Time management is often misunderstood as a characteristic ability. But let me assure you, anybody can learn to manage their time irrespective of their behavioural traits. It just needs prudent monitoring of your actions and gradually turning them into well-framed habits.
All of us have a long-term goal in life. It forms the anvil of the propelling force which leads us forward, every day. But in addition to this, we need a macro plan, which overviews this target we might be likely to achieve in five or ten years. A micro scheme complements this further, enabling us to understand what has to be targeted in this single year, which will take us a step forward in the path to our long-term goal. After forming your yearly plan, you need your monthly and weekly targets. And now we reach our crucial point - your daily goals. This forms the very backbone of your work or school life.
The first step is to build a proper sleep routine. Healthy uninterrupted eight hours of sleep will indubitably do wonders to your brain. You have to experiment and decide at which time your brain yields the most productive results and subsequently adapt your brain and body to this routine.
Start your day by setting a to-do notepad. You can divide your work into four or five time slots. Don't fix unattainable daily goals. It will only create unnecessary tension and self-doubt. Identify your abilities, your pace at work and plan your day accordingly. Dedicate your entire energy into each slot and be flexible to unprecedented developments in your surrounding environment. It is highly recommended to fix a spot for yourself in your workplace or home and be systematic in the way you maintain it. Unnecessary cluttering of your workspace would be the biggest mistake you commit in managing your time.
Prioritising your activities will help you decide how to utilise your limited time in life. Your consistency in maintaining a periodic work routine will determine the results you yield from it. If transportation time eats up your productivity, think about means by which you could utilise it effectively. As for self- commuters, audio-e-papers and magazines which relate to your plans can be accommodated into your transportation time.
Motivating yourself will help to capture a big portion of the time you tend to waste in emotional dilemmas. Taking adequate rest in between your time slots, spiritual or physical exercises, listening to music, spending time with family and friends will lead to higher productivity.
Never let your time dominate you. Make yourself capable of dominating it instead.
Remember “Time isn't the main thing; it is THE ONLY THING.”
Content Contributor: Shreya Anil