Time Management

It is rightly said Time and Tide wait for none.

An individual should understand the value of time for him to succeed in all aspects of life.
People who waste time are the ones who fail to create an identity of their own.

What is Time Management ?

Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the
amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or
productivity.

Time Management refers to managing time effectively so that the right time is allocated to the
right activity.

Effective time management allows individuals to assign specific time slots to activities as per
their importance.

Time Management refers to making the best use of time as time is always limited.
Ask yourself which activity is more important and how much time should be allocated to the
same? Know which work should be done earlier and which can be done a little later.

Time Management plays a very important role not only in organizations but also in our personal
lives.

Time Management includes:

Effective Planning

Setting goals and objectives

Setting deadlines

Delegation of responsibilities

Prioritizing activities as per their importance

Spending the right time on the right activity

Effective Planning

Plan your day well in advance. Prepare a To Do List or a TASK PLAN. Jot down the important
activities that need to be done in a single day against the time that should be allocated to each
activity. High Priority work should come on top followed by those which do not need much of
your importance at the moment. Complete pending tasks one by one. Do not begin fresh work
unless you have finished your previous task. Tick the ones you have already completed. Ensure
you finish the tasks within the stipulated time frame.

Setting Goals and Objectives

Working without goals and targets in an organization would be similar to a situation where the
captain of the ship loses his way in the sea. Yes, you would be lost. Set targets for yourself and
make sure they are realistic ones and achievable.

Setting Deadlines

Set deadlines for yourself and strive hard to complete tasks ahead of the deadlines. Do not wait
for your superiors to ask you everytime. Learn to take ownership of work. One person who can
best set the deadlines is you yourself. Ask yourself how much time needs to be devoted to a
particular task and for how many days. Use a planner to mark the important dates against the
set deadlines.
Delegation of Responsibilities

Learn to say NO at workplace. Dont do everything on your own. There are other people as
well. One should not accept something which he knows is difficult for him. The roles and
responsibilities must be delegated as per interest and specialization of employees for them to
finish tasks within deadlines. A person who does not have knowledge about something needs
more time than someone who knows the work well.

Prioritizing Tasks

Prioritize the tasks as per their importance and urgency. Know the difference between
important and urgent work. Identify which tasks should be done within a day, which all should
be done within a month and so on. Tasks which are most important should be done earlier.

Spending the right time on right activity

Develop the habit of doing the right thing at the right time. Work done at the wrong time is not
of much use. Dont waste a complete day on something which can be done in an hour or so.
Also keep some time separate for your personal calls or checking updates on Facebook or
Twitter. After all human being is not a machine.

For Effective Time Management one needs to be:

Getting Organized - Avoid keeping stacks of file and heaps of paper at your workstation. Throw
what all you dont need. Put important documents in folders. Keep the files in their respective
drawers with labels on top of each file. It saves time which goes on unnecessary searching.

Dont misuse time - Do not kill time by loitering or gossiping around. Concentrate on your work
and finish assignments on time. Remember your organization is not paying you for playing
games on computer or peeping into others cubicles. First complete your work and then do
whatever you feel like doing. Dont wait till the last moment.

Be Focussed - One needs to be focused for effective time management.

Develop the habit of using planners, organizers, table top calendars for better time
management. Set reminders on phones or your personal computers.

Paretos Principle

Pareto's Principle is named after Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), an Italian economist-sociologist,

Professor of Political Economy at Lausanne, Switzerland, who first discovered and described the
'80:20' effect.
The Pareto Principle is known by many different names, including:

The Pareto Law,

Pareto's Law,

Pareto Theory,

The 80-20 Rule (or 80/20 Rule, or 80:20 Rule, or 80 20 Rule),

The 80-20 Principle, (or 80/20 Principle, or 80:20 Principle, or 80 20 Principle)

Pareto's 80-20 Rule (and variations of this)

The Principle of Imbalance,

Pareto's 80-20 theory extends particularly to time management - in work, business,

organizational management, and certainly personal time management outside of work too.

The Pareto Principle (at a simple level) suggests that where two related data sets or groups
exist (typically cause and effect, or input and output), for example:

"80 percent of output is produced by 20 percent of input"

"80 percent of outcomes are from 20 percent of causes"

"80 percent of contribution comes from 20 percent of the potential contribution available"

How It Can Help You

The value of the Pareto Principle for a person is that it reminds you to focus on the 20 percent
that matters. Of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matter. Those 20
percent produce 80 percent of your results. Identify and focus on those things. When the fire
drills of the day begin to sap your time, remind yourself of the 20 percent you need to focus on.
If something in the schedule has to slip, if something isn't going to get done, make sure it's not
part of that 20 percent.

Do the Right Things First

Perhaps the most important of the time management secrets is to do the right things first. It's
easy to lose focus and spend a lot of time on things that are urgent, but not important. The trick
is to stay focused on the important things and not waste your limited amount of time on
anything else.
The 80/20 Rule, also known as Pareto's Principle, says that 20 percent of something always is
responsible for 80 percent of the results.

