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Essay on Time Management

• Updated on  
• Aug 27, 2022

“Time isn’t the main thing, it’s the only thing”- Mile Davis.

Time management is a prestigious topic for budding subconscious minds. It is one of the most crucial skills that you must inculcate from early on. This skill has vital importance when you move into a professional setting. It is extremely important to manage time efficiently as not managing time can create many problems in your day-to-day life. It is also a common essay topic in the school curriculum and various academic and competitive exams like IELTS , TOEFL , SAT , UPSC , etc. This blog brings you samples of essays on time management with tips & tricks on how to write an essay.

Essay on Time Management in 200 words

Time stops for none and is equal for all. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day but some people make better use of time than others. This is one of the most important reasons some people are experts in what they do. Therefore, time management plays a vital role in both personal as well as professional lives.

Time management is basically an effort made consciously to spend a certain amount of time performing a task efficiently. Furthermore, it is estimated that to have better results, one needs to do productive work. Thus, productivity is the key focus here. Moreover, maintaining a careful balance between professional life, social life, and any other hobbies or activities is a great example of efficient time management.

Time management is also crucial for students from an academic perspective as students require to cover many subjects. Thus, efficiently managing time is an important skill in everyone’s life.  Around the world, there are two views for time management – linear time view and multi-active time view. The linear time view is predominant in America, Germany and England, and it aims at completing one task at a time. Whereas a multi-active view aims at completing a number at once and is predominant in India and Spain. Nevertheless, time management is one of the important traits of a successful individual, students are advised to follow whichever is convenient for them.

Essay on Time Management in 300 Words

Time Management is a key skill for job opportunities as employers recruit candidates who have this efficient skill. Thus, it is advised to initiate inculcating this vital skill as soon as possible. In the academic setting, time management plays a vital role and helps in the accomplishment of tasks efficiently and effectively.

Time management is the process of planning and performing pre-scheduled activities with the aim of increasing productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. Different cultures hold different views on Time Management. However, a multi-active time view and a linear time view are the two predominant views. In a linear time view, the aim is set to complete one particular task at a time whereas, in a multi-active view, the focus is on completing a greater number of tasks at once. Emphasis is given on productivity and effectiveness, but students are free to choose their own view of time management.

Time management is crucial as it is helpful in setting a timeline for achieving a particular goal. Moreover, it also increases the efficiency of the tasks at hand. It becomes necessary for working professionals as they need to balance their personal and professional life. Thus, they do not have time to dwell on each and every detail in every task. In such cases, a multi-active view is one of the helpful methods. Time management works best when a goal or target is set. For instance, a student becomes far more effective at learning when they decide to assign 2 hours for learning a particular concept. This is effectively a method of benchmarking progress. So, every time the activity is performed, one can measure themselves and improve upon various aspects of their tasks.The clear conclusion is that time management is a crucial skill for students and working professionals. Thus, everyone must practise time management to improve productivity and efficiency of tasks.

Tips for Writing an Essay on Time Management

To write an impactful and scoring essay here are some tips on how to manage time and write a good essay:

• The initial step is to write an introduction or background information about the topic
• You are required to use the formal style of writing and avoid using slang language.
• To make an essay more impactful, write dates, quotations, and names to provide a better understanding
• You can use jargon wherever it is necessary as it sometimes makes an essay complicated
• To make an essay more creative you can also add information in bulleted points wherever possible
• Always remember to add a conclusion where you need to summarise crucial points
• Once you are done read through the lines and check spelling and grammar mistakes before submission

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Lastly, we hope this blog has helped you in structuring a terrific essay on time management. Planning to ace your IELTS, get expert tips from coaches at Leverage Live by Leverage Edu .

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

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Importance of Time Management - The Ultimate Guide

Explore the significance of Effective Time Management in this insightful content. From understanding the basics of time management to recognising its importance and the benefits it brings, discover practical strategies to optimise your time utilisation. Unlock the key to enhanced productivity and work-life balance.

