Time Management

Hi, and welcome back the second section of this course. In this section, we will understand the various time management skills, their importance, and how you can improve your time management skills. When you learn to manage your time, you will see that you are a lot more productive and efficient. Moreover, you also have time on hand to do things that you like. By organizing your day, you make yourself one step closer to completing things within their deadline. You also have space and flexibility to be more proactive and creative with your tasks. In short, having the right kind of skills will help you move forward in life and accomplish everything you want. Let us start this section by understanding the definition or term of time management skills. 

What are time management skills?
Time management skills are the ability to perform tasks by focusing on them in the right way. It is all about being disciplined with the approach that you use. The skills are nothing but qualities that you learn or develop based on your experiences and knowledge. In this section, we will look at the skills you need to manage your time. I will also explain each of them individually so that you will understand the differences. So, let us move ahead. We start with the first skill called- 

Organization
Staying organized means that you have a clear picture of things. It also means that you know when you need to complete your task or goal. When you refer to the term well-organized, it means that the person understands the concept – A place for everything and everything in its place. It also means that you learn to document things correctly to ensure that you have not missed anything. 

Prioritization
There is a difference between importance and prioritization. In time management, prioritizing in the right way is very important. Everything may be necessary, but rating their importance is what will help you prioritize them. Some people may prioritize simple and easy tasks first, while others may prioritize the time-sensitive ones. Some people prefer to combine the two and prioritize their work. It is all about the individual’s preference. 

Goal-Setting
To be a good manager of time, you have to set goals. These goals will help you to understand and reach your end goal. Every person should have a long-term goal and have a list of short-term goals to accomplish it. This is the key aspect to being successful not only professionally, but personally as well. 

Communication
Communication is the key to success, and I believe in it. If you do not learn how to communicate correctly, you will only waste time repeating the same thing repeatedly. Proper Communication also helps you to align the relevant tasks to achieve the goals that you have set. 

Planning
Proper planning is one of the fundamental parts of appropriate time management. Planning helps to accomplish things quickly and on-time. It also means that you use your day properly.

Delegation
Now, this particular point is not limited to only managers or higher management personals. Delegation can also work well in your personal life. When you look at this point on a professional front, you delegate the relevant task to the right person based on their skills and expertise. This will help you to complete your project on time. It also means that you learn to say NO when you are overboard with work.
On the personal front, delegation can help make your personal life a lot easy. For example, you and your partner can delegate the housework and chores evenly so that you both can finish the work fast. It will help you and your partner to spend quality time with each other. Similarly, delegating work to your children helps them to learn to be responsible. It teaches them the importance of taking responsibility and completing it correctly. 

Stress Management
It is vital to plan and manage your time; you also need to keep your stress levels under control. In time management, stress plays a significant role. You need to understand that if you do not control your stress levels, you will not be able to focus. This will result in a delay in completing your task. When you learn how to keep your stress levels under control, you will think with a clear head.
Now that you know the different skills that will help you manage your time, let us move on to the next topic in this section.  

Importance of time management skills
Time management skills make it easy for you to accomplish your goals. These skills make you stay focused and help you achieve the results that you want. There are various tools that you can use along with the skills to make planning a lot easy. For example, systematically scheduling your tasks and meetings will help you have a very productive day. Similarly, thinking about the big picture and strategizing the ways you will achieve it is an essential factor in time management skills.
I would now want to move on to the third and final topic of this section. In the upcoming topic, I will be helping you with ways to improve your time management skills. Many people ask me how I have mastered the art of managing my time management skills. The answer is straightforward – It is all about investing in one’s self. That is right. If you want to improve your skills, you have to spend the time and effort. In the next topic, I will show you some natural methods and techniques of how to master and improve your time management skills. So, let us move on to the last topic of this section without wasting any more time. 

How to improve time management skills
Arianna Huffington rightly said – “We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.”
Before I go ahead with this part of the section, I would request you to pay close attention to what I’m saying. These tips and pointers will make it easy for you to improve your skills and master the art of time management. Let us start with the first method of how to improve your time management skills. 

Make a list of the skills you wish to improve
When it comes to self-help, it is imperative to identify your strengths and weaknesses. This is one of the best ways to understand where you stand. When you know which skills you need to improve, you also learn to pinpoint the areas or skillsets that you lack in time management. It will also help you to strategize and work in the right direction towards self-improvement. 

Dedicate yourself to improving your skills with investments
Without dedication, there is no improvement. To be dedicated to self-improvement, you have to understand why you need to educate yourself. This understanding is the investment of time, energy, and in some cases, money as well. It is also important that you keep yourself motivated and prepared for whatever challenges and obstacles will come your way. Remember, the path is not easy, but if you remain focused, it is achievable. 

Set honest goals and milestones
There are realistic goals, and then there are unrealistic goals. Setting unrealistic goals is a clear indicator that a person does not value time. This is a person who will waste precious time on something that is not important. Even when you set goals, you have to set the ones that will make you a better person. Choose goals that are based on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. You need to understand that it is essential for you to work on your shortcomings effectively rather than adding to your stress levels. Setting reasonable goals and milestones will take you a long way. 

Get a coach or mentor
As much as you would like to do things yourself, you need to ensure that you are on the right path. Having a coach or mentor’s guidance expedites the process of self-improvement in the right way. Moreover, with the right direction and suggestions, you will learn how to overcome your shortcomings and improve yourself accordingly. You can choose anybody who you feel is a person that will guide you and correct you. Remember to keep an open mind, a willingness to learn and accept your flaws, and change. 

Have a plan for improving the skill
Now it is not enough that you identify which skills you lack. You also need to have a plan to improve them. This plan can even be as small as breaking down the different ways you want to improve yourself. It can also mean undergoing specific practices or training initiatives to improve yourself. Remember, it is never too late to improve and work on yourself. It is better to realize and work on it than to realize and ignore it. Have a plan and stick by it, you will see a big difference in your approach. 

Get some support
Whenever you need to work on yourself, you need to have a good support system to back you up. Having a support system does not mean that you are weak. Sometimes you need an external push from someone you trust to take the leap. When you have a good support system, you remain motivated and focused on making the change. There will be times when you would want to give up or quit, during such times, having someone to back you up makes a big difference. 

Monitor your progress
You have to keep on monitoring your progress to ensure that you are on the right track. When you are making a change in your life, you have to make sure that you are heading in the right direction. You can choose to make notes, maintain a to-do list, or even just keep a big whiteboard and jot things down. This will help you to understand where you presently stand. 

Have fun with the process
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. This is something that we have been hearing since we were kids. A person needs to have a balanced life to live it to the fullest. Even when you are working towards improving ourselves, we should have fun. Do not be too serious; instead, learn to enjoy the process of learning and change. You will see a big difference in your attitude and approach.