Time management is not a particularly new topic to many individuals. This is because many people deal with issues surrounding managing time and many things call for attention, procrastination, rest, sleep, and leisure, amidst others.
Time management is simply the act of managing time. It involves the process of organizing and planning how to divide time between specific activities. By this definition, it also means the act of planning and organizing our activities.
Hacks on the other hand are the 'ways and methods' involved in the process of achieving a feat.
Timing is a very important factor in every race. This is one reason why time management important?
1. It reduces stress. This is because when time is well managed, you can shed off unnecessary and stressful activities.
2. It brings efficiency and effectiveness.
3. It reduces procrastination (this is relative)
4. It brings higher productivity and better quality.
5. It brings more opportunities.
6. It gives time for leisure and rest.
The importance ain't limited to these but the real question is - "how then do we manage our time?". In the next few lines, we'd
1. Be aware of Time
This simply means that you should be mindful of time. Always put timing in mind whenever you're doing something. This helps you to come to the realization that your time must be managed. If not, you'd keep going around without knowing what to do. Be aware. You need time management.
2. Accept Your Time
After awareness, comes acceptance. After you're aware that you need to manage your time, you need to accept it. Accept that you have 24 hours daoly and you can choose to use it to your advantage.
3. Write down your Goals
Have a written list of your goals (what to do, what you have to do) on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. You must be period specific with your goals to when writing them to help you achieve them within the time frame. I used to be a mind mapper (I mean, I don't write down my goals or any to-do list. I have it in my mind, how I'd do all I'd do. It's in my mind and as I do them, I tick them, all in my mind. For real, it worked but I realized, it was too stressful for me. Too stressful, and my productivity level wasn't that encouraging. I was productive oh, don't get me wrong. It wasn't as I was supposed to be.)
So, write down your goals and what you have to do. Like the popular saying - a faintest pen is better than the sharpest brain or so. So, my people. Write it down oh. Since I started writing them down, I can boldly say, it's been better.
4. Prioritize
In this article on Procrastination, we discussed few things about arranging what you have to do into quadrants based on its importance and urgency. As an individual who desires growth, it is necessary to discover and write out what is urgent and important or what is not. When you do, alot all your tasks therein. That way, you'd know what to do first and what to do last. You will also be able to conserve your energy for important things, especially if you do the important and urgent ones when your energy is high. So learn to prioritize and do what's important when your energy is high. Look inwards and find a time when is your energy is high. When you realize it, then fix your hard tasks around that time and watch your efficiency improve.
5. Scheduling
Scheduling is the art of fixing a time frame for your tasks. It has helped me so much. Wake up by 7. Do my quiet time, sing and all, Start Africa's Masterclass by 9 or 10,finish by 12. Press phone or relax for 30 minutes. Then, read. After then, take a break. Go online. DO other courses.
In fact, I've been washing plates and sweeping in the evening. Why? I work from home. Everybody goes out in the morning except me. I know if I should wash and clean the house in the morning, it'd affect my concentration for important tasks, so, I shelve it. And no, I don't feel guilty about this.
Scheduling will give you time to rest. As rest is important.
Don't stress your head. It's not about being busy all day, it's about being productive. Expend your energy on things that matter. Many of us don't rate mental stress, we think stress is just physical. Mental stress is crazy!
6. create a routine.
a routine helps you to automatically know what you're supposed to do without checking your to-do list.
7. Delegate Tasks
Next is Delegation. Learn to delegate. Don't kill yourself. Outsource the one you can. So, you can have time for more important things. And please, don't feel guilty about this. You deserve to be whole. Please, fix in time for rest and leisure into your routine. Your health is important.
8. Don't Multi-task
AVOID MULTI-TASKING as much as YOU CAN. MANY OF US ARE SITTING ON THIS TABLE. AVOID MULTI-TASKING. Learn to focus on one thing at a time. You're reading, seeing movie, typing at the same time.
Of course, you can read and listen to music same time.
Know thyself. Goes back to prioritizing and scheduling. And please, learn to take breaks from social media. 🙄 Even if it's for 1hr daily. Please, do. Your brain needs rest.
Drop your phone for few minutes, you won't die oh. Some of us stay glued to phone the whole day. Even me. And at night, I'd discover I'm tired. Why won't you feel stressed, When the whole day is used for phone pressing.
So, these are the hacks. It sure works. They're not limited to these but with these few, you'd see that you'd become better. And please, quickly I'd say this. As you're managing your time, manage your energy oh. Don't expend your energy on useless things.
Some it's to chat and talk talk and talk, at the end, they feel tired. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Also, It's not every opportunity for you. Some opportunities leave you drained. For instance, you're invited to take a class. In preparing, you'd use like 1hr or less or even more, then, the class will hold. You'd have to rest again after, when you could have said no and face front. Be discerning to know what needs your attention or not.
9. Rest
Many times, we beat ourselves over the fact that we couldn't complete a certain task at a given hour.
10. Reward Yourself
In all, reward yourself when you manage your time well (celebrate yourself, it'd give you the needed ginger to manage it the next day, and before you know it, you're a guru at it). For me, I reward myself with Netflix every night once I mark all on my to-do list
You know yourself, you know what will work for you. And by all means, don't compare yourself to anyone. We are different, one may read 100 pages per day, and you can only read 20 pages.
Focus on your journey and what's for you. Be inspired by others but don't make their lives and the way they manage their own time a yardstick for yours. You can do this. You can be productive. You can manage your time well.
- Oluwadamilola Abe
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