General Time Management Guidelines
- Bad time management can lead to stress.
- Good time management increases your chance of success.
- Time management is a skill that permeates into every aspect of life.
- Prioritisation is critical:
“You don’t find time for important things – you make it”.
Identify the few critical actions from the many trivial ones and work immediately on these.
Symptoms of poor time management:
- Messy work space (including computer file organisation)
- Unable to find things
- Ill prepared for events
- Unable to concentrate
Simple behavioural tips to help time management:
- Use planners.
- Create prioritised to-do lists and act on them.
- Identify your creative thinking time e.g. in the car, on the train. Defend it and spend it alone.
- Identify your dead time e.g. waiting for appointments, travelling time. Prepare to use it constructively e.g. make essential phone calls, use flash revision cards.
- Learn to say ‘No’ if it does not help you meet your objectives.
- Learn strategies to reduce the frequency and length of interruptions. Example phrases – “I’m in the middle of something just now” or start your response with “I’ve only got five minutes” – you can always extend this if necessary.
- Turn your mobile phone off while working.
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