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Why is Your Time Management So Important?

Time management is a common problem faced by most of us. Oftentimes, when you are swarmed with multiple tasks at once, it becomes extremely difficult to identify which ones you must complete first. Too often, people eat up what is supposed to be their free time to be able to accomplish all pending tasks in time. It takes a considerate amount of skill in order to manage your time properly. If you are one of these people, you are usually able to control your time efficiently.  You are in the minority if you are even able to finish tasks ahead of time.

Let’s try to analyze the importance of time management in different fields.  New college students (freshmen) can face many challenges and create difficult situations for themselves when their time management is improperly managed. The liberty to choose your own schedule readily creates a false notion that they can do whatever they want.  On the other hand, it reflects one's priorities and how you are able to properly appropriate them into your schedule.

With lack of proper time management, a student will have trouble coping up with deadlines set by professors.  Most students will tend to slack off during vacant hours and end up accomplishing nothing. If a student has prepared his or her own list of work for the day, he or she will be able to properly allocate the time spent for extracurricular activities and assignments.

Time Management at Work:

When it comes to your job, proper usage of your time is more particular.  This is because you are paid for the hours of service you render to your place of employment.  Good company administrators will try to ensure that each hour you spend at the office is utilized effectively for work.  Despite of this, employees still make the big mistake and seek out ways to have longer breaks.

If time is not properly managed, employees could easily eat up more time for their “breaks” than what is actually spent on actual work.  The company ends up paying employees overtime for unfinished work, especially for projects with deadlines.  If the overtime rendered is reflected on the employee paycheck, then good for that employee, but not a good business practice for the employer.  The company is reaping the unpleasant effects of poor time management, which in this volatile economy can be devastating and very costly.

The Essence of Time Management:

With the varying scenarios presented, it all comes down to one thing – proper time management.  It allows you to achieve more in less time as compared to doing things without following a suitable system.  By properly allocating your time, you will be able to finish your tasks much faster.  Also, you are able to avoid overlapping tasks that tend to slow you down.

How is efficiency linked to proper time management?  Listing your intended work for the day is more than just a reminder.  Instead, a list of things to accomplish in a given day reminds you in terms the importance and urgency of your objectives.  When you make a list, it is important that you also create a time table for each corresponding task.  This way, you are compelled to follow them in the time frame that was indicated to increase efficiency.

Aside from becoming more efficient, you also become more responsible when you learn how to properly manage your time.  Setting your priorities also provide equal time for both work and leisure.  Time management becomes important in order to work effectively whether in school or work.

Probably the biggest benefit you can get from proper time management is that it improves the quality of your work setting and the tone for others to follow.  When you have ample time to work on a certain task, you will have enough time to determine any mistake and have enough time to correct or improve on it.  When you are cramming in work, you do not have this luxury of revision and mostly settle for what you can accomplish under the allowed time frame.

To those who fail to manage their time well, most of them work under pressure or have to work extra hours before the deadline.  Sadly in many instances they do not get the chance to check the quality of their work.

These are just a few of the practical reasons why time management must be practiced by anyone who wants to become more effective in their field.

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By John M. BetanCourt

Training and Development Coordinator