Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle, also known as the '80:20 Rule' states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.

Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things-to-do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to developing a efficient personal time management skills. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

But there are more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.

Personal time management involves everything you have or do not have to do every day. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.

Having a balanced life-style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.

Time management is about doing everything that are most productive in an effective way, not just about being busy.

The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, professional, emotional and spiritual.

1.The physical aspect involves maintaining a healthy body with balanced meals and regular exercise, and managing stress and fatigue.

2.The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.

3.The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.

4.The professional aspect involves school and work in establishing your career.

5.The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires, and manifesting them accordingly.

6.The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning in life.

Thoroughly planning and having a set of things-to-do lists for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is no given enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole of you; if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.

Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small. A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.
1.Review your goals often whether it be short-term or long-term goals. A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.

2.Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style. Each and every one of you have a peak time and a time when you slow down, which are your natural cycles. You should be able to tell when your most productive time of the days and nights are so that you can plan to do the most difficult tasks at those times.

3.Learn to say "No" when you do not what to be involved. You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.

4.Give yourself a pat on the back or just reward yourself with something nice for an effective time management result.

5.Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.

6.Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.

7.Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.

8.Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.

These are the few steps you can take in becoming a well-balanced individual. As they say, personal time management is the art and science of building a better life. From the moment you integrate time management skills into your life, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors of opportunities for you to knock on.