Sometimes it may seem that there isn't enough time to do everything that you need to. This can lead to a build up of stress.
When i was revising for examinations and also during my final year when i had to combine the pressures of intensive study with finding time to do my other little activities, good management of your time was particularly important. Once we have identified ways in which we can improve the management of our time, we can begin to adjust our routines and patterns of behavior to reduce any time-related stress in our lives.
HERE I LISTED A COUPLE OF WAYS WE COULD MANAGE OUR TIME
Keeping a to-do List
A daily list of tasks that need to be done is an essential part of action planning. Refer to and update this regularly. Priorities items on the list into important/not important and urgent/non-urgent. Such a list can take a variety of formats. Update your list daily, crossing off completed tasks and adding new tasks that need to be done. Urgent or important tasks can be highlighted with an asterisk.
Advantages of using a to do list
- Focuses your mind on important objectives
- You are less likely to forget to do tasks
- Writing a list helps order your thoughts
- It helps show the bigger picture
- You don't need to hold everything in your head.
- It saves time
- It helps you decide on priorities: the most important and the most urgent
- You are less likely to become sidetracked
- You get the reward of ticking off your achievements
- You feel more in control
- You have a record of what you've done
- You always have something to work on
Setting Goals
Set yourself specific and clearly defined goals, and make sure that these are realistic and achievable. To do this, you first need to examine your present situation and assess what goals are important to you and what action you need to take to achieve your target. Have a contingency plan or alternative route to your goal in case you have to change your plans, for example, taking a learning a trade or a handwork if you can't get a job.
Prioritizing
Efficiency and effectiveness are not the same. Someone who works hard and is well organised but spends all their time on unimportant tasks may be efficient but not effective. To be effective, you need to decide what tasks are urgent and important and to focus on these. This is called prioritizing. It's important to list the tasks you have and to sort these in order of priority, and then to devote most time to the most important tasks. This avoids the natural tendency to concentrate on the simple, easy tasks and to allow too many interruptions to your work.
Differentiate also between urgent and important tasks: an urgent task may not necessarily be important!
Avoiding Procrastination
Procrastination is the what sometimes prevents us of succeeding. It's important that you manage 'Your fear of doing things' you don't want to do and realize that the fear is often far worse than any possible negative results. Try to take decisions immediately when possible and when you don't need to gather more information relevant to the decision. The best time to do something is usually NOW. Taking action generates the impetus for further action. If you procrastinate you'll mostly always regret.
“Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.”
Benjamin Franklin
Breaking down tasks
Break goals down into their components so that you can accomplish them one step at a time. Write these steps down, and try to be as specific as you can when you do this. Try to complete one task before you go on to the next.
Persevering
Reward yourself for achieving these goals to maintain your enthusiasm. For example, when you get a job, celebrate with friends. Regularly review your progress towards your goals and revise plans as appropriate to take account of unforeseen changes.
Inevitably, things will not always run smoothly as you progress towards your goals. When things are not working out, you need to persevere and learn how to take a positive attitude towards frustration and failure.
Mistakes are a crucial part of any creative process and each is a lesson leading you towards the right solution. Fear of making or admitting mistakes is a major handicap to taking effective action. It is said that the people who have achieved the most have made the most mistakes! Try to be aware that satisfaction comes as much from pursuing goals as from achieving them.
Work at effective strategies to deal with pressure - these can vary from taking exercise, to relaxation techniques for me its playing video games, to simply sharing problems with friends. Being assertive can also help here, for example, politely saying no to the demands of others when you are pushed for time. Sharing tasks and problems with others will spread the burden and will bring a fresh perspective to them.
Organizing your time
Identify areas of your life where you are wasting time and try to reduce these. A good way to do this is to log everything you do for a week in meticulous detail and then examine your record to see how you use (or misuse!) your time.
