Managing time - Serena Kallian

'Time and tide waits for no man' and 'Time is money' are well known phrases referred to by people when they have to explain the importance of time especially in today's world. Each of us has 24 hours in a day with 365 days in a year and so we are always pressed for time when it comes to work or studies. How do we make the most of it? The answer lies in 'effective time management'. Who needs it? All of us do and not just managers/to be managers/students. It is critical however in management. If you happen to be an aspirant preparing for the coming onslaught of entrance exams then time is definitely not on your hands. Time management therefore becomes an important skill that needs to be cultivated early on. Why do we say cultivated? Because time management is a well learned and practised habit that is acquired after constant application and it requires a lot of restraint and discipline. Nobody is born with it.

Many students come to understand the need to hone or fine tune their time management skills only after they enter a b school because the course expects them to deliver a lot within a short period. All this is in preparation for a successful corporate career. Often when we talk about time there is a constant fear associated with it, this has more to do with time constraints. All of us tend to experience some bit of stress because of deadlines at work or college, examinations, entrance tests etc. This fear can be conquered or subdued by accepting the task ahead as a worthy challenge and preparing for it. Challenges cease to become hurdles if one learns effective techniques of preparation and time management. Here's looking at a stepwise approach towards this endeavour

Knowing one self

Knowing what you are capable of achieving is always the first step towards acquiring good time management skills. If you happen to be a workaholic who is constantly taking up work and extra curricular activities and find yourself in a lurch for time, then it calls for serious introspection. Maybe some of the activities can be divided between more people thus proving your leadership and team work skills. Learn to say no to extra work if you know you cannot do justice to it and also learn to prioritise, for instance devoting more time to the MBA entrance preparations may come before a social commitment or a college fest. You may know of people who can achieve gargantuan work and balance it well with their extra curricular and social life with a 90-100 per cent success rate. A similar feat may not prove to be a success in your case. Remember that no two people are made of the same dough. Each person is gifted with unique qualities both good and bad, so learn to accept it.

Keeping records

Be aware of your daily routine and activities. This will enable you to understand where your time is spent the most. Maintain a log or i a personal diary where you constantly keep track of what you do in a day at work/leisure/social life etc. By doing this simple exercise you will realize the areas where you need to reduce wastage of time, maybe you spend a lot of your time on social networking sites or on the phone. So remind yourself of your priorities and your immediate goals and decide to spend more time on the concerned tasks. Do not avoid the social or curricular activities completely but learn to devote time moderately.

Taking action

Merely understanding your weak areas or devising a strategy is not enough. These efforts must be combined to produce an effective action plan. From time immemorial parents have tried to instill the habit of maintaining a time table especially when an examination is near as children. Following these time tables many a times were difficult firstly owing to their idealistic nature. They did not relate to one's daily activities and interests. If a person needs 8 hours of sleep then ensure that the time table follows the same. It is important to be realistic while drawing up a plan.

Decide as to which would be the best time for study in the day, for many people mornings are considered the best so devote your time accordingly and make provisions for adequate number of breaks in the time table. It is always good to tackle difficult topics for study say for instance quantitative or logical reasoning problems when you feel the freshest.

Most of us are constantly tempted with the habit of procrastination, the later never comes and postponing the work only creates more chaos in the future. So 'now' is always a good time.

Action tools

Resort to helpful methods or tools like an organiser or arranging a to-do list on the mobile etc to remind yourself of your weekly, monthly activities and give priority based on the urgency and importance of the task. Keep track of the completion of the marked tasks and always have an idea of the time required to complete them. These simple tactics serve as great help even in a corporate career.

Utilising idle time and faster reading

Today most of us have to travel a considerable distance to reach our work or study destinations, this time spent in limbo can be best used by catching up on your reading. Always carry your reading material, books, newspapers or magazine with you on such journeys, it helps drive boredom away  and also lets you finish up reading that may be pending.
Reading is vouched for as an essential habit especially for an aspirant but not every one is a fast reader. There are however techniques that can help you become one. For instance avoid reading aloud this slows down the reading speed. Use the mind to read phrases not the eyes or the voice to read a sentence word by word this also helps you understand the gist of a paragraph faster. Mind reading is a cultivated habit, so practise. Time yourself while you read this helps when you tend to get distracted.

To wrap up here's a line in Benjamin Franklin's words, “Dost thou love life, then do not squander time for that's the stuff life is made off.”