Why is this important?
You will find out at some point that there are not enough hours in a day to do everything you feel you need to do. The key to time management is to understand what has to be done, how long you will/can spend on it and when things will get done. There are only 24 hours in a day and therefore there is only so much that you can accomplish in a day.
Organization is Key
The sooner you learn how to organize your time the sooner you will find out how to have more time for the things you need to and want to do.
“I don’t have time” is an expression you often hear. The next time someone says it to you, ask them why. Is it because they have other priorities.
Don’t over commit
This advise will help you a lot. You have to learn to say no sometimes. If you are organized you can quickly say I am working on these things which I should be done in xx time therefore they won’t get done if I do this.
Wasting Time
Many people waste a lot of time looking for stuff that they can’t easily find. Have you ever wanted to find something like a toy, ball, etc. and end up looking for it for 15 minutes plus. What if you had a bin with, a box or a drawer etc. where these kind of items are. Putting things away in an organized way will save you time later.
Master To Do List
You need to identify what has to be done and organize it in a way that you can check it off as it is done. A simple to do list can be used for a real range of things from party planning, shopping list, school project, etc.
When you complete a task on your list, take the pleasure of crossing it off.
Don’t be afraid to transfer old items to a new page
Set priorities so that the important things you need to do are identified. This can be done by A, B, C or 1,2,3 ranking system.
If you haven’t tried a daily planner (book with space for each day of the year) make one or buy one. Daily planners are great for noting things you have to do on certain days.
Take your master to do list and put it in your daily planner on the days that you plan to do the things. At the end of the day check for items that are not done and move them to the day that you now plan to do them on.
Activities To Improve Your Time Management
- Get organized – create some files. To Do. To Read. To File.
- Track your time for a week. List the things you do each day and the time you spend on it. Summarize your week and think about other ways to use your time. Set priorities. Set goals and allocate some time to meet your goals.
- Devlop a “To Do List”. This can be as a simple as a sheet of paper with all the things you need to do and would like to do. Manage the list by crossing things off as you complete them.
- Set a schedule of things you would like to do each day and week.
Congratulations from TeachingKidsBusiness.com! You have taken another big step in developing your business skills and career preparation. You will find this to be a very helpful skill, as you use it daily. Don’t stop here!