Every situation has a silver lining – discover a mindset that heals and enlightens.
August 17, 2021 · 7 min read
The key is in not spending time, but in investing it. - Stephen R. Covey
Knowing about the importance of time and the consequences of poor time management, we’re still unable to take action.
If you’re always rushing to deal with deadlines, then you’re not planning and scheduling your time efficiently.
Time management is an asset and without managing time properly, we can’t get to our ideal destinations in life. Due to a lack of time management, we all suffer in every part of our lives.
Of course, we all have to work in every aspect of life to satiate our needs, but appropriate time management will release unnecessary stress.
Therefore, this article is dedicated to all those who are stuck in time management problems.
Importance of Time Management
From our childhood to adulthood, we all know about that pet phrase “Time is money, if you’re wasting time, then you’re wasting money”.
How we could ignore these powerful words that are depicting our recent situations and summarize our whole life in a nutshell.
Due to the advent of technology, everything becomes easier, but competition is getting tougher with time.
If that’s the case, then how could we rule in a world full of competition where you have to strive in every field of life to fulfill your dreams?
With lack of time management, we’re just driving our lives to specific points without worrying about outcomes.
If you’re also a part of those specific statistics, who are always late in a meeting, appointment, class, a family dinner, any other life event, or anywhere then that’s all due to your poor time management.
On the other hand, with proper time management, you can accomplish all goals of life that seem impossible. This time-managing skill is the sole trait of every successful person.
However, it’s all about structuring your all-day chores in a time frame so you can complete all your tasks within a specific time.
Can you imagine if your boss didn’t give a deadline for a project and assign you to the task (this is not going to happen, just imagine) then how much time you will invest?
This is the importance of time management, people who are unable to manage time always get poor results.
To live a progressive and stress-free life, time management will catalyze your success rate. So, if you’re going to perform a task within 24 hours, manage your time for 12 hours and work consistently on it.
You will fulfill your task within your specified time but various time-managing techniques help you throughout the journey.
7 Vital Signs of Poor Time Management
#1 - Procrastination
You have an urgent meeting in the office and you’re just wishing that somehow it gets delayed.
You’re going to present an important presentation of your project in your classroom and you wish for some extra time.
You’re going to complete your task but you’re thinking about a football match that you can’t miss.
You are using a cellphone to check recent emails and you end up scrolling through social media.
Further, you’re trying to study for an exam but stopped by thinking that there’s a lot of time ahead.
Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning. - Winston Churchill
These all are examples of procrastination and creating time management issues.
Therefore, we consider procrastination as a fundamental element of poor time management.
Procrastination of every task whether it’s relevant to your professional or personal life will only result in negative consequences.
Remember that, if you’re unable to approach your dreams, then you’re not managing time efficiently and will face time management problems inevitably.
#2 - Working only by deadlines
Our deadlines are the basic tools that are dragging us toward work.
The most significant sign of poor time management is to work only by deadlines. But deadlines always reduce your productivity rate and result in poor performance.
With deadlines, you may rush from here to there to fulfill the demands of the work.
At that specific moment, your panic system also awakes and will produce stress that will never let you work peacefully.
Due to the stressful situation, how could someone invest effort and enhance qualitative consequences?
However, deadlines will only limit your productivity.
Most people believe that they are quite efficient to work near deadlines but in the end, they become incapable of managing time and fail to meet expectations.
#3 - No specific goals
The major issue among time management issues is working without setting specific goals.
If you’re willing to reach your destinations and have bigger dreams behind your lens, then you have to set goals.
Without setting goals, you can’t approach your destinations.
This is one of the biggest signs of poor time management. You can’t reach a place without knowing about their specific address.
When you have no goals in life, then you can’t manage time perfectly. This is because you just want to go through a specific process without wishing to grow in life.
In that regard, you have to live a compromised life by compromising on your dreams.
#4 - Multi-tasking
“Jack of all trades and master of none”.
If you’re dealing with multiple tasks at a certain time, then how could you raise the quality of your work? As humans, we forget that there are certain limits to working.
If you’re crossing your limits, then you’re only draining your energy and dedicating your all time to others without specifying time for yourself.
However, there’s no problem doing multiple tasks at a time, but you will end up exhausted and unable to manage time.
Moreover, if you have kids, then you have more responsibility on your shoulders.
Therefore, try to manage time and always take tasks that you can complete without delaying them.
#5 - Devoid of focus
Due to a lack of concentration and focus, you will face time management problems.
Thinking about other tasks or anything else while doing a task will decrease your level of productivity.
