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Time Management is a struggle for most people these days when we have so much to do and less time to accomplish them, but we must learn to understand time in its actual context and know that being able to Learn and Understand Time management is of great importance to life.
Credit: Photo by Seth Macey on Unsplash
That said, Time is the essence of life, It is the basis to what exists, what existed and what will exist, it further gives us the background for discipline, and to really understand time management you got to first know the fundamental things in the Universe; Space, Time, Energy, and Matter, these are the four fundamentals of the Universe often called as STEM, just in case you can’t recall each one significantly.
The Time Construct
What is Time? We’ve all learned from our elementary stages of life that Time is a unit of measurement, and that it helps us to keep track of what we achieve in a particular setting. We also learned that Time is associated with seconds, minutes and hours, maybe days too. Basically, Time is what we use to measure our day to day activities, it is the only unit of measure that outweighs all other units of measure, in giving us a sense of duration.
However, Wikipedia offers a really profound meaning of time and then you would understand why I say that time is the essence of life. According to Wikipedia, ''Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events that occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future''. For Every sequential event that happens in life its origin is governed by various components which all leads to time, it helps to compare rate of changes in reality and it is a theoretical construct of the human mind just for effective purposes for it is only a paradox that we only create internally and yes we may be able to tell time by looking at the clock but it is only as a result of that clock that we are able to tell time efficiently.
So, if you could just for a day manage the construct of time internally, then you are on your way to mastering the art of time management and also many experience in life and truth is; if you stare at the clock a lot more than you actually observe time then it would move slowly even I have had this experience myself but if you were probably occupied with a couple of tasks then you’d notice that time flies so fast that’s because It’s the Time Construct.
Time is very precious when it comes to running errands, big and small businesses, handling kids and most of all living a life of accuracy and when it comes to managing it most of us don’t know the first thing to even do to have an effective time managed Life. Everything we need to achieve can be done in a particular time frame if managed properly. The very definition of time management gives a more insightful point, it is defined as the process of planning, organizing and exercising conscious control over time in handling specific tasks with the aim of increasing efficiency and effectiveness. However, There are almost a million ways to be effective in time management, techniques, and rules to be time conscious while some are complex, others are simple but not so easy. So I came up with the Six Rules of Time Management to help us master the art of Timing, they are my favorites and they are really efficient:
Rule #1: Make Plans- Stick To Them
As humans, we sometimes tend to say things that we end up not doing, its the same for setting up or making a plan. Most times we don’t even have a plan for the day, I mean like in 24 hours a day you don’t even have a single plan. Plans can be simple and complex at the same time depending on who’s making them, you could actually see it this way; when you wake up in the morning what’s the first set of stuff you do? The kinds of stuff anyone would do first is to brush, shower or wash-up as the case may be, put on some clothes, eat and head out.
Now, all these things are plans you made by default, you planned that you would brush, shower, eat and head out on default. However, bringing it into life goals and businesses in relation to time management is very simple. Whenever you Make a Plan for the day make sure you stick to it and follow through step by step, organize your day and week in accordance with all you want to achieve at the time and map out a time frame for each plan making sure that the duration for the plans are what you can work with so you don’t out-work yourself and when you can do this effectively you are on your way to Mastering Time Management and if there are cases when you feel like you skipped a plan and you’re kind of lost, just simply refer back to those plans and find yourself again.
Rule #2: Priority Level Is Essential
In understanding Time management, Priority comes first to mind, Yes you have got to prioritize your plans in order of importance because whether you like it or not, any plan you make has its level of importance and if you had a list of them then you must understand that they can’t all be on the same level of importance. There is a pattern to prioritize your goals, plans, and schedule, I call it the ''Priority Scale'' and no matter how many plans you make they must all fall into the Priority Scale that I will introduce to you straight away;
• Important And Necessary- Whatever plan, task, goal or schedule that you need to do that must be done, attack them straightaway and accomplish them.
• Important But Not Necessary- There are certain plans and goals that often appear as important and necessary but when tested with time, you find out that they aren’t really necessary but are important anytime you find things like this when carrying out a plan, you can always decide when to do them.
• Necessary But Of No Importance- Sometimes there are goals and plans that are really necessary but have no atom of importance when you cross them just simply do it when you feel like because if you accomplish them with the mind that they are important, in the long run, they have no lasting value and even if it did have any value it would definitely be little.
• Not Important Not Necessary- Like it or Not, there are goals that are not important and at the same time not even necessary, you can choose not to do them at all or better still, handle them later.
When you are able to do any task or plan with this scale then time management wouldn’t seem all that complex anymore so, start now, write down three plans and tasks you want to accomplish today and, then handle them using the Priority Scale.
Rule #3: Avoid Taking The Distraction Lane
If you really want to be a master in the art of Time management, you have got to stop getting distracted so easily. Distractions are camouflages, they appear to be attractions but they are not.
Most things can appear useful but can also be a form of distraction; Your device is essential am aware but it is really a distraction and above all it is addictive, often referred to as Man’s kind time-killer. I would recommend that you shut down or turn off your devices when handling tasks and plans that don’t require the use of smart gadgets yes, it may seem so hard but exercise your willpower and simply create break-times when you need to rest or check up stuff on the internet, that way you can maximize time.
Rule #4: Have Boundaries For Yourself
There’s absolutely no human being that can read minds, so make sure to state your limits nor boundaries first to yourself and then to people and do it politely you don’t want someone thinking you are arrogant when you are only trying to let them understand that Time is Money to you and that it is of great importance that you manage your time well. There are times when you need to take quick calls and there are times when you can’t do that so make sure to state it to anyone that at this particular time you won’t take calls and there are times when you stay up late with reasons but there should be an occasion for that so that you could maximize the time you have.
Rule #5: Never Ever Procrastinate
Whatsoever that you can do today that needs to be done, do it today;
Simply put if you had the chance to accomplish a task earlier than you normally would well then, take the chance and if there are cases when you finish a plan before the week or day runs out feel free to kick off the next day’s plan or the next week's plan because it is far better to finish earlier than finish later. So make this your Golden Rule and you have mastered Time management.
Rule #6: Be Conscious Of Your Self- Get Some Quality Rest
This last rule is pretty much self-explanatory but nonetheless I would say that getting a good rest is quite essential to Time management and sleeping early can come in handy trust me because an Alert Mind has no business with time-wasting activities so get some good sleep and exercise a lot to keep a high-functioning mind.
Do some quality exercise to keep you up to speed and whilst you're at work make sure you treat yourself to a proper healthy meal, go out with a couple of friends, enjoy your life, feel free to take pictures though if you want then also consume a lot of walnuts and cashews, they boost brain power which in turn helps improve your level of response to time with respect to all of the things you need to achieve and whenever you notice that you're behind schedule, take a break and clear your mind consciously though, then get back right into it. If you can master these rules then you are already a master of Time management and with no doubt, you already have the willpower to control all that you do so you can manage your life perfectly well.
Time Management requires an excessive amount of commitment, energy and above all it requires discipline and no matter the kind of person you think you might be, Time Management enhances your work performance and reduces the level of stress you undergo and gives you an edge over circumstances. When you master these rules perfectly well, then you automatically become what you are practicing to be, a ''Time Master''. Make sure you manage Your Time Well.
Thank You.