Use Time Efficiently

Even when you master the time management secret of only working on the important tasks,
you still need to be efficient with your time if you want to get everything done.

You Can't Really Multi-task. I used to be a major fan of multi-tasking, but I've become a convert
to "chunking". The name isn't as exciting, but the results are impressive. Use Chunking Instead
of Multi-tasking and you will get more done in less time.

Many people try using to do lists to help them with time management. Still there somehow
never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. You have to use a To Do list
that helps you stick with your priorities. Here is the system that has worked for me. It can work
for you too.

One final key to using your time efficiently is to not take on more than you can handle. Many
times, that means knowing when to say no to your boss.

Get Things Done

You know the importance of doing the right things first and you are good at using your time
efficiently. But neither of those will do you any good without the third time management secret
- you have to actually get things done. It is not enough to know what to do, to think about doing
something, or to talk about doing it. You have to actually get things done.

Planning is an important part of the job we do, but it is not an end goal. Dont let process get in
the way of results. Do your planning, but don't lose sight of the need to get the job done.

Attendance, Discipline and Punctuality

Attendance, discipline and punctuality show commitment, attentiveness and determination.

This is a great representation of a positive person that is ready to get things done on time
effectively and efficiently. These traits can get a person far in life as long as they follow it up
with completing tasks in a timely fashion, with a positive and go getter attitude.

Attendance means physical presence at work/college.

It is essential for the person to remain present at work for timely completion of work.
Attendance helps fulfillment of duties and responsibilities as per time table.

Discipline is about obeying of orders, following the rules, regulations and laws et al.
Discipline means order or code of behavior. Self-discipline refers to the ability to control ones
own feeling is very important. Self-Discipline leads to overcome ones own weaknesses.

Life without Self-discipline is no life. We need be guided by rules. We have to be respectful to

our elders. We must obey our seniors.

Advantages of Discipline in Life include

1. Being focused: Being disciplined helps one stay focused towards his work, activities or
goals.
2. Respected by others: Discipline helps command respect from others.
3. Stay healthy: Disciplined life includes regular habits like taking food, medicine (if any),
having bath, exercise, waking and sleeping at right time.
4. Stay active: Discipline is a way of positive outlook to life. There is an enthusiasm and self
confidence from within. So it keeps one active and not lazy instead.
5. Self control: A person with self discipline has more self control over himself. This way he
also builds good relations with people.
6. Better Education: Discipline in education is very important for better education.
Education is incomplete without learning discipline. Classroom discipline helps students
to listen to teachings well and also cover the entire syllabus.
7. Get things done & be happy: Being disciplined helps get things done faster and in right
time.
8. Have more time in a day: A disciplined person have more time in a day than an
undisciplined person. So more time means there is more chance to do extra works or
other pending works. We can overcome procrastination and laziness in work.
9. Stay stress or tension free: One has tension during exam or daily routine work. This is
an internal anxiety or unknown fear about the outcome of the work. Staying disciplined
helps one study well in advance and not just before exams so he remains tension free.

Punctuality is an important part of self discipline and is essential to good time management.
Punctuality enables us to do a great deal of work within a short span of time. Punctuality is the
most important characteristic of all successful people. A punctual person is able to complete
his entire task on time

1. Respect Punctuality speaks of a persons respect of others. In giving respect to others

we can earn in turn.
2. Deadlines A student who isnt stressed about reaching late or has come in early enough
to give him minutes to settle in before the days work begins, has got better chances to
get more accomplished than a late comer who feels more pressurized.
3. Credibility Punctuality demonstrates your willingness to get up early, plan and make
every effort to complete your work on time.
4. Professionalism Punctuality is a sign of professionalism and helps you stand out as a
reliable and trustworthy employee. If you don't get your part of a project completed on
 time, you keep others from being able to finish their tasks. Being punctual helps you
establish your reputation as a dependable and consistent worker.

Tools to plan work (Effective Time Management tools)

To Do List: A list of tasks that need to be completed, typically organized in order of priority.

Step 1: Write down all of the tasks that you need to complete. If they're large tasks, break out
the first action step, and write this down with the larger task. (Ideally, tasks or action steps
should take no longer than 1-2 hours to complete.)

Step 2: Run through these tasks allocating priorities from A (very important, or very urgent) to F
(unimportant, or not at all urgent).If too many tasks have a high priority, run through the list
again and demote the less important ones. Once you have done this, rewrite the list in priority
order.

