Denise CourtneyTime management; we know it’s important, but we never quite master it. We always seem to be up against it, overwhelmed by our “to-do” lists resulting in days that are busy yet unproductive.
Here, we take a look at what time management is, the benefits and how to achieve it.
WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT?
Time management is exactly that – knowing how much time you have and allocating it to what you need to achieve in priority order. It’s the art of making sure what needs to be done, gets done and in the most efficient and productive way possible.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
The benefits of good time management are immeasurable, and far too numerous for one blog post, so we’ve picked out a few of our favourites.
# Teaches Delegation
Effective time management ensures that you understand where your time is best spent, and when it’s appropriate for others to step in. We’ve come across far too many companies who don’t use the specific talents of their people in the right way simply because they think it saves money. It doesn’t.
Contrary to popular opinion, the right amount of delegation is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Ask yourself: would it be more economical for someone else to do this? If the answer’s yes, delegate.
# Achieving Goals
Good time management is the key to meeting your goals. It allows you the chance to focus on the task in hand and dedicate time to getting it right first time. You’ll save countless hours on re-writes and amendments and ultimately accomplish far more with less effort.
# Work Life Balance
The entire point of time management is to be the best you can be at work and enjoying your personal time too. We’ve worked with people who describe feeling burnt out and quite often, poor time management is a contributing factor.
When you understand where and how you’re using your time, you’ll be able to focus it more effectively. Only then will you be able to make your work life truly rewarding and enjoy your personal time stress-free.
HOW TO DO IT
- Clear your desk. Papers, note pads, dirt and dust will not help your focus or your productivity. Get rid of anything you don’t need and organise the things you do. You’ll be surprised how much clearer your mind feels.
- Don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is the thief of time. If you know something needs to be done, do it. In the time you’ve thought about how to put off doing a task, you could have completed it.
- Say no. You’re a professional and you’re capable of knowing what’s urgent and what isn’t. If it’s not a priority, or if you simply don’t have capacity, say so. People value that kind of honesty over inadequate work and missed deadlines.
You may think that this all sounds great in theory but is impossible in practice, but if you set aside the time to organise your time, it will pay dividends in the long run. Of course, there’ll always be unforeseen and last minute tasks, but time managed effectively means that you’ll always be in a position to deal with them and not lose even more time panicking.
At the end of the day, it’s good to keep in mind that time is finite; there’s only so much to go around. So don’t squander it, it’s the stuff that life is made of.