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Table of Contents  

1) Introduction to Time Management 

2) The Importance of Time Management 

3) The benefits of Time Management 

4) Practical Time Management strategies 

5) Conclusion 

Introduction to Time Management  

Time Management is the process of planning, organising, and prioritising tasks to make the most efficient use of available time. It involves setting goals, breaking them down into manageable steps, and allocating time for each activity. By implementing effective Time Management Strategies , individuals can enhance their productivity, reduce stress, and optimise their use of time. 

The Importance of Time Management for students is particularly vital. Juggling academic responsibilities, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments can be overwhelming without proper organisation and prioritisation. By efficiently allocating time to studying, assignment completion, and revision, students can improve their learning outcomes, reduce last-minute cramming, and cultivate a healthy work-life balance. 

The Importance of Time Management in the workplace plays a crucial role in professional success. With numerous tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities, employees need to manage their time effectively to boost productivity, meet project goals, and enhance their reputation for reliability and efficiency. Moreover, effective Time Management enables individuals to maintain a healthy work-life integration, leading to increased job satisfaction. 

Want to master your time and unleash your potential? Join our Time Management Training Course today!  

The Importance of Time Management  

1) Increased productivity: Time Management allows individuals to prioritise tasks and allocate their time efficiently. By focusing on high-priority activities, individuals can make the most of their productive hours, accomplish more in less time, and achieve better results. Effective Time Management prevents wasting time on non-essential tasks or getting overwhelmed by a heavy workload. 

2) Reduced stress levels: Poor Time Management often leads to increased stress levels. Procrastination can be avoided, as well as missed deadlines, and last-minute rushes, which create unnecessary pressure and anxiety. By effectively managing time, individuals can plan and organise their tasks, stay ahead of deadlines, and approach their responsibilities with a calmer and more composed mindset. Reduced stress levels contribute to better mental and emotional well-being. 

3) Improved decision-making: Time Management allows individuals to allocate sufficient time for critical thinking and decision-making. Rushed and impulsive decisions can lead to negative consequences. With effective Time Management, individuals have the space to evaluate options, weigh pros and cons, gather information, and make informed decisions. This applies to both personal and professional choices. 

4) Enhanced goal achievement: Time Management is instrumental in setting and achieving goals. By breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks, individuals can create a roadmap for success. Effective Time Management helps allocate dedicated time slots for specific tasks, ensuring steady progress towards the desired outcome. Regular progress boosts motivation and creates a sense of accomplishment as goals are achieved step by step. 

5) Healthy work-life balance: Time Management is essential for maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life. Without proper Time Management, work can encroach on personal time, leading to burnout and strained relationships. By allocating time for work-related tasks as well as personal activities, hobbies, and self-care, individuals can nurture a balanced lifestyle, improving overall well-being and satisfaction. 

6) Increased effectiveness: Time Management allows individuals to identify and eliminate time-wasting activities or unnecessary distractions Individuals can work more efficiently and effectively by organising tasks and streamlining processes. Prioritising tasks, setting deadlines, and managing resources optimally contribute to improved efficiency in completing tasks and achieving desired outcomes. 

7) Accountability and discipline: Effective Time Management cultivates a sense of accountability and discipline. By setting deadlines and creating schedules, individuals hold themselves responsible for completing tasks within the allocated time frames. This accountability fosters discipline, commitment, and a proactive approach to managing responsibilities and meeting deadlines. 

8) Improved quality of life: Time Management enables individuals to balance their various responsibilities and commitments, resulting in an improved quality of life. Individuals can dedicate time to their passions, hobbies, relationships, and self-care by effectively managing time. This balance leads to greater satisfaction, fulfilment, and overall happiness. 

The benefits of Time Management  

1) Better opportunities: With better Time Management, time becomes available for attending workshops, taking courses, networking, or exploring new hobbies and interests, which can lead to personal and career advancement. 