Benefits of a To Do List

1. Creates order A to do list is an orderly way to organize how to do the things you want to
do. Projects and plans get broken down into bite size chunks that are doable. A to do list
not only creates order but also gives you a strategy for getting things done.
2. Prioritize Manage tasks effectively. You can see all of the items at a glance and prioritize
what most needs to be done according to timelines and importance.
3. Accountability The act of writing it down in itself holds you accountable to get it done.
Once you write it down, you have given it life and now are creating a plan to accomplish
the goals you would like to see completed. You are now accountable to you.
4. Rescheduling and organizing your time. If you finish something quickly, a meeting gets
cancelled or you otherwise find yourself with extra time, you can quickly see where the
best way to spend your time is quickly to get back on track. If something comes up
unexpectedly and takes precedence in importance, when you are finished you can
quickly see and continue with your previous plans.
5. Feeling Productive It is a great feeling to cross items off your list. This gives you back
control. It also gives you a positive productive feeling and this alone is worth keeping
lists for.
6. Helps you to Delegate To do lists help you to delegate work. If you see the list is too
long, you can find others to help you get things done, whether it is asking family
members for a hand or hiring a job out.
7. Relieves Stress As you see work getting done and that you are moving forward
efficiently, it allows you to relax more. Work is getting done and so you can take a well-
deserved break. Schedule it in if you need to. I am quite good at just taking periodic
breaks whether scheduled or not.
Scheduling: a plan of procedure, usually written, for a proposed objective, especially with
reference to the sequence of and time allotted for each item or operation necessary to its
completion. To make a schedule of or enter in a schedule.

Optimising Time: Ultimately being effective is not a matter of finding a balance between two
spheres, but rather it's optimizing how you spend your time across the board. It's time that
people embrace the notion of time optimization and put the idea of attaining work-life balance
The secret lies not in weighing opposing priorities, but in planning ahead so as to have time to
spend it where you wish.

Approach to optimizing time:

1. Dont follow a one-size-fits-all system.
2. Make time for in-person communication.
3. Create a log.
4. Plan ahead.

Getting Organised: Really organized people are not born organized people. They have to
cultivate healthy habits, which then help them to stay organized. Here are the essential ten
habits they use to keep their lives in order:
1. Write Things Down: Trying to remember things will not help you to stay organized. You
should try writing things down. A pen and some paper is our way of remembering things
externally, and its much more permanent.
2. Make Schedules and Deadlines: Organized people dont waste time. They recognize that
keeping things organized goes hand-in-hand with staying productive. As an experiment, look at
your bucket list or make one. Write down the things you want to achieve this year or in your life.
Then write down what you need to do to achieve them.
3. Dont Procrastinate: The longer you wait to do something, the more difficult it will be to get it
done.
4. Give Everything a Home: Its easy to get lost if you dont have a home. Keeping your life
organized means keeping your things in their proper places.
5. Declutter Regularly: Find time each week to organize.
6. Keep Only What You Need: More stuff means more clutter. People who live organized lives
only keep what they need and what they really really want.
7. Know Where to Discard Items: Do whatever you can to get rid of stuff. Less stuff means less
clutter.
8. Stay Away from Bargains: You have removed the things you dont need. Will you replace
them when you see something on sale?
9. Delegate Responsibilities: A really organized life is not overfilled with responsibilities,
meetings, and deadlines.
10. Work Hard: Put in a little effort. Actually, put in a lot of effort when necessary.

Urgent Import Matrix The urgent-important matrix is a great tool to prioritize your tasks
visually on their scale of urgency and importance.

At the heart of the urgent-important matrix are these two questions:

1. Is this task important?

2. Is this task urgent?

By asking yourself these questions, you can begin placing your tasks in each quadrant of the
matrix. So just what does each quadrant stand for?
Quadrant 1: Urgent/Important

This quadrant is for the highest priority tasks. They need to get done now. Try to keep as few
tasks as possible here, with the aim to eliminate. If you spend too much of your time in this
quadrant, you are working solely as a trouble shooter, and never finding time to work on
longer-term plans.

Quadrant 2: Not Urgent/Important

This is where you want to spend most of your time. This quadrant allows you to work on
something important and have the time to do it properly. This will help you produce high
quality work in an efficient manner. The tasks in this quadrant are probably the most neglected
ones, but also the most crucial ones for success. You need to plan time for these activities, so
that the tasks from quadrant 1 and 3 dont take over your whole schedule. If necessary, also
plan where you will do these tasks, so that youre free from interruptions.
Quadrant 3: Urgent/Not Important Quadrant

You also want to minimize the tasks that you have in this quadrant. This is where you are busy
but not productive. These tasks are often mistaken to be important, when theyre most often
busywork.

Quadrant 4: Not Urgent/Not Important Quadrant

You want to minimize the tasks in this quadrant. This is where we go to escape after spending
too much time in quadrants 1 and 3. But this may cause quadrant 2 activities to get postponed
until they become urgent and move to quadrant 1 when it becomes too late to get them done
effectively.

In fact, this quadrant doesnt really include tasks, but rather habits that provide comfort, and a
refuge from being disciplined and rigorous with your time management. They may often be
stress-related activities, so you might want to take some time to understand if theres a root
cause for these habits.

To reduce these activities and remove the temptation to go back to them, it helps to create a
clear structure for your day by focusing on the tasks in quadrant 2.

Dont get me wrong leisure activities should definitely be part of your daily schedule! They
just need to be deliberately scheduled.