Time management is characterized by the process through which an individual or group effectually accomplish its objectives (Hellsten 4). Effective accomplishment of goals entails a sense of control over the content of what the individual or group does. Control over one’s time involves establishing specific targets and determining which activities are most important towards achieving the targets. However, it should be recognized that important activities will involve other sub-tasks around them. In that case, time estimates are crucial as they require making decisions on the time to allow for certain tasks. It also allows room for modification in case of uncertainties. Time management has been considered as a practice established through repetition and determination and discipline (Hellsten 4). Discipline in time management involves arranging and respecting priorities by planning activities to be carried out. This assignment presents the details of time management and the importance of time management in school and the workplace.
Importance of time management in school
Time management is critical for students as it has significant impacts on the student’s overall academic performance. Time management acts as a motivator for students as it clearly shows the student what tasks await him and their priorities (Kaushar 59). Students tend to understand the need for developing time management skills at the college level (Kaushar 59). The high school program is structured and dispensed in a way that it allocates time for specific activities. However, in college, there tends to be a sense of freedom and spontaneity. It is the student’s sole responsibility to manage their time effectively in order to make the most out of their college time.
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In order to effectively manage time as a student, one must observe self-awareness and their academic objectives (Kaushar 59). Self-awareness allows for a discovery of strong and weak points. It enables the student to prioritize the subjects that need more attention during private study, how to work around out of class activities like sports and when to allow time for family and friends. It eliminates unnecessary activities like excessive partying, social media, and entertainment at the expense of study time in order to create room for important ones (Kaushar 59).
Some courses are more demanding in terms of their complexity, and time required for completion. For example, a medical school student requires more research and study time as opposed to one studying the arts. It is therefore important for a student to know his academic objectives and requirements of his course. A student can then create a timetable in accordance with these objectives and requirements (Kaushar 59).
There are various fundamentals of time management for a student such as maintaining a reasonable schedule. An example of an unreasonable schedule is slacking during the semester then studying for excessively long hours during exam season. Establishing a routine that is still flexible enough to accommodate unexpected circumstances like heavier workloads is another fundamental of time management. Lastly, a student’s time management plan should be geared towards stress management. This keeps the mental, and physical health of the student intact as college can be overwhelming (University of Texas Health Science Center par 5-7).
Importance of time management at the workplace
Time management at the workplace is crucial due to the benefits it offers. Effective time management allows for the timely realization of organizational objectives, employee motivation, effective utilization of financial resources and general organizational growth. Time management is especially critical during project management activities. The principles of time management at the workplace include; prioritization of tasks, executing tasks correctly at the first attempt, avoiding time wastage, and procrastination (Walker, Wysocki and Kepnerpar 2).
Prioritizing tasks at the workplace ensures that all the daily tasks are completed without overlooking any one of them (Walker, Wysocki and Kepner par 3). It is through the daily tasks that the overall organizational objectives are realized within the stipulated time. Tasks are listed in order from the most urgent to least urgent. The list should be reasonable to avoid work overload and discouragement from the possibility of not completing the tasks in the given time.
Time gets wasted correcting mistakes made on assignments. For this reason, executing jobs correctly at the first attempt is important (Walker, Wysocki and Kepner par 10). In order to prevent mistakes, the issues that lead to the mistakes should be addressed to avoid them.
Employees should be trained thoroughly on how to handle their jobs so as to make them proficient. Time spent correcting mistakes may be used to attend to more productive ventures (Walker, Wysocki and Kepnerpar 10).
Employees tend to waste time if they are not aware of the purpose of their work. If they do not realize the importance of their work, they will not value it. During the induction process for new employees, the significance of their job should be put across clearly (Walker, Wysocki and Kepner par 13). Time spent in meetings should be kept to a minimum by ensuring that the organizer is well prepared for their presentation. Members attending the meeting should be provided with information concerning the meeting beforehand as well (Walker, Wysocki and Kepner par 13).
Procrastination is a huge setback to time management. Reasons for procrastination include; laziness, insufficient information concerning the task at hand or the fear of making mistakes. In a case of fear, the source of fear should be addressed by the relevant authority in order to foster confidence while performing the tasks (Walker, Wysocki and Kepner par 16).
Conclusion
Time management allows an individual to make the most out of their education, work and life, in general. Most times, people unconsciously engage in a dead end activities that do not add value to their lives. Placing high emphasis on the various areas of time management also minimizes time spent on tasks. Identifying the causes of procrastination and time wastage has a significant impact on making an individual effective at whichever point in their life.
- Hellsten, Laurie-Ann M. “What Do We Know About Time Management? A Review of the Literature and a Psychometric Critique of Instruments Assessing Time Management.” University of Saskatchewan, Canada. (2012): 1-27. InTech Europe. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
- Kaushar, M. “Study of Impact of Time Management on Academic Performance of College Students.” Journal of Business and Management. (2013): PP 59-60. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
- “Time Management Skills.” University of Texas Health Science Center. (2013). Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
- Walker, Sarah, Allen Wysocki, and Karl Kepner. “Managing Time in the Workplace”. University of Florida. (2015). Publication #HR014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
