Four Practical Lessons on Time Management to Ponder

Time is our greatest equalizer. We were all equally given 24 hours each. But the way we make use of this non-renewable resource is up to us. So here are some practical lessons on time management that you can take note of beginning today.

Lesson 1: Don’t procrastinate.

If you can do it now, DO IT. Don’t fall into the trap of “di bale nang tamad, wag lang pagod” (It’s better to be lazy than tired). Of course, it’s way better to feel “accomplished” after a task, than to feel the weight of being irresponsible. As an adult, you should be known for being responsible. (Self, take note please)..

Lesson 2: Be more proactive.

Work ahead of your schedule. Deadlines should serve as markers, not starting point. Personally, I challenge myself to finish my assignments ahead of due date so I still have enough time to improve my work. With this, I am confident with the quality of my output because I have invested more attention to it. Plus, it opens up more time for other stuff, like much valued rest.

Lesson 3: Know your priorities.

Day after day we are bombarded with a lot of things that demands our attention. If we are not careful, we’ll lose focus at the expense of what’s important. Know the difference between what’s urgent from what’s important. Remember, not everything that is shoved before you must be given attention.

Lesson 4: Rest Responsibly

I’ve learned to value rest when I pushed myself to the limit. Work must be balanced with rest. In the first place, it is God’s idea so we should give it much importance. Rest should recharge and give life to us, prepare us for more work to do. But we should do it responsibly, meaning we should not overdo it. There is a big difference between rest and plain laziness.

My Story

I was once a student so I can relate with the (joy?) and pain of cramming. I know how “motivating” deadline is. (Oh, thesis days!) When the due date is near, we race against time. Some people thrive on it. They love the feeling of being “rushed”. Yet some would rather not embrace pressure.

While we were still young, all we care about is to do our thing and we’re fine! We have huge pockets of time to spend with our friends, dates, computer games and other extra-curricular stuff. But as soon as we hit employment, reality hits us in return. Soon we regret how wasteful we are with our time back in our younger days. If we can only turn back time and save it for future use, no?

I almost feel like a nagging tito whenever I remind my youth group that time should be spent wisely while they are still young. Like, hello! Learn from me, please!

But I feel you, these things are easier said than done. Sometimes, the temptation to oversleep is stronger than facing pending tasks. Sometimes, especially when we have the luxury of time to procrastinate, we grab it without any second thoughts. It’s a constant struggle.

But remember, time wasted can no longer be recovered. Why not make use of it wisely, starting today?

Do you have any practical lessons to share on effective time management? Let me know in the comments.