When you think about it, the most precious commodity in anyone’s life is time. Just about any other thing – money, homes, cars, jobs, and so on can be replaced – but once you lose time, you cannot get it back (even if you are filthy rich, you can’t buy it back).

So the key to a better life is being able to properly use your time wisely. And the way to do that is by time management.

What is Time Management?

Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle also known as the ‘80-20 Rule’ states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output.

However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio ‘80-20’ is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.

Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing.

Those are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.

Personal Time Management

Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.

Having a balanced life-style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.

Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.

Six Areas of Personal Time Management

The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone’s life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual:

• The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.

• The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.

• The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.

• The career aspect involves school and work.

• The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.

• The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.

Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do list for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management.

Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.

Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.

Learning Time Management and improving your personal life

A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.

One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often.

A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.

Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.

Each and everyone of us has a peek time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.

Learning to say “No”. You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.

Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.

Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.

Don’t procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.

Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.

Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.

Final Thoughts…

These are a few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.

As the say personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.

From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.

If you would like a great resource to help you get started, then I recommend:

Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How To Manage Your Time To Increase Your Bottom Line (Business Related)

OR

Time Management: Proven Strategies to Maximize Your Productivity and End Procrastination (Personal Development)