2) Better efficiency: Effective Time Management allows individuals to allocate their time strategically, ensuring that tasks are completed in the most efficient manner. By prioritising and organising tasks, individuals can minimise time wasted on unimportant or non-essential activities, leading to increased efficiency and optimal use of resources. 

3) Better focus and concentration: Time Management helps individuals eliminate distractions and create dedicated blocks of time for specific tasks. By focusing on one task at a time without interruptions, individuals can enhance their concentration and productivity. This leads to higher quality work and better outcomes. 

4) Enhanced time awareness: Time Management cultivates a heightened sense of awareness and appreciation for the value of time. Individuals become more conscious of how they allocate their time and recognise the importance of making the most of each moment. This awareness helps individuals make conscious choices, prioritise effectively, and avoid procrastination. 

5) Better work-life integration: Effective Time Management allows individuals to strike a balance between professional life and personal life. By allocating time for work-related tasks, as well as personal activities, hobbies, and self-care, individuals can experience a more harmonious and fulfilling lifestyle. This integration promotes overall well-being and prevents burnout. 

6) Enhanced accountability: Time Management instils a sense of accountability within individuals. By setting deadlines and creating schedules, individuals hold themselves responsible for completing tasks within the allocated time frames. This accountability promotes discipline, commitment, and a proactive approach to work and personal goals. 

7) Less procrastination: Procrastination can hinder productivity and lead to increased stress levels. Some of the Time Management techniques include breaking tasks into smaller parts and setting specific deadlines, which helps individuals overcome procrastination tendencies. With a structured approach, individuals are more motivated to start and complete tasks promptly. 

8) Better time estimation: Time Management skills enable individuals to accurately estimate the time required to complete various tasks. This helps in planning and scheduling effectively, avoiding over-commitment, and preventing a backlog of unfinished work. Accurate time estimation leads to better time allocation and a realistic workload. 

9) Better health and well-being: Effective Time Management can positively impact physical and mental health. By allocating time for exercise, relaxation, and self-care activities, individuals can reduce stress levels, improve their overall well-being, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Taking breaks and incorporating leisure time into schedules promotes rejuvenation and prevents burnout. 

10) Increased sense of control: Time Management empowers individuals by providing them with a sense of control over their schedules and responsibilities. By taking charge of their time, individuals become more proactive, organised, and confident in managing their tasks and achieving their goals. 

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Practical Time Management strategies  

Implementing practical Time Management strategies can significantly enhance productivity, reduce stress levels, and help individuals make the most of their time. By incorporating these strategies into daily routines, individuals can optimise their use of time and achieve their goals more effectively. This blog section will suggest you some practical Time Management strategies to consider: 

1) Set clear goals: Start by defining your goals, both short-term and long-term. Clear goals provide a sense of direction and purpose, guiding your time allocation and priorities. Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART goals). This clarity helps you align your activities and focus on what truly matters. 

2) Prioritise tasks: Determine the urgency and importance of each task on your to-do list. Use techniques like Eisenhower's Urgent-Important Matrix, where tasks are categorised as urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, or neither urgent nor important. Prioritise tasks based on their significance and allocate time accordingly. 

3) Plan and schedule: Dedicate time for planning and scheduling your activities. Use tools like calendars, planners, or digital apps to organise your day, week, or month. Break down the larger assignments into smaller steps and allocate specific time slots for each activity. Set realistic deadlines, allowing buffer time for unexpected interruptions or delays. 

4) Time blocking: Time blocking involves allocating specific time blocks for different activities. Designate blocks of uninterrupted time for focused work, meetings, emails, breaks, and personal activities. By creating a structured routine, time blocking minimises distractions and improves productivity and focus. 

5) Avoid multitasking: While multitasking may seem efficient, it often leads to reduced productivity and increased errors. Instead, focus on one task at a time, giving it your undivided attention. Complete each task before moving on to the next. By concentrating on one activity, you can work more efficiently and produce higher-quality results. 

