The Importance of Time Management Skills
Time management skills are important for just about every aspect of your life, including school, work, parenting, traveling, etc.! College professors will tell you that time management skills are necessary to do well in their class, job interviewers will ask you about how you manage your time, and you have most likely noticed that strong time management skills are necessary for a successful career and home life.
What are Time Management Skills?
“Time management skills” is often used as one broad term, but have you ever wondered what skills actually contribute to you being able to manage your time well? As outlined by Indeed, there are a total of 7 skills that go into time management:
- Organization
- Goal setting
- Prioritization
- Communication
- Planning and Scheduling
- Stress Management
- Delegation
Tips to Improve Your Time Management Skills
Listed below are tips we’ve gathered from Psych Central and Indeed to help you improve your time management skills!
- Utilize your calendar! Whether you prefer digital or physical calendars, it is essential to keep track of all your projects, meetings, and appointments. Having an organized calendar not only helps you prioritize tasks, but it also keeps you from forgetting or mixing up important dates.
- Make a daily to-do-list. Start each morning by making a to-do list that prioritizes your most significant tasks or fast approaching due dates. Remember to make it manageable and only include the tasks that absolutely have to get done that day. Marking off each item and completing the list every day motivates you to stay on track.
- Do not multi-task. While it may feel that you are getting more done by multi-tasking, that is not always the case. It often leads to stress and multiple incomplete tasks. Instead, allow your mind to focus on one task at a time and take a short mental break before moving onto the next.
- Set both short-term and long-term goals for yourself. Practicing regular goal setting teaches you exactly what you need to accomplish to achieve the desired results. Remember to make every goal specific, measurable, relevant and realistic. For your long-term goals, identify milestones or stepping stones to help keep you motivated.
- Reward yourself for a job well done. Ideal rewards should be healthy and not set you back in your day. For example, your reward could be taking a quick walk around the office, eating a healthy snack, getting up and stretching, chatting with a co-worker, answering a few texts or emails, etc. Find what works for you and stick with it!
