person.
 4. Defer: If the mail needs to be answered at length then lot time in
which all such messages to be replied If the above time management
techniques are followed then the indivual will be abe to achive his or her
goals with any stress.

Steps to Better Time Management

1. Write down your short term and long term goals

2. Determine what your time is worth.
3. Keep a time Log for one at least one week
4. Analyze your time log to identify the time-wasting activities
(ie, activities that don’t help your reach your long and short
term goals)
5. Set up a plan to eliminate the time wasters in your day.

Step 1: Write down your short-term and long-

term goals.
Think of goals as the things you want to accomplish. You’ll have
both short term goals and long term goals. You’ll also have personal and
family goals, as well as business and professional goals.
The key to time management is to know your goals, prioritize them and to
focus on tasks and activities that help you reach those goals.

Step 2: Determine what your time is worth.

Take a few minutes to calculate how much your time is worth,. Use your
annual salary – or the salary you’d like to make – as a starting point. When
you understand how much your time is worth, you can place a monetary value
on the time you waste. Knowing how much even a short interruption costs you
will help motivate you to start managing your time better so you can reach
the goals you’ve set for yourself.
When you have calculated your time, write down the cost of your time
for a five minute interruption, a 15 minute interruption and a half hour
interruption on a sticky note or other piece of paper and put it on your
computer monitor, telephone, desk or where ever you will see it frequently.
Focusing on the value of your time will help you use it more wisely.

Step 3: Keep A Time Log

You can’t fix something that’s broken until you determine exactly what’s
broken. Doctors use blood test, x-Rays, CAT scans and other diagnostic
studies to identify trouble spots and determine how to treat their patients. You
need to do the same thing – only you’ll be your own “patient” and the
diagnostic tool you’ll use to determine what needs to be fixed is a time log.

Create a time log similar to this one, and print out one copy for each day of
the week.

Keep each day’s copy on your desk where you can easily and quickly
reach it. Alternately, use time management software to keep a log.

To get an accurate picture of how you spend your time and what wastes your
time, record the time you start each activity and the time at which you have to
stop each activity due to interruptions, phone calls, meetings you attend, etc.

For instance, if you start writing a sales letter at 9:15 am, get
interrupted at 9:30 by a phone call that lasts 5 minutes, then go back to writing
the sales letter at 9:35, you’d have three entries, one at 9:15, one at 9:30 for
the phone call, and one at 9:35 when you went back to working on the sales
letter.
Step 4: Analyze your time log.
Keep the time log for at least a week. At the end of the week, go back
and analyze your log. See how many changes in activity were unnecessary or
unimportant to what you needed to get done for the week and for your longer-
term goals.

For instance, how many times did you get phone calls that could have
been handled by someone else? How many times did you check your email or
social media accounts while you were in the middle of doing something else

Step 5: Set Up A Plan to Eliminate Time-

Wasters
To better manage your time, make a list of your biggest time wasting
activities, and then plan to eliminate them, or drastically reduce the time you
spend on them.

The best way to get something done about those time-wasting

activities is to write down the cause of the problem and the steps to solve it
using a format like the worksheet below.
As you get ready to tackle each problem, list what needs to be done, and who,
other than you needs to be involved. If the biggest drain on your time seems
too complex to fix at this point, start with smaller problems. When you
successfully fix the small problems, move onto bigger problems.

HOW TO GET THE MOST TIME OUT OF TIME

 Develop a schedule that allows you sufficient time to study.

 Minimize distractions and interruptions. Allocate time to make

phone calls, and set time limits to conversations.
  When studying, select the times of day your brain is at its peak
performance.

 Keep a time log – know how much time you have. Use a year
planner to chart your studies and to give you an indication of when
your busier periods are and when you can take time out to reflect,
relax and reorganise. Some of the practical things to note on a year-
planner include:

 Due dates for assignments/projects and preparation for projects or

assignments.

 Exam and test dates and also the preparation time for exams and
tests.

 Personal events that may necessitate that you are unable to attend
to your studies.

BE AWARE of Time Thieves that steal your time.

Some common time thieves are:

  Procrastination
  Lack of planning
  Interruptions
  Lack of delegation
  Social media and networking sites, the mobile phone, email and
internet
  Not being able to say ‘No’
  Lack of organization and untidiness
  Bad attitude
  Negative people
  Unnecessary meetings
 Assess how your time is stolen and define the action you’re going to
take to eliminate the time thieves.

