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Time management skills

Blogpost from a guest writer – Dr Naresh Bana, known to keep his time, every time!

निश्चित्वा यः प्रक्रमते नान्तर्वसति कर्मणः । अवन्ध्यकालो वश्यात्मा स वै पण्डित उच्यते ॥
Whose endeavors are preceded by a firm commitment, who does not take long rests before the task is accomplished, who does not waste time, and who has control over the mind is wise.

1. A little history first

Management of time has been a challenge to humanity since the development of societies. The need to meticulously manage time led to timekeeping and the development of timekeeping instruments. These ranged from Sun Dials to Hourglass to mechanical watches to digital and electronic watches. Community time-keeping devices Clock Towers (घंटाघर) proliferated in the 18th and 19th Century and continue. Having a mechanical personal pocket or wristwatch was still a rage in the 20th century.

2. Why so much fuss about time?

Time is this single resource that continues to remain a challenge to people the world over. One may ask why there is such a fuss about timekeeping and time management. Here it should be noted that right from insignificant activities i.e., the Opening of neighborhood shops to the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, all have a time component to their functioning.

Time alone coordinates the ways of humanity in their worldly affairs. Time is the only resource, which is limited in one’s life, though none knows the extent of their time treasure. That is why it is important to respect time and manage each fraction meticulously and productively.

3. Importance of time for young professionals

For you, young professionals! the importance of time management cannot be over-emphasized. While one is fresh from the studies of business and technology there is hardly any experience which is important to succeed. There is an extensive need for the right performance and on-the-job learning, there is peer pressure and parental expectations and then keeping fit and eating right is also essential.

4. The limitation of time

All this requires time, and one has only 24 hours in a day. If you oversleep in the morning then you may not be able to go to the gym, can’t eat the right breakfast, and may not be adequately prepared for the assigned work, Leave aside preparing for the day’s task. It can manifest into incoherence, and incompetence and may eventually lead to ill performance and ill health leading to poor appraisal and avoidable stress.

5. The million-dollar question… How to Master Time?

So how to ensure that you remain ahead of the daily activity curve and that even if you get delayed in one place it doesn’t cause a domino effect on your entire day’s work or on the entire month. There is a way out and it is very simple.

5.1. Checklists!… oh dear checklists!

Humans by nature have a better capacity to memorize. You may feel that there is no need to write down each and every thing and committing to memory is sufficient for handling the day’s work. The results of various surveys and studies indicate otherwise. It is widely accepted that the best way to plan the daily, weekly, and monthly assignments is by way of learning to make ‘Check Lists’. A checklist is nothing but as the name suggests a simple list of ‘To Do’ tasks.

5.2 Priority… the mother of all decisions!

arranged as per priority. These may or may not have an indication of time and other resources mentioned alongside. You list all the tasks identified by yourself or assigned by the employer and then, depending on urgency, time available, and resources required, prioritize the tasks.

5.3 Spillover… a natural way…

These may spill over to the next day, week, or month. You will be successful if a task once noted in your checklist will either be completed as desired or will be reviewed with his senior for impediments in its completion or if there is a need to close it without attempting. Check Perils of Procrastination

5.4 Stay focused & challenge yourself

All this needs a strong resolve and dedication on the part of you. That is to make one focused and fully coherent. A simple method to develop resolve and resilience is to challenge oneself. Yes, challenge yourself that you will not give up before completing the assignment. Challenge yourself to keep fit. Challenge yourself to wake up early and get prepared for the day at work. Challenge yourself to care for your near and dear ones. Keep Challenging yourself to succeed always and every time. See how others do it. check Inspiring Stories of Striking Comeback: Strategies for Success

6. Satisfaction of finishing a task on the tasks list

As Swami Vivekanand says “उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।” Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is achieved. Try these and You will see you will soon be known as a successful person.

May there be a time, that, you see yourself in a mirror and smile longer than your usual time!

 

About the author:

Dr. Naresh Bana is a peer-recognized international consultant, advising on PPPs for infrastructure projects in India and overseas. He is also co-founder, steering committee member, and Chair of the South Asia Chapter of the World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP) and Vice Chairman of the Indo Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A regular contributor to the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) policy planning effort, he is a guest faculty to many business schools in India including IIM Nagpur.