Note Making: Time Management

It seems that there is never enough time in the day. But, since we all get the same 24 hours, why is it that some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in proper time management. ‘Time management’ refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you will spend on each activity. Good time management requires an important shift in focus from activities to results: being busy isn’t the same as being effective. (Ironically, the opposite is often closer to the truth.) Spending your day in a frenzy of activity often achieves less, because you’re dividing your attention between so many different tasks. Good time management lets you work smarter—not harder—so you get more done in less time.

It may seem counter-intuitive to dedicate precious time to learning about time management, instead of using it to get on with your work, but the benefits are enormous. It improves productivity and efficiency. Your reputation as a professional grows. The stress levels dip and a world of opportunities opens up for you. Your career advances and important goals are too reached.

Failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences. Deadlines are missed and the work flow is not only inefficient but is of poor quality. It dents your reputation as a professional and your career is in the danger of being stalled. As a result, your stress level shoots up.

Everyday interruptions at work can be a key barrier to managing your time effectively and ultimately, can be a barrier to your success. Think back to your last workday and consider for a minute, the many interruptions that had occurred. There may have been phone calls, emails, hallway conversations, colleagues stopping by your office or anything else that unexpectedly demanded your attention and, in doing so, distracted you from the task at hand. Because your day only has so many hours in it, a handful of small interruptions can rob you of the time you need to achieve your goals and be successful in your work and life. More than this, they can break your focus, meaning that you have to spend time reengaging with the thought processes needed to successfully complete complex work. The key to controlling interruptions is to know what they are and whether they are necessary and to plan for them in your daily schedule.

Q. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it, using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary.

Importance of Time Management

1. What is Time Management
   1. The way you organise and plan your activities
   2. Important shift in focus from activity to results
   3. Work smarter not harder
   4. More work done in less time
2. Benefits
   1. Greater productivity and efficiency
   2. Btr professional reputation
   3. Reduced stress
   4. Increased opptnts for advancement
   5. Greater opptnts to achieve important life and career goals
3. Consequences of poor time management
   1. Missed deadlines
   2. Inefficient work flow
   3. Poor work quality
   4. A poor professional reputation and a stalled career
   5. Higher stress lvls
4. Interruptions at work
   1. Key barrier to time management
   2. Breaks one’s focus
   3. Have to spend time re-engaging with the thought processes that is needed to successfully complete complex work
   4. Key to control interruptions
      1. Know what they are
      2. Whether they are ncssry or not
      3. Plan for them in your daily schedule

Abbreviations Used

• btr – better
• opptnts – opportunities
• lvls – levels
• nccsry – necessary

Q. Write a summary of the above in 100 words using the notes.

Time management is the way we plan and organise our activities. It requires shift in focus from activities to results, so that more work is done in less time. Time management leads to greater productivity and efficiency. The stress levels are reduced and we get greater opportunities to achieve important life and career goals. Poor time management results in missed deadlines, inefficient work and poor quality of work. It is important to control the interruptions at work so that we can manage time properly.