6) Learn to delegate: Recognise tasks that can be delegated to others. Delegating frees up your time for more important or high-value activities. Identify competent individuals who can handle specific tasks and assign responsibilities accordingly. Effective delegation enhances productivity and allows you to focus on tasks that require your expertise. 

7) Manage digital distractions: Digital distractions, such as social media notifications or emails, can consume valuable time. Minimise distractions by scheduling dedicated time to check and respond to emails or messages. Consider using website blockers or productivity apps to limit access to distracting websites or apps during focused work periods. 

8) Take regular breaks: Breaks are essential for maintaining focus and productivity. Incorporate short breaks into your schedule to recharge and refresh your mind. Use this time to engage in activities that help you relax and rejuvenate, such as taking a walk, practising deep breathing exercises, or enjoying a hobby. 

9) Review and reflect: Regularly review your progress and reflect on your Time Management practices. Analyse what worked well and what needs improvement. Adjust your strategies accordingly to maximise efficiency and effectiveness. Continuous evaluation and adaptation lead to ongoing improvement in managing your time. 

Conclusion  

All in all, mastering Time Management is a skill that can transform your personal and professional life. By recognising the Importance of Time Management, understanding its benefits, and implementing practical strategies, you can unlock your full potential, achieve your goals, and lead a more balanced and fulfilling life. Remember, time is a finite resource, so make every moment count by managing it effectively. Embrace the power of Time Management, and watch as your productivity, satisfaction, and overall well-being soar. 

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Essay on Time Management for Students and Children

500+ words essay on time management.

Essay on time management-In today’s scenario people are so busy in their lives that they are not getting time for themselves. Due to which time management has become the need of the hour. Time management is playing a vital role in mankind . Time management creates discipline or vice versa. If you want to be successful in life then you need to manage your time. As a result, various billionaires teach about time management.

The Meaning of Time Management

In our daily life, we have got only twenty-four hours in a day. Therefore we cannot do everything in one day. This creates limitations in our everyday work. In order to manage work, social life and sleep, division of time is important. In a particular way division of time is the need. This will help the person to complete all his tasks. You should write your tasks in a schedule.

Designing has to be in a way that each task gets enough time. Your work should have the highest priority. The second priority should sleep. And the last but not the least your social life. Your social life includes family and friends.

In order to live a happy and peaceful life socializing is important. Too much workload can make a person ill. So, give your mind a little rest. Spending time with family can help you with this. Moreover, the main purpose to work is to fulfill the needs of the family. Since the fulfillment of needs is important. Which makes a person happy.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Time Management for Students

Though adults are working, the students are not spared with work. The students today have many studies to do. Because of this, they are not getting time to enjoy their childhood. Time management for students has become a crucial need. Education has become vast. Therefore proper scheduling of time is important.

A good student knows the importance of studies . But he should also know time never comes back. Thus a student should take out time for personal development too. Since personal development is important for their proper growth. Moreover, personality development is also important for a student. They should at least take out one hour for sports. Sports teach student teamwork. Since it is enjoyable it lessens the stress of the day.

The daily routine is School or college, and then coaching. This leaves with no time of self-studies. Self-study is an important aspect of education. The student should not neglect this. As the day ends, they get too tired. Due to which there is no energy left. This degrades the performance of the student.

There is a difference between a topper and an average student. That difference is proper time management. A topper student schedules his time. While an average student does not do that. And because he never manages time, he gets no time for self-study. Which in turn leaves him behind.

How to Manage Time?

A person should eliminate unnecessary activities from their daily schedule. On weekends you should do it. Especially should socialize on weekends. Also, include traveling time in the schedule. This ensures accuracy.

Most Noteworthy, make a time table on paper. In which you should write your daily activities. This will create discipline in your life. Moreover, you should complete the task daily. However, there will be some changes in the schedule with time.

Finally, your schedule needs to be practical. You cannot make a schedule unless you know your daily timings. Each persons’ schedule is unique if you copy you won’t progress in life.

