A Comprehensive Time Management Guide (That ANYONE Can Follow)

We have all heard people saying that we have a finite amount of time on this spinning ball we call Earth, but quite a few of them make use of this finite resource judiciously.

Perhaps, of all the resources, time is one such resource that has a special fan base. People of all economic levels, be it the rich or the not-so-rich, everybody’s life revolves around how well they make use of their time. 

Managing time effectively can also help in stress management. Time management increases the effectiveness of short and long-term goal setting. 

In a study published in the Pearson Journal of social sciences and humanities, it was found that

there is a positive correlation between setting your short-medium-long term goals and its impact on the overall performance.

In addition to this, it was also seen that the identification of priorities was touted as one of the most important aspects of time management.

One question I would like to address at the outset is, why time management has gathered mammoth popularity? Probably because we as humans are goal-oriented. Goals drive us to do better than before. And, how well we manage our time decides the fate of our goals and objectives.

Benefits of time management are: 

1. Punctuality:

As kids, we might have come across during our school days that the children belonging to the defense families were usually more punctual than the rest of the students. You ever wondered why?

It’s mainly because the environment at their homes is such, that punctuality and reverence for time get inculcated in them from early childhood.

But you don’t have to belong to a certain family background to be punctual. Being punctual is not even a skill. It’s a way of life that anybody can incorporate into their life.

According to a YouGov Poll, millennials are the least punctual workers in the U.S, 22% of whom admitted that they arrive late at work at least once a week. Also, the poll threw light on the reliability of older folks when it comes to punctuality at work.

By being punctual, you can keep your worries associated with meeting deadlines or missing appointments(of course unintentionally) at bay.

2. Morale Booster

When you adhere to a timeline and do it routinely, what it does is, it builds your self-confidence. 

Your morale is boosted when you make productive use of your time. Productivity is equal to self-confidence.

Morale gets boosted when you’re aware that time is being used productively. According to a paper published in the Singaporean Journal of Business economics, and management studies, individuals who accomplish their tasks in a stipulated time are more popular at their workplace. 

They are looked up to by their peers and this is a very big confidence and morale booster for them.

3.You will achieve goals in a timely fashion:

It is not difficult to comprehend that if you don’t manage your time well, you don’t get work done or you don’t make any tangible progress.

If you don’t attest a timeline to your task, then that’s not a goal, that’s just daydreaming. Achieving your goals & objectives is only possible when you have a knack for managing your time well. That is the reason why time management is so important in life.

It is seen quite often that when you chart out your goals and then work towards them, chances are that you will achieve your targets well within time. Essentially, making a plan and sticking to it is the cornerstone of effective time management.

4. Time management reduces stress & anxiety:

Stress is the buzzword of the 21st century. You must have heard your parents saying that they had a peaceful and stress-free upbringing and they were right in saying that. They had their priorities set due to which they didn’t have any trouble tackling their share of problems.

The pressing question is, why are we stressed? The simple answer is, setting our priorities is not a priority of many. Stress is directly proportional to the ineffective management of time.

The effect of time management on stress & anxiety can be clearly understood through an article published in Educational Psychology- an International Journal Educational Experimental Psychology. The study was carried out for freshmen students and the results were quite pleasing.

The group which was provided time management training fared quite well in terms of their perceived stress levels compared to the control group. Even a short 2 hours of intervention led to reduced stress levels in these freshmen.

5. You will become the master at prioritizing

If you want to take home one single message from this article, then I would urge you to imbibe this particular benefit. Why are so many people failing to meet their deadlines? It’s basically because the importance of setting priorities is of little significance to them.

A very learned man once told me that you can learn about a person’s values by observing two key things- his calendar and his checkbook. The older I get, this statement starts making more sense to me.

We all get the same 24 hours in a day. But not all will utilize it similarly. Some will value it more and some will not. The ones who do, have strong ethics towards setting their priorities right and in turn, manage their time quite effectively.

6. You’ll reclaim the “elusive” work-life balance that most of them fail to have.

I reserved the best benefit for the last. Who doesn’t like to be a  productive professional and a family man, both at the same time? You’re right. Everybody wants to be that person. And, effective time management does just that.

Work-life balance is still a distant dream for many. But, having the right balance is not as difficult as it seems. 

In a survey, it was found that 62% of Polish employees were satisfied with their work-life balance in 2021. And they attributed this balance to managing their time effectively, especially during their commutes.

