Core Steps to Mastering Time Management

Any activity or operation takes a certain period to complete, and this period is known as time. Time is a significant part of our lives as it is something we can lose and never get back. Every moment in our life is time. Anything scarce in this world becomes a valuable treasure for us, and time is clearly one of those things. Time has no beginning and no end. However, we can measure it as years, months, days, hours, minutes, or even seconds. Time is limited. Each one of us has 24 hours a day. That is 1440 minutes or 86, 400 seconds. And this time is needed in every aspect of our daily lives. We need time to work, study, rest, eat among other living chores. We need time to interact with people, to achieve our goals, and most importantly we need time to focus on what matters most to us. Still, it seems that there is never enough time in the day. Yet, since we all get 24 hours a day, why is it that some people are able to accomplish much more with their time than others? The answer is time management. You may wonder how we can manage our time in the fast paced society we live in. Well, let me present to you four simple and doable steps.

One of the most significant steps towards managing our time is writing a to-do list. By being aware of the things that need to be done on a given day, one can avoid wasting time on useless tasks. A well-ordered to-do list helps us distinguish between what is necessary and what is redundant. Experts also recommend checking-off items as they are accomplished because maintaining a clear outline of completed and uncompleted tasks helps us feel motivated, well focused, and organized.

Another useful step in mastering time management is to refrain from distraction. Social media, websites, our cell phones and other electronic devices are the main reasons for that distraction. To avoid feeling side-tracked, we can switch off our phones and keep them out of the way while studying or performing any other task.

Moreover, managing our time is consistent with improving the efficiency of our work. Regardless of what type of work we do on a daily basis, we can always find multiple methods to improve our efficiency at executing that job. For instance, as students, we can come up with different methods of studying such as the use of flash cards in order to enhance our efficiency.

The fourth step in managing our times demands that we accept our limitations. There are many times when you put in too much effort in order to complete a job and yet feel that the given time frame is so short that you cannot get everything done. They key here is to keep striving without allowing these unavoidable limitations to reduce your determination and drive. It is crucial to acknowledge the fact that there are limits to our output and ability to handle our time efficiently, and many of these limits are simply beyond our control.

With all that being said, mastering our time management is an important life skill. Besides increasing our productivity, it improves the quality of our lives and relieves stress. If we deploy these time management strategies in our everyday lives, we become more determined and effective individuals. I truly believe that there is always time. Even if we are busy, we can always find time for what matters and when we focus on what matters we can model the lives we aspire to live in the limited time we've got.