Mastering Time Management Skills: How to Manage Your Hectic Schedule
Do you find yourself always rushing to get things done? Do you often feel stressed in the end? Well then, it is time for you to start learning time management skills to keep up with your hectic schedule. Here are some skills that you need to master so as to make the most out of your time.
- The skill of planning. Time management is all about mapping out a plan or schedule to follow throughout the day so that you do not cram in the end. You have to allot time for each of your tasks, making allowances for unforeseeable circumstances. However, some people think that planning means scheduling every moment of the day, which is a big misconception. You should allow flexibility in your schedule.
- The skill of saying no. If you think your tasks are already brimming full, it is okay to say no to other assignments. Some people may feel uncomfortable with saying no, but that is better than giving half-baked and poor quality works. You have to keep in mind that you cannot do everything, so the best thing to do is to delegate it to someone else with more time and commitment in their hands.
- The skill of prioritization. Learning time management skills require you to prioritize the most immediate tasks rather than those which are needed in a few weeks’ time. Moreover, prioritization also applies to your whole life–would you prioritize your career over your own health? Or your career over your family? If you feel that you are straying away from your priorities, better make changes–it is never too late.
- The skill of being organized. Being organized is one skill that is congruent to time management. Just imagine how much time you will be able to save if you know where to find your things. In fact, one big time waster is searching for your missing things. Moreover, a neat and organized workplace can give you peace of mind, so that you are able to concentrate better.
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Great list of essential skills for task management. I used and taught Covey and Daytimer for many years before reading David Allen’s GTD book and switching to GTD. Its made a significant impact for the good on my business and personal productivity.
And I found an application that allows me to view my entire GTD at work on my Win machine, at home on my Macs and even on my cell phone. And another app lets me call in tasks to my GTD without any writing or typing, great for those thoughts that hit me while driving.
I’ve written about my experiences with GTD at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com/how-to-gtd/ John
If you’d like a tool for managing your time and projects, you can use this application inspired by David Allen’s GTD:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage and prioritize your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version and iCal are available too.
Great article. I think you hit the nail on the head with priorities. Lets face it, we are all really busy, and if you are not careful you can end up being controlled by the tyranny of the urgent, constantly putting out fires. Prioritizing and planning your work, and then working your plan, is a great step towards getting the most important things done.
Kell
http://www.effective-time-management-strategies.com/time-management-matrix.html
[...] Master Time Management Skills in 4 Easy Ways Time management is all about mapping out a plan or schedule to follow throughout the day so that you do not cram in the end. You have to allot time for each of your tasks, making allowances for unforeseeable circumstances. … [...]