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Importance of Time Management

This essay will emphasize the importance of time management in personal and professional life. It will offer strategies for effective time management, such as setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and avoiding procrastination. The piece will discuss the benefits of managing time efficiently, including increased productivity, reduced stress, and better work-life balance. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Time Management.

How it works

Time Management will play a vital role in my academic career while pursuing my degree. There will be a few factors that I must consider in other to manage my time effectively and efficiently. Contrary to popular belief, no one can actual manage time. I will have to manage the events in my life in relation to time within a 24 hour period. How I plan on using my time will be based on things that I have already learned in conjunction with proper planning, self-control, and more importantly self-discipline.

Being in the military has taught me to engage in all the activities that will support my goals and agendas. I’ve learned that procrastination will always be a main factor for loose of time management and failure to properly focus. When I’m focusing on a task or activity, I do my best to eliminate anything that will or become a distraction to me. I have found that setting my priorities first and foremost, has set the tone for me to organize my time properly and it has improve my focus altogether. In the military things isn’t always set in stone. I have learned over the years to always stay flexible and adapt to the time constraints placed upon me. A piece of advice that I was given to me, was to never fall in love with a plan because it is always subjected to change. Therefore, when I plan and organize my time, I factor in “Newton’s Law” to allow myself time to adjust. Then I will re-focus at the task at hand.

Knowing what my overall goals are each day has helped me to set up my short-term and long-term goals. I have built a day to day planner and a three month calendar that I review each morning before I turn on my computer. I write down and prioritize all my competing tasks that I have to accomplish for that day. My list has become a working document because I update it constantly however; by doing this it has helped me prioritize my tasks wisely. After I have reviewed and captured everything on my list, I have a meeting of the minds with my key leaders before I plan for any new tasks. Once I cross-level with my key leaders, I start my strategic and deliberate planning. As well as developing my operational planning and tasking. Before I start any new task or assignment, I want to ensure that I finish and accomplish that task that I have already started. With that being said, if I do start a new task it has to apply or enhance the task that I’m conducting at that time. Prioritizing will be the most strategic tool that I will use the most.

Trying to balance work, home, and school will be a challenge. Therefore, my time will be limited and more importantly valuable! Trying to juggle time between all these facets will be stressful. With that being said, I have to be very productive, wise, disciplined, and conserve my energy. Bottom line, I have to utilize self-control by analyzing my events before I commit to anything. I want to “protect my time” as if it’s like my life savings. Knowing when to use it and where to use it will lessen the stress that I place upon myself. I am a self-motivator and I’m able to accomplish things that I set my mind to. Analyzing where my focus is most needed is where I will devote my time. However; developing a routine will help me determine a course of action. In addition, by developing a daily routine will help me plan properly and be more realistic when it comes to my time management. More importantly for me, it will also allow me to incorporate the availability for “me time” (i.e. exercising, gym). Things will run together at times and at some point everything is going to feel important. Scheduling my events by use of a calendar, checklist, note pad, or a computer will de-conflict unwanted interruptions. By learning to commit to the things that I need to do vise what I want to do, will eliminate complacency, clutter, and disorganization. Good scheduling and prioritization will protect my time and I will be more productive.

Finding a systematic way of managing my time will help me be more effective and help me know the distinction of what is important and what is not. Setting my daily goals into manageable chunks will improve my performance both mentally and physically. Keeping my atmosphere free of distractions at work and home will decrease my stress levels. Finding time for myself aside of work for relaxation to re-energize myself. Lastly, having the courage to say, “NO” will keep me from over committing myself and otherwise being overloaded.                       

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Home — Essay Samples — Business — Time Management — Time Management: Benefits, Strategies, and Implementation

Time Management: Benefits, Strategies, and Implementation

• Categories: Time Management

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Words: 415 |

Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 415 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Understanding time management, identifying time wasters, creating a time management plan, implementing your time management plan, managing time in specific situations.

