The word 'Time Management' has two big word combinations which we have to understand, before we can talk about the topic and drive home a better meaning. Yes, we need to look at the meaning of 'Time', and as well, 'Management'.
Time has been a very important mystery in our lives, as it remains the system of sequential relations that every event has, to any other, as past, present, future or even sometimes, in indefinite scenarios. And time has become an important quantity that can be measured easily and accurately now, using wristwatches with the latest technology which can be worn seamlessly about. This is a great upgrade to the era of hour glasses and solar-based timing.
Management is a process of planning, decision making, organizing, leading, motivation and controlling the human resources, financial, physical, and information resources of an organization to reach its goals efficiently and effectively. Thus, as short as both definitions are, the effect of the understanding of both together can not be overemphasized. The ripple effect is huge, and it is one of the difference makers between the poor and the rich. The Rich think that a day is not enough anymore, but the poor think that a day is just another long cycle to remain perpetually in doom. And this is aptly described in the three-pronged concept of management. These include the economic factor, the system of authority and the class and status system. What more could have been more truer than this? The successful few have mastered the importance maximizing the benefits of making each day count, hence, this has transformed in the visible parallel lines between the 'Haves' and 'Have nots'. They determine when to tighten or loosen the noose on the economy, they control the government and by inference, control how the poor spends their lives and these two will always bring the creation of a parallel socio-economic class and status.
So, what is Time Management itself?
Time Management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. From this meaning, it shows that 'Time Management' is not an instinctive action. It is deliberate. You have a lot to do with your time; going on a walk at the park, a family reunion, a date with your new friend, a match to watch at the stadium and lots more. But without time management, you might be lost in delving into frivolities than spending time 'consciously' on 'specific' activities that will increase your effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. So what time management has come to teach you is nothing but getting the best deal out of your limited time, your most precious resource if you ask me.
I had the honour of sitting with a top business executive, and I noticed that he always had this small book with him everywhere we went to, that day. He was the one calling the shots, about our next destination. I needed not to ask, that the book was an organized itinerary of how he had planned to spend his day. Great people do it, all the time. Yes, I was not on the losing end that day, because every short trip we made to his projects and other business engagements also fell within my own itinerary which I had carefully planned to spend with him. So, he was exercising a conscious spending of his time within my own time too! A win-win for all.
And in my vast experience with people, I noticed that people get caught up trying to equate time zones and moments. Yes, these are very nice mysteries that are dependent on time. While time zones are dependent on geographical locations, moments are defined by important occasions happening concurrently at the same time. A child born at exactly 17hours Lagos Time and 16hours in London came to the world the same moment but in different time zones!.
- Importance of Time
Here, we will look at four ways where time play very significant roles. These include;
- Sports: Like the saying goes, nobody cares about the runner-up,and no one would want to queue up behind the winner as you would always be in their shadows. Sports has been a very shrewd way to show how important the time is. Winners of races are determined in split time. Games are allotted time to see how much a team or athlete can make each second or minute count.
Security: Time aids precision, and this is why security agents have identified time as a viable tool to use in crime analysis and in military expeditions. They know when is the best 'time' to go on the offensive. Time determines the success or otherwise of every step in security.
Business: Punctuality they say is the soul of business. And what way would I describe being 'punctual' without talking about time? Ability to meet up with time and act within time has put a lot of businesses on higher pedestal above others.
Health: During drug prescriptions and administration, medical professionals take time seriously. A neglect or carelessness on this part could be lethal, after all, the thin line between life and death is just a nanosecond!
The sensitivity of this topic requires that we understand the preliminaries first. In subsequent time, we will understand the basic time management techniques, problems people face in managing time and their solutions.
Thank you.