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5 Reasons to Manage Your Time More Effectively

By Gerald George Mannikarote, MBBS MBA

I remember when I first started my career.  It used to be very prestigious to be able to multi-task and fly by the seat of your pants.  Being very busy seemed to show that you were very successful.  It took me a long time to learn that busy-ness does not equate to productivity or success.  I also learned that by managing my time, I always had time to complete what was on my priority list.

Time management has become such a crucial skill that there are hundreds of books written about the subject.  There are myriads of courses on it.  But people still seem to have trouble with this particular skill.

With all this being said, why manage your time?  Here are 5 reasons:

1. You can be more productive at work

By understanding what’s important at work, you can manage your time to tackle the important projects at work.  Those projects that are both important to you and your boss.  If your boss feels that TPS cover sheets are important, you can chalk out time to complete those.  And you can push fixing the copy machine to some other time that’s not occupied by what will get you ahead.

2. You can work on your passion projects

You may have some projects at work that you are passionate about, but may not be considered important by the powers that be.  By managing your time, you can get your important tasks out of the way and schedule some time about the paper clip inventory that you are so passionate about.  This way the bosses can get their TPS cover sheets and you can complete your paper clip inventory.

3. You can pursue a hobby

So, we are often driven to succeed that we are often the first in the office and last to leave.  In my opinion, this is poor management of time.  If you manage your time wisely, you can leave the office on time and get to your paper clip collection at home.

4. You can have more time for your friends and family

As in the last point, time management does not end at the office.  By managing your time, you can enjoy more time with your friends and family.  You will be able to schedule time to people that matter most to you.

5. You can take care of yourself

Often times, very busy people say they don’t have time to exercise.  I remember when President George Bush Jr was in office, I learned that he scheduled time to exercise every day.  In the same article, it said that if the President of the United States can find time to exercise, so can you.  By managing your time, you can take care of the most important asset you have- yourself.  Schedule time to exercise (mental and physical) and to eat right.   This will help you move forward in all aspects of your life.

So these 5 points show you some good reasons to invest in time management.  What are some other reasons you should manage your time?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.  You can also contact me at jerrydmann@dmanntraining.com

For more information about work-life balance, check out this article.