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The Importance of Time Management for Students

Table of contents, achieving academic excellence, maximizing opportunities, real-life examples of time management, strategies for mastering time, lifelong skills and balance, references:.

• Covey, S. R. (1994). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Free Press.
• Lakein, A. (1973). How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. New American Library.
• McKeown, G. (2014). Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Crown Publishing Group.
• Vanderkam, L. (2016). 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. Portfolio.
• Tracy, B. (2007). Time Power: A Proven System for Getting More Done in Less Time Than You Ever Thought Possible. AMACOM.

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Time Management Is About More Than Life Hacks

• Erich C. Dierdorff

Your productivity hinges on these three skills.

There is certainly no shortage of advice — books and blogs, hacks and apps — all created to boost time management with a bevy of ready-to-apply tools. Yet, the frustrating reality for individuals trying to improve their time management is that tools alone won’t work. You have to develop your time management skills in three key areas: awareness, arrangement, and adaptation. The author offers evidence-based tactics to improve in all three areas.

Project creep, slipping deadlines, and a to-do list that seems to get longer each day — these experiences are all too common in both life and work. With the New Year’s resolution season upon us, many people are boldly trying to fulfill goals to “manage time better,” “be more productive,” and “focus on what matters.” Development goals like these are indeed important to career success. Look no further than large-scale surveys that routinely find time management skills among the most desired workforce skills, but at the same time among the rarest skills to find.

• Erich C. Dierdorff is a professor of management and entrepreneurship at the Richard H. Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University and is currently an associate editor at  Personnel Psychology.

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Essay on Time Management

Students are often asked to write an essay on Time Management in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Time Management

Importance of time management.

Time management is a crucial skill for students to master. It helps us to organize our day, ensuring we make the most out of our time.

Benefits of Time Management

Effective time management leads to improved academic performance, less stress, and more free time. It allows us to balance our studies, hobbies, and relaxation.

Strategies for Time Management

To manage time effectively, create a schedule. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadlines. Always set realistic goals and take regular breaks to avoid burnout.

Mastering time management helps us to become more productive, less stressed, and happier. It’s a skill worth developing.

Also check:

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250 Words Essay on Time Management

Introduction.

Time management is a fundamental skill that college students need to master. It is the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially in an academic setting.

The Importance of Time Management

Time management is crucial for success in college. It allows students to prioritize tasks, reduce stress, and increase productivity. By effectively managing time, students can balance their academic responsibilities with social activities and personal interests.

Strategies for Effective Time Management

One strategy is to create a schedule or a to-do list. This not only helps in organizing tasks but also in visualizing the time required for each task. Another strategy is to prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. This helps in focusing on high-priority tasks and reduces the risk of missing deadlines.

The Role of Technology in Time Management

Technology plays a significant role in time management. Apps and digital tools can help in tracking time, setting reminders, and organizing tasks. However, it’s important to ensure that technology doesn’t become a distraction.

In conclusion, time management is a crucial skill that can significantly impact a student’s academic performance and overall well-being. It requires discipline and commitment, but the rewards are well worth the effort. As college students, mastering time management can lay the foundation for success in both academic and professional life.

500 Words Essay on Time Management

Time is a non-renewable resource, and its effective management is a crucial skill for success in any sphere of life, particularly for college students. Time management refers to the process of planning and organizing how to divide your time between specific activities to increase efficiency and productivity.

The importance of time management cannot be overstated. It is a key factor in enhancing productivity and achieving goals. Good time management enables you to work smarter, not harder, so you accomplish more in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. It reduces stress, helps in avoiding procrastination, and provides a better understanding of the value of time.

Time management strategies vary from person to person, but a few universal techniques can be applied to most situations. Prioritization is a core aspect of time management. Understanding the relative importance and urgency of your tasks can help you decide where to focus your energy. Tools like the Eisenhower Box can help in this process.

Goal setting is another essential strategy. Setting clear, achievable goals based on your priorities can provide a roadmap for how you spend your time. The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) framework is a useful tool for setting effective goals.

