Time Management
Sarika Raghuwanshi Badhwar
5.30 am:
alarm in the mobile.. swiped off
5.45 am:
action repeated
6 am: action
repeated
6.10 am:
finally awake..check phone for messages especially WhatsApp and Facebook.
6.40 am for
those who only read on the phone and 7 am for those who read and reply else
they'd be missing out on very important global issues!
Get ready
and rush for work..postpone physical fitness and other healthy options since
tomorrow never dies!
Isn't that relatable? and then we often find ourselves hard pressed for time.
If time is lost Health is lost, wealth is lost and the strength of character is lost!
Further to
my article on Stress Management (6th Jan to 12th Jan edition),everyday
functioning in a satisfactory manner requires good time management. This also aids in reducing the stress caused
due to the inability to manage time efficiently.
What is time
management?
Time
Management is the act or process of exercising conscious control over the
amount of time spent on specific activities to increase productivity and
efficiency.
Causes of
poor time management
Lack of self
discipline:
The ability
to monitor and supervise "Self"plays an important role in managing
time,the lack of which creates chaos in daily activities.
Obsession
with perfection :
In order to
attain perfection we lose time and energy on small irrelevant details.The all
or nothing syndrome,the workaholism,the fear of failure,the procrastination are
the characteristics of perfectionism and this contributes to poor time
management.
The
inability to say "NO" :
How much
work we already have on our plate needs to be identified based on which saying
a NO should be acceptable to our mind.Always saying a "Yes" is a
source of stress and leads us away from our priorities into less important
tasks.
Indecisiveness
:
Lack of
decision making skills makes us waste a lot of time.
Ineffective
work delegation:
Not
delegating right kind of work to right kind of person results in poor time
utilisation.
Lack of
patience:
Sometimes
multitasking is required but attempting too many different things
simultaneously makes us lose patience and as a result none of the tasks gets
done efficiently and effectively.
Oscillating
between alternatives and options:
Having too
many options and alternatives causes confusion so choosing the best option
within an acceptable time frame is the key there.
Physiological:
The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in time management since this part of the brain is responsible for certain brain functions like impulse control,planning and attention acting as a filter by decreasing distracting stimuli from other rain regions.Any damage in the prefrontal cortex of an individual reduces the ability to filter out distracting stimuli resulting in increased procrastination hence poor time management.
Lack of confidence:
Sometimes
it's just our perception that we lack the skill so we stop believing in
ourselves and our abilities and totally avoid completing a task in time. This
leads to further procrastination and further waste of time.
Evaluation
anxiety:
In order to
impress others ,sometimes the pressure in the mind is so much that it delays
work.
Techniques
of Managing Time effectively :
Time slot
for leisure networking:
I'm
highlighting this because in today's scenario ,most of our time (all age
groups)goes off in looking at our phones for leisure networking.Only one hour
everyday is more than sufficient for connecting with friends and relatives via
mobile phone. Call this as "My hour" and it can be split into two
parts of half hour each or three parts of 20 minutes each.The "My
hour"must mean a total of 60 minutes in one full cycle of 24 hours and
stick to it.
The Facebook and WhatsApp addicts have already stopped reading
this article ? :)
GTD;Getting
things done:
Here the
mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to
be done and the
focus is on actually performing those tasks.Record the tasks externally
in some note/ diary etc and not in the mind and just get the things done rather
than keep thinking and repeating what's to be done.
The Pomodoro
Technique:
This
technique uses a timer to break down work into a 25 minute intervals called
"pomodoro" separated by breaks.The frequent breaks can improve mental
agility.This technique is followed in this order;
Decide on
the task to be done
Set the pomodoro (timer)to 25 minutes
Work on the
task until the timer rings
Take a short
break(5minutes)
Every four
"pomodori" take a longer break (15to 20 minutes)
POSEC
method:
Prioritize
time and define life by goals.
Organize
things to accomplish regularly.
Streamline
things we do not like to do but have to do.
Economize
things we should do or may even like to do but not pressingly urgent such as
pastimes and socializing.
Contribute by paying attention to the few remaining things that make a
difference such as social obligations.
ABC
analysis:
Rank the
tasks/activities according to the urgency and importance
A:tasks that
are urgent and important
B: tasks
that are important but not urgent
C:tasks that
are neither urgent nor important.
Pareto
Analysis:
This is
based on the 80-20 rule. This principle is used to sort tasks into two parts. The
idea is that 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of time. The remaining 20% of
tasks will take up 80% of the time .The tasks that fall into the first category
should be given priority.
Time boxing:
Time boxing
is fixing the time we have available to work on a given task and then doing the
best we can within that time frame. So instead of working on something until
it's done in one sitting ,we only work on it for around 30 minutes. It is
either marked as done at the end of this period or we commit to another 30
minutes at a later time or another date.
Time boxing is the most effective tool against procrastination. It makes us
focus on things that matter most. It also allows us to work on things during
the free gaps we have between our commitments and appointments.
Conclusion:
Time is a
precious jewel that needs to be spent judiciously and managing our time is
equal to our physical, mental, spiritual, social and financial growth.
So,Let's
just slow down and focus on what's most important, learn to say NO, ration our
social networking habits, divide task into pieces and take short breaks, club
related tasks together and set a time frame ,avoid irrelevant unimportant
details and most important of all: Never procrastinate.
Regards
Prof. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library & Information Science (NET Qualified)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge Repository
Khaitan & Co
Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
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