Defining Time Management

It is imperative for us to manage our time to be able to fulfill our goals in all spectrums of today's society. The only way to control time is to learn to manage time effectively. Once these skills have been learned they can be used in every aspect of ones life. Time management is the key to success in our personal lives, our place of employment, and educational studies.

Definition

Oxford's English Dictionary online has no definition for the term time management. Instead, one must search for each word independent of the other. Time is defined as a noun and a verb. For our purpose, we require the noun form of the word. Definition number one states:

Time n.Limited stretch or space of continued existence, an interval between
successive events or acts, a period through which an action, condition or state
continues.

Definition number two states:

A particular period indicated or characterized some way.

Considering this, a search for the word management turns up several different, and, for our purposes, irrelevant answers. However, definition number 1a states:

Management n.Organization, supervision or direction; the application of a skill
or care in the manipulation, use, treatment, or control (of a thing or person) or in
the conduct of something.

Earlier definitions of the word apply to farming and manufacturing, not at all applicable to our purpose here. One other definition does make our point, however. Definition number four states:

Talent or skill for organizing, efficiency, accomplishment; tact, ingenuity, or persuasiveness.

Combining these two words in this digitized, high-paced world, we would say there are as many as two true definition of time management as follows:

Organization or manipulation of a particular period indicated in some way

The talent or skill of controlling a limited stretch or space of continued existence in order to maximize efficiency.

Our Thoughts

The entire adult education experience revolves around the lives people have made for themselves as productive citizens. Fitting the furthering of one's education into the cracks between home-life, work and social-life can often be impossible. Other times, the strain is too great, and the aspiring student must delay their re-entry into the learning halls in deference to "life".

One possible way to make this invasion of books and professors into one's existence easier is time management. This term, so often mentioned in the corporate world and beyond, has yet to make its way into the Oxford English Dictionary Online. Yet, all adults understand how important time management can become as life becomes more and more involving and complex. It is crucial to be aware of one's time as well as those daily activities one takes up. From work, to shopping, to family activities, some method or another of time management is applied to make the transition from one activity to another smooth.

Not all possess efficient time management skills, however. The disorganized unfortunates tend to skip through their day, taking things as they come. These haphazardly organized people often miss appointments, disappoint acquaintances, and pass up opportunities due to their lax time management skills. If you know no one this applies to, it could very well be you. Applying time management protocols can be the one thing that makes life settle into a comfortable, yet busy, schedule. Many fear to over-manage, thereby scheduling all the fun and excitement out of their lives. However, once one realizes how much simpler it is to know what time you need to leave home to reach work, one discovers extra time. Time that, perhaps, was wasted before, can now be utilized.

Moderation in all things is the rule of thumb. So long as one does not micro-manage themselves into a mundane and tasteless existence, time management can have a positive effect on their overall outlook. Failing to apply adequate management allows time to be wasted and can lead to any number of incidents where management may have spared one humiliation, pain, or even funds.

How time management affects our studies

Time management for college students is a great challenge. Between your classes, new friends, possibly a job and any extra curricular activities, time is a like a precious metal. Juggling classes and study time amongst all the other things that pull for your time can sometimes become like a three ring circus. You find yourself trying to watch all three rings at once and you cannot concentrate solely on what is happening in one particular ring. This leads to distraction the longer it continues. You find yourself realizing, "I need to manage my time more wisely!" According to Joan Axelrod-Contrada, in an article, "The Juggling Game" published in Career World; Nov/Dec98, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p26, 3p, 1 chart, "students only spend about 3 hours a day in class." The remainder of their time they are juggling the other activities. According to Axlerod-Contrada, study, homework, work, sports actually cause the student to organize and manage their time.

Although some students think they can just do whatever, whenever they like and still do well in college, they quickly realize the fact that a regimented, organized management of their time is vital to their success. The students need to assess themselves and possibly even through trial and error find out what works best for them as an individual. Some are night owls and some are day persons. It will not take long to realize that mismanagement of one's time, has a great bearing on the college student. As Juliet Christian-Smith stated in the previously mentioned article, The Juggling Game, "I was feeling really stressed out, I was forgetting things all the time." Once she realized she was spreading herself too thin and began to manage her time, things began to smooth out for her.

How time management affects the learning team .The constraints of time together are a major factor in the online learning team environment. Each student has his or her own time when they can be online. Each has their own periods of time that they have to respond to the instructor's questions and postings.

