Getting Organised: Time Management

What is time management?

Time management is the ability to use time effectively. It means working smarter to enhance productivity, getting more done in less time and/or using fewer resources.

Why do I need to manage my time well?

Good time management helps you:

• Reduce stress

• Achieve better productivity and efficiency

• Build a good professional reputation

• Gain opportunities for advancement

• Achieve your life and career goals

Lack of time management could result in:

• More stress.

• Missed deadlines, inefficient work

• Poor professional reputation

• Poor work quality.

• A stalled career

Five strategies for better time management:

                                                 Figure 1: Strategies for better time management

• Set goals that motivate you
• Set SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound
• Set goals in writing
• Make an action plan with a timeline. 
• Stick with it and celebrate the achievements of your goals!

Prioritising means determining the order of the tasks according to their relative importance.

There are various ways and criteria to base your prioritisation on. The most common ones are:

• Importance: the more important task first, the less later
• Time: the less time-consuming task first, the more later
• Effort: the less effort task first, the more later
• Cost: the lower cost first, the higher later

Scheduling is planning how you use your time.

The simplest way to do this is to create a Prioritised To-do list following these six steps:

1. Identify the time you have available
2. Lock in the essential tasks (with the highest priority) that you must carry out
3. Schedule the high-priority and urgent activities 
4. Schedule in appropriate contingency time to handle unpredictable events and interruptions
5. Schedule other lower-priority and less urgent activities that also need to be done in the time that remains.
6. Identify tasks that can be delegated, outsourced or removed.

Improve your concentration through controlling:

• Environment: Make sure you are comfortable and shut out distractions e.g. closing the door, turning the phone off, listening to music or non-distracting sounds like ocean waves or falling rain
• Nutrition: Drink water, get up and move around
• Mindset: Focus on one task at a time, remind yourself of your goal, promise yourself a reward