How to Manage Time Well

Getting everything you need to get done in just 24 hours can sometimes seem next to impossible. From completing an important work project and attending night classes, to taking care of children and finishing household errands, it may always feel like you're rushing somewhere, out of breath and panting. Take control of your hectic life by learning how to effectively and efficiently manage your time.

Instructions

• 1

  Put together a schedule. If you have many things to do but no feeling of organization, you may feel out of control and overwhelmed. To gain some structure, write out a daily schedule that details your most pressing obligations, from taking out the trash to picking up a gift for a cousin's wedding. Place the schedule somewhere you will see it, such as on top your desk or your refrigerator.

• 2

  Take advantage of every minute you can get. For example, get some important work reading done while in the waiting room at the dentist's office. While waiting at the train station after work, get a few important phone calls out of the way.

• 3

  Seek sources of lost time. Think about what you may be doing every day that could be causing you to waste precious time. Begin in the morning and end at night. Ask yourself if you could eliminate five minutes of coffee time before work. Maybe you can skip a quick shopping excursion during your lunch break. The two hours of television you watch before bedtime could also be the culprit. Reducing a few habits may open you up to more time that you didn't know you had.

• 4

  Realize that saying "No" is always an option. If you constantly find yourself in the position of having to do things (even when you do not have the time), out of the fear of disappointing someone, then stop the behavior. If you do not have the time for a task or an event, you simply do not have the time. If you politely tell the truth, no one is going to hold it against you. In addition, if you are zapped of energy, exhausted or thinking about what else you need to do, you probably won't be effective anyway.

• 5

  Understand what times of day work best for you. If you're a morning person, you may be more functional before noon. On the other hand, if you're a night owl, the evening might be when you shine. Figure out your hardest tasks. Try to get them done during your "peak" time of the day, when you're feeling the most nimble and capable of conquering the world.

• 6

  Divide your obligations. To avoid overwhelming yourself, tell yourself that you are going to work on difficult things in bits and pieces. It may make them seem less like a burden.