Improve Time Management Skills

Effective time management is crucial for people of all ages

In corporates, how effectively time is managed determines the efficiency and productivity of the workforce. Ineffective time management can even lead to work-life conflict.

A study has found out that time management even determines the level of happiness in retired people. The Taiwanese researcher Wei-Ching Wang of the I-Shou University and his team studied 454 Taiwanese retirees to explore the relationship between the overall quality of life of retirees and how they managed their free time. The study authors found out that those individuals who managed their free time well enjoy a higher quality of life.

 

Time Management Tips

1. The clear understanding of your short, medium and long term goals is essential for effective time management. So, take time off and evaluate your goals.

2. Set realistic goals.

3. Prioritise your goals.

4. Jot down as to what steps are required to achieve your goals.

5. Determine the amount of time required for personal chores like shopping, cleaning your home or paying the bills and think how best these chores can be accommodated during the course of a week or month. Determine the commute time to office. If you spend a couple of hours daily in public transport system commuting to office, think of what to do best during that time.

6. At the beginning of a week, fortnight or month, make a ‘to do’ list.

7. After every week or fortnight, evaluate whether you have reached your goals and how well you performed.

8. Delegate what you can.

9. Politely say ‘NO’ to tasks which you believe will not add value to you.

10. Schedule a fixed time for checking personal e-mails. Don’t feel compelled to check the status updates of your friends in social media frequently.

11. Utilise the morning hours for the most productive things. Those are the best hours one can get. Try not to read the newspapers in entirety in morning.