Time management is defined as the strategy or method employed by using techniques and tools to schedule and use up time in the most effective way possible, so as to generate the maximum value for every second spent.
Whether in the personal or the corporate realm, time management is important. This is because every time we do anything with our lives, time runs. Even the most seemingly simply movement of shifting our eyes from the computer monitor to the person sitting next to us already occupies a few seconds of our precious time.
Thus, a lot of us try to find ways to make the best use of the time that is given to us. Effective time management techniques usually have these three things as their common denominators: goal setting and management, the creation of a to-do list, and the setting of priorities. The definition of time management include these three things.
While some antagonists and critics of time management programs say that planning and setting up to-do lists also takes up time and should not really be bothered with, adding, instead, that people should just go on with their plans because life is too short to make plans, creating a priority list and trying to determine where our lives are headed helps in ensuring that the rest of our living days are not wasted. Sure, we might spend some time planning, but it is a small price to pay for a lifetime of order and clarity.
According to the Pareto principle of time management, we can generate as much as 80% of value even if we spend only 20% of our time on a certain thing. Conversely, there is also the risk of getting only 20% from an activity where we spent 80% of our time and energy. When we think about this principle, one thing only comes to mind: We must seek and prioritize the activities and tasks that give us 80% of benefits at 20% of time spent.
This is not too difficult to identify if we stick to a proper time management program. Time management helps us pinpoint which events and activities truly matter, thereby creating a sound life plan and allowing us to draft a schedule to reach a certain goal or objective.
Time management’s key goal is to accomplish a particular goal. Therefore, in order for us to be able to enjoy the fruits of the time management program we get ourselves into, we must first have a clear goal in mind, and be sure that it is what we really want to accomplish. Engaging in any time management strategy won’t amount to anything if we end up with something we don’t really want in the end.
So, to answer the criticism against this method, yes, the process involved in time management occupies time. Occupies, not wastes. Because the only way one can waste his time is when he ends up with something that is of very little or no value. Spending some time to manage one’s life is not a waste of time. It’s a favor done for oneself, because every person in this world deserves to enjoy the little time he has been given in this world.
Our own mortality is what prompts us to seek better way s to use up our time. What better way to make sure that we get the best that is due us than creating a time management plan for our lives?