The Benefits of Practicing Time management

whiteboard full of activities of the weeks

We always heard about how important time management is, probably too many times already. Yet, here we are, still lost and baffled on how to get things done when we only get 24 hours a day. But then again, how can some people manage their time exceptionally? They get things done at work, go home and spend time with family or friends? It’s because they have good time management skills.

Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

Yes, time management is a skill. It is not innate, you can acquire it by training and practicing. A study shows we spend an average of 13 hours per week reading, writing, or responding to email. Not to mention the time we spend checking our phone, responding to texts, answering calls, and checking social media. We couldn’t just shake it all off immediately since it has become a habit already. That’s why it needs a lot of practice to finally manage our time wisely.

Deciding to do time management doesn’t just involve one thing. You have to consider different areas to manage your time wisely. You need to develop the following;

  • Effective Planning
  • Setting goals and objectives
  • Setting deadlines
  • Delegation of responsibilities
  • Prioritizing activities as per their importance
  • Spending the right time on the right activity

It does sound a lot of work. Well, maybe at first, when you are still building a routine out of it. As time goes, it will no longer be a chore for you but a habit. And, you’ll be reaping the benefits of practicing good time management.

Benefits of Time Management

Time management is not easy, nothing worthwhile is. The benefits you’ll get out of it is life-changing, though. It helps develop our character as well, for it makes us punctual and discipline.

1. Becomes more organized

We save more time by keeping our homes and workstation neatly. We don’t need to look for missing documents, nor be late just because one of your socks is missing. At the same time, it helps us avoid conflicting schedules by keeping tabs of our activities and organizing them properly.

2. Limits stress

One of the things that cause us too much stress is trying to accomplish all tasks on time. The pressure is too much when you have to beat the deadline. It can also hurt one’s productivity. But if time is managed correctly, the amount of stress you’ll get will dramatically lessen.

3. Limit wasted time

When you have a goal and have already created a concrete plan, you will no longer be focusing on things that don’t matter. Instead, you’ll go straight to work and focus on the things on top of your priority list.

4. Less rework

Doing something in haste is prone to mistakes. If you manage your time correctly, you’ll have more time to go over a project or task to ensure the quality of your work.

5. More opportunities

When your quality of work improves, you will surely be rewarded. In short, opportunities like promotion will open up for you.

6. Overcome procrastination

One of the things that can kill productivity is procrastination. You keep on saying you’ll do it later until you realize time is no longer on your side. By doing time management, it helps you to just do it until you finish the things you need to do, all without rushing.

7. More focus on priorities

Distractions surround us every day. Instead of doing something important, we end up doing things that don’t matter. But by doing time management, we can recognize the important things from the less important ones. Moreover, it doesn’t just apply to our work and studies; it can be applied to our personal lives as well.

8. More time for yourself

After working all week, you can now have your ‘me’ time. You don’t need to go to the office to finish a report, or bring documents at home and work on it. Time management allows you to have a work-life balance.