This creates a need to coordinate activities and to determine early on who is doing what in the team projects. In addition, there needs to be collaboration between the members of the team for the project. That is why they call it a team project. The team works together for a common goal or paper. Some of the students may live on the East coast and others in the Central time zone or the Pacific. According to Figure 2-2 on page 46 of Keys to Success, A Supplementary Reader, the priority of students will differ as well. They may not be close to coordinated with the other members. Although each one has the same 24 hours in a day, they all use their time differently. Students need to take responsibility for their time and how it is used and attempt to manage their time wisely in order to reach their goal. Keys to Success, Tell Us Again on page 48 that one needs to build a schedule for proper time management. The use of a date book is highly recommended to keep track of your time and to list your activities so you can better manage they way you utilize your time.

Incorporating time management in the working environment

Employers today have high expectations in the workplace. The key to success in the workplace is finding ways to manage time wisely. Even though some people strive on deadlines, others become overwhelmed. Alvin Toffler predicted that too many items competing for our time and attention in the workplace would overwhelm us. Managing time in the workplace can help to complete tasks on time and help to reduce stress. Attitude about organization and time can have an affect on time management skills. If a person does not think it is important to be organized or that they have plenty of time, then they will not succeed. You have to have to be in the right frame of mind and procrastinating is not the way to go. Strategic planning, prioritizing and delegating are three basic elements of improving time management.

Using a day planner, you can strategically plan tasks and activities on a daily or weekly basis. By keeping track of the tasks that are being worked on, you are able to schedule new projects around current projects. It is hard to keep all the deadlines straight, and by writing them down you stand a greater chance of remembering all of them. Once all the tasks have been placed in a list, you will want to prioritize them by importance. This will enable you to complete the most important task first. There will be time when your schedule cannot handle the current workload. That is when delegating comes into play. Sometimes a person needs to ask the assistance of a co-worker to complete a project in order for it to be done on time.

Managing time can make or break your career. Do not get boggled down with worry about not getting things done. Break it down and do the most important first. You will find yourself becoming more productive and less stressed. You will also find you completed the tasks that need to be completed.

How Time Management Affects the Family

The ability to incorporate time for work, college, and your family all in one day is a great task to master. Our family is such a resource to our success that they do not deserve to be neglected. Each day, whether we come home from work or on the computer concentrating on college, we need to just take five or ten minutes to talk to our spouse or play with our children. As stated in an article, Women Today, Getting Out of Balance, Donald Wetmore (2003), "the average working person spends less than two minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or significant other."

As an adult, your spouse is able to understand and deal with the time constraints that you my have due to work or college. Yet, our young children are the ones who are affected the greatest by the absence of either their father or mother, and sometimes time is so limited that both parents are not available. The children need their parents in order to grow and understand family values.

Quantity of Stress When Time Management is Not Integrated

The amount of stress our spouses or children endure is unknown from our standpoint. In our absence, our spouse is basically under demand to take care of all essential family needs. This increases the amount of stress on the spouse and also the marriage. The amount of tension that is placed on a marriage can lead easily to a divorce.

How we manage our time can increase the stress on our children. Children need the cooperation from their parents to learn and grow. For us to use proper time management skills and incorporate family time teaches our children some proper values. The values that we instill in our children will lead to the make up of their character as they progress through the stages of life.

In conclusion, time management skills are essential to have throughout the stages of our lives. It benefits us with our careers, family, college courses and our own personal time. It is crucial that if we do not have substantial time management skills that we learn how to manage our time. We believe that if everyone is able to manage their time and put their priorities in order, then we will have a more successful world.

References:

Axelrod-Contrada, Joan. The Juggling Game. Career World; Nov/Dec98, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p26, 3p, 1 chart. Article

Carter, C., Bishop, J., Kravitz, S., Bradbury, M., Wheeler, J., Keys To Success, A Supplementary Reader, Custom Edition for University of Phoenix, 1999, Prentice-Hall

Oxford English Dictionary Online. Retrieved July 20, 2003

http://www.apollolibrary.com:2086/

Skills for the Workplace. Retrieved July 20, 2003

http://www.uhi.ac.uk/supporters/skills/skills_time.shtm

Davidson, Jeff. Successful Meetings. April 2002- vol 51 Issue 4, p37, Article