Allocating the right amount of time to your commitments on the personal as well as the professional front is the key. You will seldom have a perfect work-life balance but your quest for the same should be unending.

You may be single today, may have a family followed by a kid tomorrow, in all cases, effective time management is important to draw the right balance between your priorities. 

How you can use your time more wisely?

Most of the things that I’ll cover here may sound repetitive to you but our human brain is made in such a way that without repetition, you will forget most of the things read before.

Having said that, here are some things or ways which will help you to take note of your time and in turn use it judiciously.

• Proper Goal Setting:

I cannot stress enough when it comes to goal setting. Sometimes, I feel that time management is very closely linked to goal setting. Without goal setting, you cannot manage your time, and without time management, you will not be able to hit your goals.

Proper goal setting will also ensure that you will stay away from distractions if any.

When you have your list of goals ready with you, you are in charge of dropping the lesser important goals for time being in favor of the important ones, thereby utilizing your time to the best of your abilities.

Lastly, as much as goal setting is important, setting a few moments aside for relaxing is also very important. Why? Because it guards you against burnout and you are good to go when you’re back to work with full vigor.

• Being self-aware

Time management is essentially managing yourself. As a leader, you should always be on your toes since all your activities are being keenly watched by your peers as well as subordinates. This is where self-awareness comes to your rescue.

There are a few things mentioned below that you can start doing right away to be more self-aware.

1. You can take a few moments out of your busy schedule and reflect on the entire day’s proceedings. By doing this simple thing, you can take your self-awareness to the next level and make note of all the things that you could improve upon.
2. To be self-aware and manage your time at the same time, make sure that you do your most creative tasks in your peak productivity hours.
3. Reflect upon your to-do list throughout the day so that you are mindful of your priorities.
4. If you find yourself in a tight spot, it is always recommended to have a few quiet moments by taking deep breaths or going for a small stroll to calm your mind. Because if you show how stressed you are, the people looking up to you will eventually feel stressed, and that’s not a good sign.
5. You can keep your schedule flexible by having a few slots in your calendar where you can review your progress.
6. Health should be your most important priority. Make sure you take out time to unwind. Depending on your type, you can either exercise or meditate to soothe yourself and be in touch with your inner self.

• Ability to make decisions in quick time

Your ability to make decisions and managing time effectively are two sides of the same coin. Executing decisions swiftly is the key to time management.

Taking timely and quick decisions would mean less time spent pondering over options. People who are unable to make decisions in quick time are the ones who haven’t set their priorities right. They spend most of their time on distractions and get a minuscule amount of work done.

Moreover, your overall decision-making skills can contribute to your level of effective time management. Many lifestyle decisions such as drinking enough water, sleeping adequately, having a healthy morning routine can lead to a lifestyle that is devoid of stress. And this in turn will help you to allocate your precious time to the things that matter the most to you apart from being able to make better decisions on the job.

• Being patient

Patience is the most important virtue, if practiced regularly, can make you the most productive person in the room.

When you lack patience, you are quick to abandon the task at hand and rush ahead with the rest of your tasks. This abandonment has a deleterious effect on your productivity.

When you are in a hurry and act impatiently, you tend to miss the details which you wouldn’t have missed had you heard with a patient ear. This leads to unnecessary repetition and waste of time.

Being patient helps in focussing on the present moment rather than running around behind multiple tasks all at once. By doing this, you will be able to get more work done and you will feel a sense of satisfaction after completing each task with patience and focus.

Lastly, patience is what keeps you away from stress. When you approach life patiently, you tend not to panic at the sight of every obstacle that comes your way. Instead, you deal with it more maturely. When you’re not stressed, you manage your time even more effectively.

My final thoughts

I may have missed a few pointers as to why is time management important in life. But the information laid down in this article can act as a beacon and a quick refresher on important aspects which emphasize the use of time effectively.

It all boils down to one thing- your growth is 100% dependent on how much you respect your time. We all want to be successful, but only a few of us are ready to go ahead and achieve our set objectives which is only possible if we utilize our hours well.

In the end, we should never forget that lost time can never come back. And regret is more painful than anything else. So, my friend, before it’s too late, get your life on track by making the best possible use of time as you can. Because the only differentiator between a winner and a loser is your ability to manage your clock well.