What is Time Management?

Time management is a task-management technique that uses mental and physical tools to ensure that one's most important work or tasks are the ones being given the most attention. A time manager utilizes planning, prioritization, time-tracking methods, deadlines, organization and goal setting in order to minimize distractions and make better use of one's time. As such it is a process by which individuals can effectively organize their efforts with respect to priority. With much more importance being given to "multitasking," effectiveness in terms of output has suffered due this practice — people are less efficient at completing tasks than they once were. Time management can help us become more productive by focusing on what needs doing first and second.

The goal of time management is to allocate sufficient time to achieve goals and tasks. Time is finite and therefore it must be managed carefully so as to ensure maximum productivity; in this sense, time management refers to a way of making choices about how one spends one's finite resources (time). Time management can be understood as the act of "choosing your every action, including deciding how you will use your time".

Instead of saying "I don't have enough time", try saying "I am making effective use of my time or I am not making effective use of my time". Time management, is the process of improving "the effectiveness of one's use of time" and it can be achieved by eliminating time wasters and continually identifying where one spends the most time. One who practices time management is known as a time manager. Many people are not aware that they practice poor time management (a mismanaged life) and do not realize how much more productive they could be. Time-management skills apply to one's personal and professional life.

Time management involves planning, prioritization and decision-making which affect productivity. It will usually involve Scheduling, but also goes beyond that to include deciding what tasks you need to accomplish in the first place, what projects or assignments should take priority over others, etc.

"Time management is a skill that can be learned and practiced", says David Allen, author of "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity".

"The practice of Time Management is much more than using a calendar to plan the day's tasks. It means being fully in the moment, concentrating on what brings you alive." 

One of the goals of time management is to ensure that you can use your time effectively and efficiently. The more time you have, the more productive you are. If you lack time to do your job then it may be a sign that you need some kind of help or should change your priorities if possible.

The question on how to manage time has been researched, studied and debated for centuries. People have attempted to find the most effective way to prioritize tasks, set goals and implement plans to achieve them. There are many time management techniques and theories, including the Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule), Parkinson's law, time boxing, multiple clocks theory, etc. The choice of which one you will use is limited only by your willingness to try new ideas and ways of doing things.

The U.S. Department of Labor noted that using these techniques may help you:

Time management is an essential component of productive personal organization and office administration (for example in project management).

A very basic and effective time-management technique is keeping a task list (either written on paper or in software) that outlines what needs to be done and what has already been done. This enables the user to identify the tasks that are unfinished, review the list regularly and modify it as necessary.

The Pareto principle (also known as 80–20 rule), states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. That is, roughly 20% of actions result in 80% of results. This can be applied to time management when most of one's problems can be traced back to a few main causes or a few key areas in which most of one's activity takes place. For example, if most of one's problems come from interruptions, then scheduling uninterrupted time for work may prove to be the best solution.

Deadlines are also a very effective way to encourage people to use time more effectively. Giving someone a deadline encourages them to use their time properly or prepare themselves accordingly.

Another way of managing time is through the "one thing at a time" rule. This means that when you are working with something, you focus your full attention on it, and do not let any other distractions pull your attention away from it until you are finished with it. As an example, if you have to read a book while you're waiting for your friend to arrive, you can try keeping your eyes focused on the page and every time they look up, put the book down again.

This rule can be based on other simple principles such as "Do one thing at a time" or "Your first job is to do your job". Many people find this technique effective, but others complain that juggling many different tasks at once and jumping from one idea to another is a more effective way of working. This brings up the question of how much time it would take for two people working together to complete work, or whether two people might even complete it faster working alone. Time management has its benefits and limitations, so people are free to choose the best techniques for themselves.

Some advice on time management:

The most common complaints about time management are:

Time management is an essential component of a productive office environment. Inefficient time management is a major cause of inefficiency in areas like project planning, work progress reports and the distribution of work among employees. Time management is also vital to effective teamwork, accounting, projects and many other areas. Effective time-management procedures usually include preparing a task list (either written on paper or in software), prioritizing tasks and making sure that there is always enough time allocated for each project or task.

Many people find it hard to organize their time. They feel that there is a never enough time for everything, so they must "do it in the moment", or give up on the task. Others may plan ahead and then get overwhelmed at the start. 

People who are very organized and good at handling their time usually tend to be better workers and manage themselves much more effectively than others who are not.

Seeing your work as a series of tasks (a list of actions in your calendar) will aid you in planning as well as prioritizing, so that you don't leave things for last minute cancellations or other reasons. If you can check off each task as you complete it, then you will have a better idea of what your time is really being spent on and whether or not it is being well used.

Some people like to see the time for all tasks as a single unit, usually expressed in hours. For example, "I will manage my time so that 5 hours of work are spent on Monday" gives the impression that all your weeks constitute an entire week and do not span out over multiple days. This also prevents you from getting bogged down in projects that take too long to complete, or delays caused by additional unforeseen circumstances.

Conclusion

Because the ideal result of time management is the best use of time, it is important that you plan out your time. If you are aiming for a 5 hour day, then your plans should be based around staying at work for a maximum of only 4 hours and allowing for 1 hour for lunch and 45 minutes for leaving. This allows you to stay on target and give you plenty of work time to complete your tasks.