You’re on my time! Why mastering time management is a necessity

Personally, I think there’s nothing worse than people who waste the time of others.

You know exactly what I’m talking about.

– those who plan meetings and leave you waiting for a time before they reach;
– those who you make an appointment with and don’t have the courtesy to show up;
– those who make an appointment with you, run late, and fail to even pick up the phone!

I can go on about the atrocities that I have witnessed, but those of us who have been victim to the above mentioned know what it all comes down to – time management.  In order for you to carry on with an effective and productive day, it is essential that your time management skills be on point. Yes, there are times when the day happens to go a whole other direction because of the monkey wrench thrown in by the surprise client that fell in your lap. However, mastering the art of time management can save you the stress of overlapping meetings, and embarrassing no-shows.

A few tips to consider:

1. The day before, make a task list of things to accomplish for the next work day.
2. Use your Outlook/Gmail/iCal etc. calendar to book important meetings, gatherings etc. (it can come in very handy when you’re working away and a reminder pops up!)
3. Go old school and keep an agenda handy. Pen and paper will always remain our best friend.
4.  Verify appointments either the day before or in the morning.
5. Be very strict with your scheduling. If it needs to be done, so be it. But feel free to allot another chunk of time for the next day so that you can continue to work on more important projects.
6. Set realistic goals.
7.  Try to stay organized by keeping a clutter-free environment!

These are just a few things that I do on the regular that allow me to stay on track. And remember, in this day and age there is no excuse for a no show! Email, text, or better yet call. Respect the time of others, and believe that your time will be respected in turn.