Time management

Wijedasa Kariyawasam

Time is a unique resource which his freely available to all of us. Some manage their time beautifully, and have a smooth flow of activities which brings good health, happiness, successful goal achievement and converts him to a successful positive personality.

Few others who adopt a negative attitude to life eternally complain of time problems even for day to day activities resulting in irritability, stress, fatigue, emotional imbalance like arrogant behaviour and even health problems such as high blood pressure.

Their demands trigger off more than their capacity. “The issue is not so much lack of time but lack of awareness of what is important and productive. “They are fighting a losing battle”.

Time alone cannot be managed and it is essentially linked to one’s pattern of life management. One has to plan his time as to how much for work, sleep, leisure and hobbies, spirituality and interpersonal relations and social contacts.

Balanced life concept

“Doest thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of – Benjamin Franklin.

A person with a balanced life approach has to develop a life vision, i.e. What type of a future” I am aiming at” ? Development of a balanced life is based on each one’s philosophy of his life, comprising his values, attitudes and interests. Successful people in the world view balanced life in the following dimensions:

(a) Health, nutrition, physical activities and exercises.

(b) Fair source of earning job and career path)

(c) Spirituality-religious observations and beliefs,

(d) Leisure activities and hobbies

(e) Interpersonal relations and social contacts

Accordingly, allocation of time for each such activity depends on the philosophy of his life, and his vision. The essence of successful time management depends on how much Planning he is effecting for management of his time. Planning is a basic principle of management. “Planning is looking ahead.”

If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail.” Planning makes life easy and comfortable.

Successful time management techniques

Prime time and Energy time

The time conscious person should endeavour to understand his own prime time, which is also the energy time of the day.

This may be early morning or even during the course of the day where his capacity is more and he is energetic, when his creativity and fresh ideas emerge.

Difficult and complicated tasks could be handled during these hours when his capacity is tremendously increased.

Know your time wasters

Identify your time wasters and eliminate them. Record your time wasters during the last few months, and you realize you lost your valuable time because of these time wasters. (e.g. Bad habits, assumed powerlessness, procrastination and passive behaviour.)

Time saving techniques

A. Develop a flexible work schedule, and establish a habit of maintaining diaries;

B. “To do” listing on priorities and action list,

C. Master activity list,

D. Annual colendar of events (e.g. Forthcoming events, birthdays, holidays,)

E. Maintain a filing system for your personal activities,

F. Make use of modern simple office equipment.

Confine your work to important and urgent work and delegate less important and less urgent tasks to subordinates and even grown up children. They should be empowered perhaps and given a bit of training.

Use of saved time

Allocate more time for -

* Relaxation, physical exercise, gardening, games, sports, hobbies, etc

* Family harmony and social contacts and religious activities

* Acquisition of new skills, knowledge and improving your professionalism.

Time Management in brief using Five Ds.

D1 Do-important and Urgent work – Paying attention to Energy Time (Prime Time)

D 2 Delegate – Less important and less urgent work, with Assertivity

D 3 Diarize – Record everything I diaries, (Brain-writing)

D 4 Delay – Not procrastination, but for justified reasons,

D 5 Develop – Develop your personality.