Time Management

I jumped out of bed the other morning late, as I kept hitting the snooze bar, which usually isn’t like me. I then rushed out to catch the bus and barely made it to work on time. It got me thinking of the importance of time management.


I guess the main question that comes to mind with regards to time management, why are some people constantly late? I know in my case, I didn’t get enough sleep and really needed that extra few minutes, even though it caused a great deal of stress on the way to work.


Or, maybe people schedule too many tasks or appointments at once? We have so little time these days, it’s a constant struggle to get as many things done in as short a time as possible.


Or, maybe it’s a symptom of something greater? I wonder if it’s a sign of avoidance or that maybe we’d rather be doing something else? It’s funny how I have no problem getting up at 6 am for a vacation, but when it comes to work, there is no way I could even conceive of getting up that early. Hmmm.


So, what do the words ‘time management’ really mean’? Well, according to wikipedia it is commonly defined as the various means by which people effectively use their time and other closely related resources in order to make the most out of it.


So, what are some ways we can make the most of our time?


Well, here are a few things that I like to do:


- I set my clocks ahead 10 minutes – this ensures that I’m never running late … for the most part! The temptation is to mentally make the 10-minute adjustment, initially, but after awhile you’ll forget about the clock.


- When I make appointments, I usually add an extra half hour to make sure I have enough time. I also don’t over schedule – I try to realistically assess what I can get done in a given day.


- Love what you do! If you love your job, lateness usually isn’t an issue. Why is it I can get up at 6am to go on vacation, but getting up that early for work is another story? Wouldn’t it be nice if everyday seemed like a vacation!


- Goal setting – this helps set priorities to get the most important things done first


- I also use a PDA and keep track of all of my contacts, to-do lists and goals. It's great to never have to think of what I have to do next - it's already written down.


I think time management is really all about making time work for us. It’s also more about controlling ourselves rather than time itself, because let’s face it, there is nothing we can do about the clock – it will keep ticking regardless of what we do.


Time is one of the most scarce resources out there – before we know it, it’s gone! This is why we need to respect it and make the most of it.