Time Management for Right Brain Thinkers, that is, students who
prefer less structure!
 Using diaries, lists and year planners certainly assists most students
manage time. However, most ‘right brained’ students tend to think in
less structured or linear ways. A different approach to time
management and the accomplishment of tasks is, therefore, needed.
Consider the following options if this is you:

  Handle it Now: If you are not likely to work from a list, you will
probably do best by dealing with items as soon as possible, preferably
immediately. Always ask yourself “Can it be done now?” and, if yes, do
it! By developing a strong “Handle it now” attitude you will reduce the
accumulation of “To do’s” and will find that you are better able to
prioritise important activities.
  To-Do Cards: Alternatively, you can write your tasks (“To-Do’s) on
cards, one per card, in any order. The idea is to give you a starting point
from which to tackle your tasks. This is especially useful in giving you a
sense of accomplishing your tasks one at a time. As with all tasks, if
you happen to come face to face with one that you would prefer to leave
at the bottom of the pile, it is a sign that this is probably the task that
needs to be tackled first!
  Do Less: Scan through the hoarde of tasks you have to do and
decide what you do not want to do and should not do. This helps to
reduce the clutter and narrow the focus to those that are most important.
  Mind Maps: Create a mind map to help you track your tasks. Try to
use images that you would usually associate with tasks that require
attention.
 Time Management for Left Brain Thinkers, that is, students who
prefer structure!

It is very likely that in scanning through the tasks that you need to
perform, some will come up as both urgent and important. These
are tasks that should be prioritised. A useful way of deciding which
item should enjoy greater priority is to look at the diagram below and
decide which block the task belongs in.

Importance of time management

Time Management plays a very important role not only in

organizations but also in our personal lives.
Time Management includes:

i. Effective Planning
ii. Setting goals and objectives
iii. Setting deadlines
iv. Delegation of responsibilities
v. Prioritizing activities as per their importance
vi. Spending the right time on the right activity

 Effective Planning

Plan your day well in advance. Prepare a To Do List or a “TASK

PLAN”. Jot down the important activities that need to be done in a
single day against the time that should be allocated to each activity.
High Priority work should come on top followed by those which do not
need much of your importance at the moment. Complete pending
tasks one by one. Do not begin fresh work unless you have finished
your previous task. Tick the ones you have already completed.
Ensure you finish the tasks within the stipulated time frame.
 Setting Goals and Objectives

Working without goals and targets in an organization would be similar

to a situation where the captain of the ship loses his way in the sea.
Yes, you would be lost. Set targets for yourself and make sure they
are realistic ones and achievable.
 Setting Deadlines

Set deadlines for yourself and strive hard to complete tasks ahead of
the deadlines. Do not wait for your superiors to ask you everytime.
Learn to take ownership of work. One person who can best set the
deadlines is you yourself. Ask yourself how much time needs to be
devoted to a particular task and for how many days. Use a planner to
mark the important dates against the set deadlines.
 Delegation of Responsibilities

Learn to say “NO” at workplace. Don’t do everything on your own.

There are other people as well. One should not accept something
which he knows is difficult for him. The roles and responsibilities must
be delegated as per interest and specialization of employees for them
 to finish tasks within deadlines. A person who does not have
knowledge about something needs more time than someone who
knows the work well.
 Prioritizing Tasks

Prioritize the tasks as per their importance and urgency. Know the
difference between important and urgent work. Identify which tasks
should be done within a day, which all should be done within a month
and so on. Tasks which are most important should be done earlier.
 Spending the right time on right activity

Develop the habit of doing the right thing at the right time. Work done
at the wrong time is not of much use. Don’t waste a complete day on
something which can be done in an hour or so. Also keep some time
separate for your personal calls or checking updates on Facebook or
Twitter. After all human being is not a machine.
For Effective Time Management one needs to be:
Organized - Avoid keeping stacks of file and heaps of paper at your
workstation. Throw what all you don’t need. Put important documents in
folders. Keep the files in their respective drawers with labels on top of each
file. It saves time which goes on unnecessary searching.
Don’t misuse time - Do not kill time by loitering or gossiping around.
Concentrate on your work and finish assignments on time. Remember your
organization is not paying you for playing games on computer or peeping
into other’s cubicles. First complete your work and then do whatever you
feel like doing. Don’t wait till the last moment.
Be Focussed - One needs to be focused for effective time management.
Develop the habit of using planners, organizers, table top calendars for
better time management. Set reminders on phones or your personal
computers.
 Effective Time Management Strategies