Lastly, managing distractions is a critical part of time management. In an age of constant digital interruptions, it’s essential to create an environment conducive to focus and productivity.

Technology plays a significant role in modern time management. Digital tools like calendar apps, project management software, and time tracking tools can help you organize your tasks, set reminders, and monitor your productivity. However, it’s essential to use these tools wisely and avoid falling into the trap of digital distractions.

In conclusion, time management is a vital skill for college students, directly impacting their academic and personal success. It involves prioritizing tasks, setting goals, managing distractions, and effectively using technology. By mastering these skills, students can make the most of their time, reduce stress, and achieve their goals. Time management is not just about making the best use of time; it’s about making the best use of life.

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If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Time Management at the Workplace Essay

In the contemporary world, time is one of the most valuable resources. Having time means being able to accomplish more productive tasks, make a larger contribution, and a stronger impact. An individual with well-developed time management skills is wanted at any workplace due to their ability to produce better results. As a concept, time management is applied to a variety of spheres of life (such as career, education, self-improvement, private life) and is a basis for personal planning and organization of individual resources.

Each day lasts for 24 hours. However, somehow some individuals are able to fit many more tasks and accomplishments within this time than others, and the key to this ability is good time management (“What is Time Management?: Working Smarter to Enhance Productivity” par. 1). Time management is best described as one’s awareness of the ways they spend time on the daily basis (“Time Management” par. 1).

This definition includes the evaluation of quality and quantity of one’s activities and their influence on the overall working process time management is applied to. Going through the activities of the day, one would be likely to identify some of their habits that can be seen as useful or harmful to the process improvement and productivity. The most important attribute of good time management is the focus of the manager.

It is crucial that one moves their focus from the process and its qualities to the final results it might create (“What is Time Management?: Working Smarter to Enhance Productivity” par. 3). Being busy is often associated with high achievements, but in practice the correlation is the opposite. It is believed that to produce good results one is to work hard, but in reality all that is requires is working smart.

Traditionally, time management is associated with one’s ability to accomplish more assignment and duties within a certain period of time, but often the first task for a time manages is to eliminate some of the activities and habits that kill productivity. The most efficient killer of productivity in the contemporary world is a distraction that usually leads to procrastination and consumes hours of valuable time that could be spent on useful accomplishments (Long par. 9).

The modern technological progress has created a variety of means for distraction such as smartphones, computers, and the internet. Due to everyone’s total connectedness the individuals of all ages these days are frequently distracted reading the news, scrolling through social networks, checking emails, and answering phone calls. One may give in to these distractions multiple times for short periods or a few times ending up as lengthy sessions of procrastination. Regardless of the pattern, the results are similar in both cases – valuable time is lost, and working process is interrupted. Elimination of the habit to procrastinate is quite hard, especially knowing how addictive the internet and total connectedness can be.

That is why the best way to address distractions is to organize them. For instance, the emails and messages can be checked only during specially arranged breaks and only those that concern work should be responded. Leisure activities such as social visits to social networks can be included in the time management schedule as parts of lunch or coffee breaks conducted for a purpose of rest from work. However, it is important to remember that the most harmful property of distraction is the individuals’ inability to control the amount of time they consumer. That way, careful planning of the day and sticking with the schedule is a key to keeping procrastination under control and preventing it from making a negative impact on the daily activities.

In addition to the activities and behaviors that need to be excluded, good time management requires some habits that one has to add to their daily life. First of all, the beginning of successful time management lies in the clearly established priorities for the project or a day (Burn-Callander par. 1). Secondly, having a very busy day, one is to be prepared for a high density of activities and tasks. It is important to keep them from piling up because doing several things at a time serves as an ultimate distraction and productivity killer. A multitude of activities can be management by means of the delegation, or hierarchical organization based on the priorities set previously.

