So what exactly is time management? How do you manage time and more importantly, can time actually be managed? Well, I'm here to tell you time management is real; implement it correctly and it doesn't matter what field of work you are in, you'll attain both short and long term goals and lift productivity to a whole new level. And the best part is, it will seem as if you expend very little extra energy doing it.

Over Committment In The Work Environment

One of the biggest ravages of a person's productive time schedules is over committing. Why people do it remains somewhat of a mystery. Maybe it's the old story of not wanting to say no; trying to please everyone yet realising there is just no way you'll perform every task you've set yourself in the allotted time. This then leads to half-finished projects and a reputation in some eyes that you are unreliable. In the end, it ultimately leads to stress and diminished feelings of achievement. Know the feeling?

Set Your Time Management At Work Priorities

Prioritising is such an important aspect of effective time management it can't be understated. I can relate my story which will probably "strike a chord" with many where I had a habit of trying to get everything done yesterday. You know what I mean. If it gets done today then I won't have to do it tomorrow. But do you know what? I worked myself into a state of mind where my sub conscious used to take over and I found myself buried under a mountain of work one day and walking aimlessly around the office the next trying to look busy. My reasoning then was if it is finished today, I can relax tomorrow. Wrong attitude.

This gradually led to a distinct dislike for my job, unnecessary stress and believe it or not, laziness. How? Well, while I initially liked the idea of going to work and having nothing to do, I developed an over zealousness which saw me become agitated and frustrated whenever extra work was dumped on my desk. "How dare they? Don't they know this is my free time that I earnt because I put in all that extra effort early in the week to get things completed?" I soon became unpopular. And the reality was yes, though I had completed all my work in a couple of days, you couldn't blame people for noticing when I wasn't busy. I had to change and I did!

Prioritising my work committments virtually gave me a new lifeline. I implemented strict time management principles and followed them to the letter. Soon, it became second nature. Here's what I did: – I planned my day the night before. I got myself a diary. Yes, I know, how could I have lived without one! – I listed tasks in order of importance. Sounds simple and straight forward but you won't believe how many people get this wrong! – I didn't over-commit myself and learned to politely say no. There was no grey area here. It was yes or no and do you know I started to get some long awaited respect as a decision-maker. – When I started a project, I would tackle the more difficult areas first. This makes good time management sense because a fresh mind gives you sharper judgement and you are less likely to make mistakes. – I set short term goals, sometimes every hour and would give myself some sort of reward every time I achieved them. Rewards can be whatever you like, it's up to you.

It didn't take me long to climb "out of the rut" I had worked myself into. Applying time management at work principles virtually saved my career, gave me new found confidence and more importantly, I started enjoying it again. You can too!