 Plan each week

 Set goals (day/week/month/year) with time limits
 Set one important objective each day and achieve it
 Keep a study time log of how you study and evaluate how you utilised
your time Track what you do and eliminate the unnecessary o
Schedule your day but factor in time for the unexpected o Ensure
that the first hour of your study day is productive o Aim to do it
correctly the first time so as to avoid repeating o Set aside a quiet
hour per day for ‘me time’ o Develop a habit to complete a task
before starting a new one
 Managing your time successfully implies accomplishing what is most
important for you. This includes scheduling time for socialising,
watching a movie, visiting family members, etc. thus contributing to
achieving balance in your life which is beneficial to effective study.
Life is more than study and work. Give yourself time to explore all
dimensions of you and reflect on the amazing journey that is your life.
Keep the big picture in mind – value yourself and what you are
wanting to achieve in your life.

5 ways to Stop Procrastinating

5 ways to stop procrastinating

We all procrastinate at times. You put off a task. You delay starting a project. You
avoid making the call. You check your email instead of dealing with the poor
performance of a team member. You choose to do the enjoyable task rather than the
high priority challenging task that takes you out of your comfort zone.

Don't worry, it's normal. It is part of being human. We naturally seek comfort. But
staying in your comfort zone dooms you to failure.

So we can all benefit from knowing how to stop procrastinating. You can break through
and take action where you have been procrastinating.

Here are 5 suggestion on how to stop procrastinating.

1. Find a small part of the task you can do right now

2. Identify the emotion associated with doing it
3. Finish an incomplete
4. Delete it and move on.
 5. Face your fears and the risks head-on.

1. Find a small part of the you can do right now.

Look at the the task your are procrastinating on. Write down every step involved in
completing the task. Look over the list and find one that you can do right now. Do it. You
have just moved forward with this task. No longer is there inertia -- now you have
momentum. And momentum means that is it much easier to overcome procrastination.

2. Identify the emotional benefit of doing the task

Take a moment to close your eyes and picture completing that task. How would that
feel? What is the specific emotion you will feel when the task is complete. Really feel it.
Write the word and describe it. Now (with your eyes open) keep that feeling with you
and start the task. You will find that the emotion helps you stop procrastinating.

3. Finish an incomplete

Most of us have many things that we have started but not completed. Often these are
task we procrastinate on. And then your procrastination habits builds. List all the
incomplete tasks you can think of. Complete at least one of them. Now you are building
your action and finishing habit.

4. Delete it and move on

Another way to look at the tasks you might be procrastinating about is to as yourself,
'are they really worth doing?' If not, delete them from your time management system,
your to-do list and your head. You have just stopped procrastinating because there is no
task.

5. Face your fears and the risks head-on.

Procrastination is basically avoidance. What are you avoiding? Name it. Acknowledge it.
Say out loud "I want to avoid ...." Once you face it, name it and acknowledge it your fear
reduces significantly and you have a much better chance to take action.

Time Wasters &Time Savers

Time Wasters:

 Phone/tablet interruptions and notifications

 Lack of objectives, priorities, and deadlines

 Attempting too much and underestimating the time needed to do it

 Inadequate, inaccurate, or delayed information from others

 Indecision or procrastination

 Lack of clear communications and instructions

 An over-trusted memory

 Worry, fear, and regretting failures

 Not planning for the future

 Lack of self-discipline

 Continuing to use the same habits you’ve always used

Time Savers:

 List goals you have for yourself

 Make to-do lists and prioritize items

 Block out time in the day for important tasks

 Learn to say “no” to certain projects or activities

 Stop worrying about failures

 Know when your high energy times are and do important work then

 Close your door when you’re doing intense work

 Establish deadlines and stick to them

 Believe you can do it before you start

 Visualize your goals

 Make the most of time spent waiting and in between classes