Education
The Importance of Managing Time
For most of us there is just not enough time in the day. We are often busy from morning till night and still feel like we don’t get enough done. But here is a very odd phenomena, I have to admit that when I am the busiest I get the most things done. I think maybe I am more organized when I am very busy because I have to be. It is when I feel like I have plenty of time, nothing is urgent, that I let things fall between the cracks. At that moment I manage my time so poorly often that I miss things that I should have completed.
So why is it that I feel that I only use my time management skills when I am busy; why don’t I use the same skills even when I don’t have as many responsibilities or tasks to complete? Perhaps, and I am sure I am not alone in this; I just think that when I don’t have much to do that I will remember those few things that need to be completed. I don’t need to make a note or put things on my list; I will just remember! In fact most of us could use a nip and tuck when it comes to time management.
Here is why I think managing time is important – we are more than just the sum of our current responsibilities. We all have dreams and aspirations that we may not actually be in a position to completely fulfill at the moment. Or, if we can’t think of any dreams or aspirational goals, we may find that if we gave ourselves just a bit of breathing room there might be something there. Learning to manage our time better may give each of us a bit of free time to think about the future and allow us to set a goal that we could work on a little at a time.
Perhaps your dream is to go back to school and finish a degree and at the moment you can’t figure out how that might be possible. You could take one course at a time leading to that degree. The City Colleges of Chicago or a local Community College offers many opportunities to go back to school, addressing degree requirements in doable increments. Or maybe your dream is to learn some new skill, a language or computers or gardening or interior design, or something you don’t want to say out loud just yet. Again, check out those adult education options at the Community College.
Whatever your dream, learn to manage your time so that you have time to address those interests and dreams. It is possible. Don’t move into the future without a plan; do something for yourself. You are also modeling that behavior for those around you.
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