Time management

Time Management refers to tools or techniques that aim to increase the effectiveness and/or efficiency of personal time use. These are embodied in a number of books, seminars and courses, many of which offer conflicting advice. Many of the best known examples are tied to specific lines of time management products.

Types of time management

Stephen R. Covey in First Things First, refers to the previous efforts at time management by dividing them into three generations, with his approach representing the so-called 4th generation. The first three he characterized as lists, such as to-do lists, calendars and planning, and priorities. For the fourth generation, he emphasizes the difference between urgency and importance in planning.

However some critics of time management methods consider that the whole concept of prioritizing by importance is flawed since once a project has been taken on all the work relating to it needs to be done. Questions of importance or non-importance are irrelevant. An illustrative example would be the building of an automobile, where the engine and wheels may be more important than the rear-view mirror and the carpets, but nevertheless a complete automobile would need the rear-view mirror and the carpets just as much as the engine and wheels. The critics would say that Covey correctly notes that, if you always action things on the basis of urgency, non-urgent things are never going to get done. But he fails to note that exactly the same applies to importance - if you always action things on the basis of importance then when do the non-important things get done? If trivial things are allowed to build up, they will gum up the works so effectively that the important work won't get done either.

Time

Different people may judge identical lengths of time quite differently. Time can "fly"; that is, a long period of time can seem to go by very quickly. Likewise, time can seem to "drag," as in when one performs a boring task.

In explaining his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying that although sitting next to a pretty girl for an hour feels like a minute, placing one's hand on a hot stove for a minute feels like an hour.

Management is the process of getting activities completed efficiently and effectively with and through other people.

Management is "working with and through other people to accomplish the objectives of both the organization and its members." This definition places a greater emphasis on human beings in the organization; focus is on results to be accomplished (objectives) rather than just activities and adds the concept that personal objectives should be integrated with organizational objectives.

See also

• Getting Things Done
• Task list (to-do list)
• Personal development
• Procrastination

Further reading

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External links

Web books

• What Time is it Now? Keys to Successful Time Management

Web books

• A software package for the enterprise

Web articles

A ppt based tutorial on http://www.tntech.edu/counsel/olr/Time-Management---Tutorial-imp.html