Planning the day does not mean that we do several things, it is all about prioritising work. Jai Madaan shares tips to stay focused
Don’t we often find ourselves complaining about how we need more than 24 hours in a dayIJ Or how we are too overburdened with workIJ Many people will often advice you that hard work is ideal path to success, but what many forget to tell us is that time plays a major role in achieving success. It is a known fact that time never waits for anybody, so we must either come up with ways to manage time in a responsible way or just give up on the idea of completing a task altogether. This is where the concept of time management comes into play. We have been hearing of this concept probably since our school days, but have all of us really implemented it in our livesIJ It is obviously easier said than done, but time management is definitely not on of the impossible tasks.
Time management by definition, means to use one’s time effectively or efficiently, especially at the workplace. And yes, it can be as easy as it sounds. Starting from the moment when we are students, we usually face many deadlines related to our studies, right from the reports, vacation projects to tasks in the office. We are required to achieve certain goals within a specified time limit because it is an efficient way of completing these tasks. In this competitive world, we need to get as much done in as much little time available.
Time management can be integrated in one’s life by following a few simple rules. First, we must prioritise in life. If you know that there is a report to be submitted next week, then get working now. Dedicating a couple of hours per day to that one report will minimise the workload to a great extent. It not only helps us to complete the task before time in an organised manner but also leaves us with time do many other things that we wish to. If you think it is important that you watch that favourite show on television or go meet a friend for a drink then go ahead, but first complete your tasks for the day. And how can we forget technology. Keep that phone away for a while, don’t answer any unnecessarily calls or messages, take a break from social media, and don’t divert your mind till you finish that task. Staying up till late isn’t always as fun as it sounds, so we should make sure that we get minimum six to seven hours of sleep each night. It not only rejuvenates our system but also helps us remain alert and aware the next day.
Time management does not mean that we do several things in one day, it is not a competition. We just need to identify and set aside two to three important tasks and complete those. That itself would leave us with a feeling of sheer satisfaction and we would feel utilising the day to the fullest.
You should identify our strengths, think about what we can achieve easily or concentrate on challenges we’re most motivated to take up. You will instantly notice a greater level of motivation, which then shows in the end results. Any and everything that is forced will feel like a burden and you will try to delay as much as you can. It is important to be in a field of our choice or surround ourselves with those things that we genuinely have an interest in. If we look forward to doing something then we will never keep it till the end or do it in a hasty or half-hearted manner. Procrastination has become a way of life for many of us.
Just because we manage to accomplish our goals at the last minute does not mean that we always have to do that. Putting off a task till the end might allow us to enjoy or sleep and laze around for time being, but the pressure build up we face later is something that we end up regretting thereafter.
One must also realise that work-life balance is must. In a global survey, top corporates revealed that by making deliberate choices about which opportunities they’ll pursue and which they’ll decline, rather than simply reacting to emergencies, leaders can and do engage meaningfully with work, family and community. They discovered through hard experience that prospering in the senior ranks is a matter of carefully combining work and home so as not to lose themselves, their loved ones or their foothold on success. Those who do this most effectively involve their families in work decisions and activities.
In retrospective, we must tell ourselves, that it is important to do those important tasks right now and that movie or nap time can wait for later.