TIME MANAGEMENT

Time is the duration between events. Time can also be said to mean the duration of existence of anything so it should be managed effectively. Time management is the efficient use of time in other to achieve certain goals. Firstly, let us look at the dangers of improper time management.

(1) LOSS OF PRODUCTIVE TIME: Not planning the things you do per time makes you drift easily from doing the needful to doing the unnecessary. Our everyday life is filled with endless sequence of events that can take our time if we don't take a stand and do only the things that will ad value to our lives and the life of other around us . Some tasks can only be carried out a certain time .For example ,a farmer makes hay when the sun shines, a soldier has to be war ready at all times ,etc. "A stitch in time saves nine" so the timeliness of our response is of great importance.

(2) LOSS OF TRUST: Trust is built with consistent and qualitative execution of tasks entrusted to us. For instance, if an an employer ask his employee to work on a particular design which should be submitted at a particular time, say a week, and when it is time for submission the employee starts to give flimsy excuses . If this act persists , the employer will not want to give tasks to such employee in the future and it will lead to the dismissal of such employee as no one likes to work with people who are not efficient and trustworthy. Now let us take a look at some important tips that aid proper time management.

A TO-DO LIST OR A TIMETABLE: A to-do list is a list of ask the tasks a person or a group of persons wish to accomplish in a day. this can be done by timing each event according to its level of importance or urgency. Some tasks may be important, some are important and also urgent so all of these criteria must be put into consideration when planning or drafting a to-do list or a timetable. What are the characteristic of a good to-do list? Some characteristics of a good to-do list or timetable are listed below.

(i)Events should be arranged in order of priorities: Your priorities are the things that are important to you personally. It may be your faith, profession, business, family ,etc. More time should be allocated to the things you prioritize most and lesser time to the things of lesser priority (ii) It should be as brief and simple as possible: A good to-do list should contain very few tasks . The mistake most people make when drafting a to-do list is that they want to cur accrues all facets of their life in just a day. Doing that is not adviceable as you overwork yourself and make it even more difficult for you to meet your targets for the next day. For instance, if John drafts a to-do list which contains three tasks, and Aisha drafts hers also containing ten task at the end of let's say a week, John would find it easier to continue with those schedules and be fresher compared to Aisha who has a lot on her list. (iii) Events should carry a time frame : Every event should have time allotted to it . This makes the whole timetable smart and it aids proper planning and helps you to account for how your entire day went. It also makes it easier for future reference . (iv) It should be dynamic and flexible : Another characteristics of a good to-do list is its ability to accommodate/miscellaneous or emergency events. IBoldn our everyday life, many unplanned events pop up. For instance, you may be on your way to an event and run into an old friend or colleague or your expertise may be needed very urgently; probably at the point of life and death. In the events of these kind of impromptu and emergency situations, a good timetable should allow you time to quickly do these things without significantly altering your entire plans. A flexible to-do list or timetable takes quite some time to perfect but with consistent practice a balance is achieved.

(2)DISCIPLINE AND DEDICATION: Discipline is the ability to exercise control over one's behavior or actions. So discipline helps you to stick to your plans or tasks as stated in the to-do list. consider two people, say Ali and Ada, if both of them invest in a business or are employed by the same employer and at the end of the day one of them gets promoted or made profit and the other gets demoted or incurred a loss in business, all other things being equal, the difference lies in their level of discipline and dedication to the management of their respective time. Let us look at some hindrances to proper time management and how to prevent them. Health: your physical and mental health can pose a serious barrier to your quest for efficient use of time because when you fall sick, all of your appointments have to be cancelled to allow you proper time to rest and recuperate. Hence the need for a proper diet, a proper sleeping habit and regular exercise Procrastination: This is an habitual act of postponing tasks to a later time usually out of Laziness. Procrastination causes congestion of tasks and makes you sacrifice some important tasks. Procrastination can be avoided by doing things with a sense of haste and time consciousness. Lastly let us look at some benefits of time management. Orderliness: Orderliness is the act is doing things in a very arranged manner .Proper time management makes you a master in all your dealings as you will be on time for meetings and other formal or informal engagements. Integrity: Integrity is the character of being truthful and honest in whatsoever one does. Always keeping to time sends a massage of integrity to whomsoever is concerned.

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