How to manage time

Kirushanthy KOUSTHUPAMANY Eastern University, Sri Lanka

Time management is important to any person, but particularly to students, organization members and leaders. Many people mistake time tracking for time management. They religiously keep track of everything they do each day, for weeks or even months And then they stop doing it because they haven't realized any positive changes. But keeping track of how you spend your time isn't time management. Time management is about making changes to the way you spend your time.

How to manage time

* Start your day with a plan of action: Outline your day and set your priorities. If your goal is to accomplish more, then you will get more done if you plan for greater accomplishments.

* Keep your life in balance: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional, and Spiritual are the seven key areas. Do not spend too much time in any one of them, otherwise others will suffer.

* Work in a clean area: Instead of wasting much of your day looking for what you need to do, be organized. You will get so much more accomplished when you know exactly where things are and what needs to be done.

* Sleep: Getting the right quantity and quality of sleep is critical in time management. Most people do not get quality sleep because they are stressed. When we are more organized, we get more done each day, which leads to a higher sense of accomplishment, giving you greater self esteem, so that you experience less stress, which in turn, will give you a more restful night.

Three steps to effective time management are:

1. Organizing

2. Prioritizing

3. Scheduling

Organizing - The more organized you are, the more effectively you will be able to use the 24 hours in each day. Ideally, each morning you should make a list of everything you want or need to get done that day (if it works better for you, you can also do this at night before you go to bed and then organize the next day's activities).

Don't think about which tasks are most important at this point.

Just write them all down. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you might want to organize yourself for a few days in advance; This can help you to plan longer projects.

Prioritizing - The next step is to prioritize the items on your list. Assign an "A" to those things that you HAVE to do; "B" to the tasks that you SHOULD do; and "C" to those items that can be DEFFERED until the next day. Keep in mind the due dates for the projects and if the project is for a class. You might want to consider how much of the final grade that particular project is worth (5 percent or 50 percent).

This can help you decide how high a priority should be assigned to the project. Don't procrastinate. Try not to leave projects for the last minute; it's the least effective way of getting things done. Sometimes late night cramming will be necessary, but try to keep it to a minimum.

Scheduling - Now that you have your prioritized list of everything you need and want to do, you should look at your schedule to fit your projects around the "givens" (class, work, sleep, etc.) in your day.

Your schedule should be flexible. Leave room for break, socializing, and those things that tend to pop up. Allow for the unexpected! Don't try to plan every minute of your day.

As you're scheduling, keep your personal needs and habits in mind. For example, don't schedule study time in the morning if you like to sleep late. Be realistic and make a schedule which you can be sure to stick to.

Following these three steps will help you use your time more effectively. One final hint: as you go through the day, ask yourself "What is the best use of my time right now?" An effective way of integrating Organizing, Prioritizing, and Scheduling into your life is by creating "things to do" lists. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when creating your lists:

* Make tasks "do-able". Make your list realistic (overestimating the amount of things you can accomplish can put you into greater time binds).

* Estimate time realistically. Be sure to schedule enough time for you to get your tasks done. Also be sure to allow extra time in case you might have problems; it's better to give yourself too much time than to cut yourself short.

* Don't put too many "should" or "ought" on your list. You need to maintain a healthy balance between the tasks you want to do, the tasks you feel you should do, and the tasks you have to do.

* Establish a daily routine. Determine for yourself what time of day is best for doing certain activities and get in the habit of doing them at that time.

* Integrate lists. Have your lists include all aspects of your life. Having separate lists for class work, organizations, social activities, and work can be confusing.

* Make time for people and fun. Everyone needs time to recreate or their productivity will suffer. After taking time to recreate, people often feel revitalized and have more energy to get work done.

* Feel OK when you're finished. Spending lots of time regretting failures or feeling frustrated often wastes even more time. Feel good for accomplishing what you have, and then move on.

* Choose a weekend to sleep late, read a book, have breakfast in bed, or enjoy an old movie on television; relax!

* Go for an unplanned drive on a back road and enjoy the scenery.

* Take a few minutes each day to dream or fantasize.

* Stay at the dinner table with family/friends; enjoy the conversation. * Limit caffeine - it speeds up your nervous system.

* Make some time for spiritual renewal, solitude, and nature.