Research strategy paper on time management

Research Strategy Paper on Time Management

The problem

Time management refers to a variety of skills, means and methodologies adopted in order to manage & optimize one’s time to the utmost. This process includes a wide range of activities which include planning, organizing, delegating, setting goals & analysis of the spent time.

Every person on earth has twenty four hours a day, seven days a week & twelve months a year, but how on earth some upkeep peace with it while others end up worrying every moment mentioning they have “no time”. Thus, individuals in all ages ranging from students, housewives, to jobholders etc need to make the maximum out of limited time. Therefore, those who optimize time prove effective and high achievers in every walk of their lives. The best part is that such techniques can always be learned & acquired after practice.

How to manage

Experts say we should “put first things first” (Covey, 1998) i.e. the urgent & important matters should be addressed first. For instance a student may have a maths test next day and an English assignment due in the following week. Both are important tasks to be done but what is urgent and important to address first needs to be addressed foremost.

Creating a to-do list of all necessary tasks will help accomplish them on time without delays. One can have such listing in a private journal or a piece of paper as a reminder. It would be good if daily or weekly plans as kept to reach.
Adjourn all unnecessary activities or time wasters such as TV, radio, games & needless phone calls unless the task assigned to perform on time is not achieved.
Reduce distractions. Keep away from the crowd & try to maintain decorum through being in places where nobody can intervene. Keep way from objects that captivate you towards time waste such as video games, etc & keep cell phone silent.
The environment maintained around should be conducive & healthy. Don’t clutter too many things around and listen to light music which can help life your spirits. Good lighting & maintenance of moderate temperature as per climate are also essential.
Do not procrastinate. i.e. never put off or defer present tasks to a later time. This will cause overload of tasks until next time which in turn would produce guilt, laziness, stress & anxiety.
Learn to say “no”. It refers to: disagreeing to in an agreeable manner i.e. to invitations, people, people, events, etc.
Cash on the exiting time. It means few fragments of tasks can be accomplished while riding on bus, walking, etc. you can read during that time or listen to taped courses or audio books which would help reduce the load of chores.
Keep balance. Do not try to be jack of all trades and master of none. Focus on work but reserve time for family & friends.
Celebrate the achieved tasks and Take time to renew yourself. Don’t be a robotic freak. Remember: it is important to give time sharpening the saw before cutting a tree than to labor on a blunt saw that would give more labor & yield no results. (FML, 2010)
Conclusion

To recapitulate, it is important to keep pace with time because time is money. But one must not forget to maintain a proper balance. Remain organized & always take time to revitalize all energies.

References

Covey, Sean (1998) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, New York published by Franklin Covey Company.

FML-Free Management Library (2010), Time Management – Various Perspectives retrieved 07/21/2010 from www.managementhelp.org/prsn_prd/time_mng.htm.