Importance of Time Management in the Workplace

Successful Project Managers understand the importance of time management.

The Importance of Time Management

24 hours.

We all have the same amount of time available to us each day.

And that time is valuable. Once it has passed, it is gone forever.

Quite literally, time is life. If you can master how you spend your time, you can master your life.

By managing your time effectively, you can...

Be more productive at work
Have more personal time
Be healthier

Be More Productive

Using time management tools and techniques can help you be more productive.

When you are managing a project, you will have a seemingly endless list of things that need to get done. Implementing a good time management system will help you be an effective project manager by allowing you to take control of your time and tasks.

Using effective time management techniques will enable you to...

Identify all tasks you are responsible for
Prioritize your tasks
Create action plans to accomplish your tasks
Track task status

In addition to these "tactical" time management aspects, an effective system for managing your time will also handle "strategic" aspects of your life. Things such as making sure your goals are clear and dropping tasks that aren't related to your goals.

Have More Personal Time

Not only will developing your time management skills help you be more productive at work, but it will also enable you to have more personal time to focus on activities that you value outside of work.

Becoming more productive at work will give you the opportunity to complete more tasks within normal business hours. This will allow you to have more time available for focusing on your personal values.

These values can include aspects of your life related to...

Family
Education
Spirituality
Health and Fitness

Just as with time management in the workplace, it's important to clearly identify which values are important for you and to develop goals related to those values.

For example, if family is an important value for you, you may decide that one of your goals is to spend at least 1 hour per day playing with your children. With this goal, you can then schedule this time into your day and prioritize it accordingly.

Be Healthier

"I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in!"

How many times have you heard that?

How many times have you told yourself that?

Probably too many times to count.

When a person feels overwhelmed, it can lead to stress. In small bursts, stress can help you perform under pressure, but if you're consistently under stress it can result in serious mental and physical health problems.

Some health problems caused or worsened by stress include...

Heart Disease
Sleep Problems
Autoimmune Diseases
Depression
Obesity

Using an effective time management system can help you minimize stress and become healthier.

When you have a system in place that you can trust, stress goes down considerably because you know that the important as well as urgent tasks you need to complete are being handled. Your tasks will be under control and you won't feel overwhelmed.

In Conclusion...

Understanding the importance of time management will help you be more productive at work, have more personal time to focus on things you value outside of work, and be healthier.

A good time management system will help you become a more effective project manager and lead a more balanced life.

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