No matter what you do – your superior is going to expect you to manage your time well.
Employers demand time management skills from employees, educators expect it from students, and parents want it from their children. We are all expected to embrace more efficient ways to use time.
What does that mean?
My favorite definition of time management is “a form of decision making used by individuals to structure, protect, and adapt their time to changing conditions.” (It’s about time: New perspectives and insights on time management)
Notice the fact that time management is about decision making. For many that perspective is new. Also notice the three key components: structuring, protecting, and adapting time. Well-established time management measures reflect these concepts.
Structuring time is when we plan our schedule and can be captured in answers to questions like as “Do you have a daily routine which you follow?” and “Do your main activities during the day fit together in a structured way?”
Protecting time is how well we stick to our commitments and can be reflected in questions such as “Do you often find yourself doing things which interfere with your schoolwork simply because you hate to say ‘No’ to people?”
Adapting time to changing conditions is how we manage and adjust our time when life gets in the way. A client of mine quoted his late father and said “Poo (my word- not his) happens but that doesn’t mean you need to step in it.” How well can you shuffle and reschedule and evaluate your schedule daily to readjust?
Research has addressed the relationship between time management and work-life balance stress, and happiness… bottom line… structure, protect and adapt your time and you will be happier!
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