Despite this, when you’re focusing or thinking about other things, then you can’t get your desired results.
Often, people lack concentration due to the involvement of various distracting elements in front of them.
Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can't afford to lose. - Thomas Edison
Before working on your projects, you have to eliminate all distractions.
Distractions always become a hurdle in your way of progress and are the cause of time management issues.
Therefore, most people end up working for 10 hours for a task that demands only 2 productive hours from you.
#6 - Wasting time in distractions
Wasting our valuable time in distraction is the leading cause of poor time management.
Due to a lack of time management skills, we have to suffer most in our lives.
Of course, everyone loves to live in a comfort zone to spend their time entertaining or having fun.
On the other hand, the comfort zone is the biggest enemy of your dreams.
#7 - Not organizing everything properly
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. - Abraham Lincoln
You have an important presentation in the morning and after waking up, you’re just rushing to search for your USB.
After that, you’re taking the time to choose a perfect outfit for the day. Moreover, after getting ready, you forget your keys in the room and rush towards your room to grab the keys.
Above all, you’re stuck in the traffic and you’re already late. You can relate your situation to this one.
Wait a few minutes and think, why did this happen?
This is because you do not organize everything before sleeping and now you face time management problems.
Organizing your things before any important event will save you valuable time and release stress.
5 Fruitful Tips to Improve Time Management
Poor time management causes anxiety, stress, depression because of not being able to cope with tasks and goals.
Learn how to recognize poor time management and fix it with 5 tips.
1.Set your specific goals
Firstly, you have to set specific goals in your life to deal with time management issues.
Setting goals in life is the primary step towards efficient time management.
You just need to ask yourself what do you want to achieve in your life or is your recent situation satisfying for you?
Evaluating yourself is necessary to get the answers to complicated questions.
However, always set higher goals in life.
Higher goals will uncover your inner potential that was hidden within layers of your skin. After setting your goals, manage your time according to your goals.
Your goals will motivate you to grow in life and act as a catalyzing agent to fasten your struggling process.
If you’re lacking direction in life, then spend some time with yourself and recognize your dreams and destinations.
Set goals, make action plans, and achieve them. Your intention, commitment, and action could become life-changing elements in your success story.
2.Split larger projects into smaller
You may observe a lack of time management in your life, but here’s an easier solution.
If you’re going to work on a project that holds value in your life, then utilize this trick.
Try to split your project into smaller steps.
Splitting your every task into smaller ones will never stress your soul.
Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. - Jim Rohn
Moreover, you can also apply the Pomodoro technique in various aspects of life to split and complete projects.
According to Pomodoro, you have to assign 25 minutes to perform your work and 5 minutes for rest. Apply this technique continuously with honesty. After working for 25 minutes, take a rest for 5 minutes.
This trick will motivate you that you can proceed with your work by working consistently.
3.Eliminate all distractions during working hours
You have to eliminate all distractions during working hours.
This is only possible when you jot down all hurdles or distractions that are restricting you from working. Make a list and eliminate them all one by one.
If your gadgets are distracting you, then switch them off and concentrate on your work.
Write down a specific affirmation regarding your goals and repeat them continuously.
4.Prioritize your work
Prioritize your work and invest a tremendous amount of energy to fulfill your tasks.
However, you can also utilize the 80/20 rule that suggests that only invest your 20% and get 80% results. In that regard, you have to specify 20% of your workload.
Prioritize your work that demands more attention and effort and after completing that you can remove roadblocks to clear the road.
Moreover, you can also prioritize your work by following a covey time management grid. This grid will work wonderfully in every aspect of life.
Have a glance at this grid.
5.Set a specific time limit for every task
This is the most helpful tip to avoid time-management issues.
In that regard, you have to visualize your time.
You need a calendar or a journal and make 24 hours plans for every day.
Without a doubt, this tip will take only a few minutes from your time but will show a plan for a full day.
The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time. - Mozart
In this way, your mind will be ready for the next task automatically and will try to accomplish your task within a specific period.
Moreover, you also have to buffer your activities. Buffering your activities means that you’re dedicating a time limit of 10 hours to a project that requires 15 hours.
Stick to your schedule and try to do it within your specified time limit.
Final Words
Diagnosing the signs of poor time management within your daily routine will help you to smooth your pathway to success. In that regard, you have to work it out to balance your tasks.
However, balancing your workload doesn’t mean that you have to dedicate all your time to work.
Work hard and spend time with your family but do not forget a few moments to accompany yourself.