8 time management activities to improve time management skills : grand self

Time management activities

There are various time management activities that could help you build your skill through time. As we have discussed before, time management is a skill rather than an innate behaviour. It needs a constant exercise to change habit and discipline to master the art.  These time management activities are necessary to develop the skill sets that you need to be efficient and effective.

Here, I will share with you 5-time management activities that could help you develop time management skills in a very short time.

1-Time is everything. Literally.

In order to develop a subconscious imprint of a certain activity, you should be able to repeat activities. It is through repetition that you become what you want to be. You will one day find yourself being that thing you wanted to be. And you will start to notice things that that were hard suddenly becomes easier. This is similar to playing football or dancing. It is hard on first day and is easier on second and third.

The first tip of time management activities is to practice it for at least for a month without escape. Your success is on the periodical repetitions of the time management activities listed below.

2-Plan before starting.

Planning need goals and goals are the fabrics of a vision. Since vision is so bit, it is usually unattainable. Becoming successful is a vision. And to really to become successful you need a certain goals. For example, making money could be a goal, even though it is still so wide. You can plan in your goal on how to make money and when to get what amount of money. It is similar to time management. You are ambitious to think that you want to be master of time management. It does not work that way. Instead learn to break your activities in detail so that they are attainable.

One of the time management activities is to always break your activities in to goals. For example instead of saying “ I will finish my paper in three days” learn to think in details. First, think of the chapters or sections of your paper and the time it takes to accomplish it.

3-Be in here and now.

The third time management activities is to be in here and now. This seems a new age wowo. But it is not. One pure skill we lack is to appreciate now, and we live with the idea of yesterday and the hope of tomorrow. We forget to enjoy today while living in the vomits of regret. In order to become good at time management, learn to appreciate now. Always push your mind to focus everything you have on the work you are doing at the moment. When your mind wanders, learn to bring it back. For example, you might be reading this article half minded since you probably are reading it in between your work. It is supposed to be a break. But here is the truth. You are wasting the time.

Don’t read this as a break. You are reading to learn a skill. Then put time aside for it. And read it every time on that time. And see your progress. And on that 30 minutes or an hour, learn to focus on it. On the rest of the time focus on the work. When you meet with your date later, learn to be there. Forget the work or the cleaning that you have to do when you get home. Focus and enjoy the time you assigned to the date.

4-Assign time for everything.

If you did the time management activities mentioned above, you are probably planning your activities in details. And these are not enough. Learn to assign time for your activities. This helps you be accountable. In the above case, when you decide to meet your date, plan in prior on where to go and when to go and on how long to stay with them. This might make you predictable and boring. But this makes you efficient. So, when your time is over, end it already. That is it. You have another thing to do at 9 o’clock when you get home.

5-Be organised

Most of time is wasted with unorganised work space. Look around your work space or your house, what do you use? Do you feel your space is organised. Can you locate a certain paper or cloth or any thing in that space? If your answer is no, then learn how to organise the space for efficient work environment. Dare to throw unnecessary items away.

6-Learn to say no.

Our society learnt to accept the good and the bad without further analysis of the reality. If you are not sure of yourself to say no, then you probably have to rethink of your life. There should be some things that you politely have to refuse to accept. This could be extra work from job that could take your freedom and time from family. Or this could be nagging or peer pressure from others to spent it with them. Believe me it is so hard to say no to friends or lovers. But when you learn to do that and you become sure of yourself, people with respect your view. And they will respect your work. Learn to say no.

7-Be efficient not hard working.

Africans say “a single lemon is beautiful for a man but 100 lemons is a load.” Don’t work 10 people’s job for yourself. Work is better performed when done in collaboration. Everyone must have something to share. So, respect other’s skills. One of the time management activities is to learn who is good at what. Which employee is good and at what skill. So when you have to write your report, you will write it for yourself. But John will help you with the research and Martha will help you with transcribing the notes and Ellen will print and bind the final hard copy.  This makes you effective.

8-Learn to use the extra time.

You finished a 10-hour work in 3 hours, then what? What are you going to do? Sit there until 5? No! what else can you do? this could be personal project or even office project. Use that efficiency for your benefit. Success is better achieved in the tangible. people need to see a concrete touchable evidence of your skills to appreciate. Then why don’t you give them one? Do something with the time that is tangible. Write about your experience, or do the things you always wanted to do if you had the time, or let your bosses know what is possible. This could be interesting.

Time management is a skill and it needs time management activities to be mastered. To become good at it learn to plan, prior to your work, learn to live in now and give everything you have to the work and schedule time and be accountable. Learn to use the saved time for something extra and good.