Research Paper on Time Management

Research Paper on Time Management

Our daily lives consist of schedules and planning. Trying to fit everything into a 24-hour period can be nerve racking. Using your time efficiently to achieve your life's goals begin with good planning. Successful management of projects and tasks are based on choices you make. We need to learn how to manage the time we have not only for work but for your family as well. If you are able to manage your time, your day-to-day life will be much more easy. Building a schedule helps you to plan your daily activities. Steps to achieve efficient time management are described to help you affect the control of your time. Knowing what you have to do and where you have to be in advance can make the day less stressful and more productive.

To get more done in less time, that is the secret of successful people. We present these three rules from Donald Wetmore (2000) to increase your productivity. First, set aside a time each morning to make a list of all the items you want to accomplish that day.

As you write these items down you will begin to get a clearer picture of what you need to work on and begin to start scheduling the time necessary to complete them.

Next you prioritize your items. Choose the most important item and number this one. Choose the second most important item and label it two, and so on. Complete your first item, in spite of interruptions throughout the day. Then go on to the next item. This way you will always complete the most important item every day. When we prioritize we focus on the most important items instead of skipping around and doing the least important, therefore, easier ones. Then you follow these steps every day. As you create a new to-do list everyday, you re-prioritize items from the day before. You will feel in control of your day and improve your productivity.(162)

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One of the keys to managing your time is working smart. If you have an organized plan for a project, you can manage your time wisely. Start by writing down all your projects in any order on a piece of paper. It is important to list as many of your projects as you can think of so you can best apply a priority list. After your list is compiled, group all similar tasks together.

It is important to prioritize the tasks in a logical sequence. This step is very critical in time management because if you start to work on a task, but you need other information, you will have to stop what you are working on and complete the other task first. This will slow down the process and waste time. A priority list will allow you to work on the projects in the most logical order, saving the maximum amount of time.

It is very important to set goals that are achievable. Many times, goals are set too high on initial projects, and after failing to achieve them it is hard to motivate yourself and those around you. When the goals are set at proper stages of a project and they are achieved, everyone involved feels good about his or her involvement. Goals in some cases create an adrenalin boost to a project with a feeling of accomplishment.

The opposite is true if the goals are set too aggressively and are not met. People involved in the project may tend to give up on tasks, feeling they are already failing or are going to fail. Goals should be one of the last steps of a project so they can be well thought out. After gathering all the information available and input from everyone involved, goals can be set at realistic levels.

Be firm with yourself and make the commitment of blocking some time to complete your studies. Control your distractions by limiting their effect on you. If you need to be alone to focus on your studies then close the door to keep people from interrupting you. If you are interrupted, give the person a time limit; of course you would want to keep this time limit to yourself as you do not want to alienate your family or your co-workers. Use your voice-mail to take your calls, and do not check your e-mails until your studies are done. If you prefer the hustle and bustle of a busy environment then choose a more active setting. You can get together with other students and study. Carter, Bishop, and Kravits suggests that you need to choose the environment that will make the most of your abilities to study.(55)

In many cases, you will have to rely on others to complete work in a timely manner. It is just as important to organize others that will affect the project as it is to be organized yourself. Give others as much notice as possible with what your needs are with the project, and set up times with them to update you on their progress. In doing so, you will be able to monitor their progress so they do not affect your time line. Make sure they are very clear on every detail of each step, as well as the importance of being on schedule.

Critical steps may require a backup plan to ensure the tasks will be completed in an organized and timely manner. Talk through the expectations to clear up any issues prior to moving on to your next task. Remember that if they are not clear