On the overwhelming path to success and fulfilling their dreams, we often neglect a really helpful skill – the skill of time management. It’s a skill that we all really need to master because sometimes all the activities lying before you seem overwhelming and can lead to stress and frustration. Becoming better at managing time allows us to become more organized, more confident, and learn more effectively. After all, we need to realize that working hard and getting time to yourself is some which need to go hand-in-hand.  Here are some tips to become better at managing time effectively:

1. Organize your time

Your goal should be to gain control over time, rather than letting it control you. It is about taking ownership of time, which is the essence of your life. The main objective of time management is for you to have a clear picture of your upcoming days, weeks, and months. It is a way for you to discover what time you have available to devote to work, family, recreation, or other activities.

2. Set your priorities

Without first setting your goals straight, it turns out quite impossible to focus on them. That is why goal setting is very crucial for time management and developing focus. In case, you are up to a number of things in your life, your first step must be to organize them. Categorize your goals on the different things that you count as a vital part of your life: a goal for your professional life, another for your extracurricular activities, etc. This advance planning will increase your awareness, making it less likely for you to waste time meaninglessly.

3. Make a flexible but realistic schedule

After establishing your priorities, set up a schedule which respects your priorities. Remember, when it comes to maintaining the balance between professional life and other activities, a realistic timetable is really important. It’s also important to remember that things often take longer than expected. So, allow a little extra time in case you spend longer on a task than you thought you would. A timetable which is too demanding will cause stress for you and work will pile up before you know it. Make sure you don’t overburden yourself and schedule in some time for socializing and other fun activities.

4. Break-time is important too

A scientific fact proves that a human brain can concentrate for only 17 minutes in one go. When you rush from one task to another without taking any breaks, it is difficult to appreciate your efforts of continuously sitting at your desk and studying. Between tasks, go for a nice short walk, meditate, listen to some music, do something that will take your mind completely away.

5. Self-control does exist

Taking breaks while completing a task is acceptable but tuning out during the time scheduled for something productive isn’t acceptable. You should be more aware of how much time you are spending on activities involving professional commitments, family or tasks like browsing, watching TV, etc. so that you have a clear idea of how much of time you’ve used doing nothing quite productive and hence stick to the schedule you’ve prepared for yourself instead of being distracted.

6. Review your schedule

Constantly reviewing and reassessing your schedule can help you recognize whether you need to make any changes in order to help you complete any of your daily/ weekly tasks or goals and also have time to relax and spend time with friends and family.

Understanding the value of time is the key to success for every individual. Like Miles Davis said ‘Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing’.

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Published in the monthly bulletin July 2019 issue of The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI)