We might often think that days should have more than 24 hours, as we are constantly running out of time. There are even studies that focus on how much additional time would be needed in a day in order to do all that is necessary. Sofeminine reports that in the UK, women would like an extra 6 hours and 30 minutes in their day, in France they “only” want 3 hours and 36 minutes, and in Germany they would like an extra 3 hours and 24 minutes a day.
If we look at the data relating to the business world and published by O.K. Consulting, 54% of executives work more than ten hours a day, 71% of workers usually take their work home, 75% of workers relive their job in their dreams, 64% suffer from occasional bouts of insomnia due to time constraints at work, 61% have already cancelled or postponed their vacation several times due to pressure at work, and 74% of executives feel they do not have time for their family.
Time management is therefore of key importance for a successful and less stressful life. So, how do we distribute our time in order to be able to use it as effectively as possible and consequently be more successful, efficient, and achieve more?
We have prepared a few simple tips:
- Define your goals: write down everything that you need to do along with the deadlines for the realisation of these goals.
- Prioritise: not everything is as important as it may seem at first. Classify your tasks according to their importance, the required time for their implementation, whether other people need to be included, etc. The golden rule of time management is: Complete high priority tasks first.
- Planning and schedule: prepare daily, weekly, and monthly schedules of activities. If you are working on a project that takes several months, also prepare an annual plan. Prepare the list of daily activities at the end of the workday, so that you can start the new day with clearly scheduled activities. A word of advice: occasionally include the “me time” item in the schedule :-)
- Devote your entire focus to the task at hand: once you start with a task, tune out all other disruptive factors (close all other browser windows, put your phone on silent, etc.) and focus 100 percent on the task at hand.
- Learn to say “no”: if you take on too many activities, you will not have enough time. Decide which opportunities to pass on.
- Turn key everyday tasks into habits: your daily routine and habit will make it easier to realise the tasks.
- Control your activities: be consistent with the tasks at hand and comply with the set objectives and deadlines. Regularly check if you are complying with the set objectives and deadlines.
- Don’t forget to work out, exercise and eat healthily: you know the saying: “A healthy mind in a healthy body”.
In the autumn, when vacation days are over, we intensively think about the activities that we will start with after the summer, new objectives, etc. Will we take on a new sport, perhaps join a course or enrol in school again?
We have prepared additional time management pointers for all future students:
- Familiarise yourself with the school timetable: when school starts, check the courses that await you throughout the year and when they are scheduled. This way you will learn about your days off and time to rest.
- Review your weekly activities: check your activities and deadlines for the submission of assignments at the start of each course. Use this to prepare a schedule of weekly assignments.
- Set a fixed time to study: dedicate some time to studying every day and include this time in your daily schedule. This time should be predetermined (the same as gym time). Setting a fixed time will allow you to establish routine and studying will become much easier.
- And of course, all previous tips on time management also apply to studying. :-)
These simple tricks will come in very handy once you enrol in our bachelor or master’s programmes.
Resources
- Education Corner – Using Time Management to Improve Study Skills (2017). Electronic resource, http://www.educationcorner.com/effective-time-management.html (retrieved on 22/08/2017).
- Novi podjetnik – Obvladovanje časa (time management – nasveti 4 podjetnikov) (2017). Electronic resource, https://novipodjetnik.si/obvladovanje-casa-osebni-pristop-time-management-vito-komac/ (retrieved on 21/08/2017).
- O.K. Consulting – Izobraževanje (2016). Electronic resource, http://www.okconsulting.si/default.asp?pid=Cilji_cas_sestanki (retrieved on 18/08/2017).
- Sofeminine -– Differences between men and women (2017). Electronic resource, http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/key-debates/differences-between-men-and-women-d18566c256628.html (retrieved on 18/08/2017).
- The Creativity Post – Work Smarter, Not Harder: 21 Time Management Tips to Hack Productivity (2017). Electronic resource, http://www.creativitypost.com/create/work_smarter_not_harder_21_time_management_tips_to_hack_productivity (retrieved on 22/08/2017).