Besides, the plan for the day is to include breaks between the activities since switching instantly from one task to another is unrealistic, so if the items of a plan are too close together there is a risk of not getting into some of them in time (“10 Common Time Management Mistakes” par. 18). In other words, interruptions need to become a part of the schedule (Mathews, Debolt, and Percival par. 14).

To conclude, time management is not as much a specific set of new behaviors to learn as it is a list of things to cross out of one’s daily activities. Time management is based on the elimination of the main errors an individual makes during the day, among them there are distractions, procrastinations, inability to delegate, attempts to do several things at a time, and planning tasks without any “breathing time” in between.

Works Cited

10 Common Time Management Mistakes . 2015. Web.

Burn-Callander, Rebecca. Ten time management techniques that really work . 2014. Web.

Long, Jonathan. Become a Productivity Monster by Eliminating These 5 Time- Wasting Habits . 2015. Web.

Mathews, John, Don Debolt, and Deb Percival. How to Manage Time With 10 Tips That Work . 2015. Web.

Time Management. 2011. Web.

What is Time Management?: Working Smarter to Enhance Productivity. 2015. Web.

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Importance & Benefits of Time Management (+ 10 Expert Tips)

Table of Contents

What if we told you that you can:

• Reach your dreams, 
• Travel to exotic locations,
• Land your dream job, 
• Finish your projects before the deadline, 
• Get enough sleep every night, AND
• Spend enough time with loved ones — all within this one lifetime!

Yes, it’s possible, and the key is: good time management . 

Today, you’ll understand the advantages of time management and learn:

• What good time management is,
• Benefits of good time management, with special emphasis on the workplace setting, and
• Useful tips to help you manage your time better. 

Let’s begin! 

What is time management?

Time management presents how effectively you make use of your time. 

Even though time management is a well-known term, many people are still confused about its actual meaning. So, we contacted experts for help in defining it. 

One of them was Bryan Clayton , the CEO and co-founder of GreenPal. For Bryan, time management and smart planning go hand in hand:

“Time management is how you plan, organize, and do your tasks and activities in a smart way. ”

He also pointed out the importance of effective time management , which is not just doing more in less time, but doing the right things at the right time:

“You need to set clear and realistic goals, break them down into smaller tasks, prioritize them, schedule them, focus on one thing at a time, avoid distractions and procrastination, delegate or outsource what you can’t or shouldn’t do, check your progress and results, and adjust your plans as needed.”

Founder of The Literary Lifestyle, Julianne Buonocore , recommends a Financial Times Books of the Year and New York Times bestseller Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Julianne shared the most important lessons from the book — that we need to accept the fact that time is finite: 

“If we’re lucky and live to age 80, we have about four thousand weeks to live. Time management is not about masterfully squeezing as much as possible into those weeks. Rather, time management is about accepting there will never be enough time, so we need to focus on getting the most important things done with the time we are given.”

Finally, we can say that time management also means being aware of the time we have and making the most of it.

Why is time management important: Key benefits of time management

Knowing how to manage your time properly brings a number of great benefits to your work routine and life overall! Here are some of the perks of good time management. 

Benefit #1: Time management helps you achieve your goals

When you understand why time management skills are important, you gain the motivation to stop sitting around and pursue your goals.

As a result of this hard work and newfound motivation , you reach your goals faster.

Benefit #2: Time management helps you become more organized

When you properly manage time, you get more done and save more time for activities you truly enjoy. Properly managing time includes:

• Making a to-do list , 
• Allocating time to each item from your to-do list, and 
• Scheduling those tasks on your calendar.

By following this routine, you’ll be easily able to stick to your plan and complete your daily tasks without stressing about them. You don’t have to worry about missing deadlines or forgetting errands — because you already planned your time in such a way that prevents such mishaps from happening.

For Founder & CEO of Deepwrk, Valeri Gervaziev , being organized is at the core of time management: 

“Having a plan is the cornerstone of good time management. Without a daily, weekly, or long-term plan, it’s all too easy to veer off course.”

Benefit #3: Time management helps with achieving work-life balance 

Among the essential effects of good time management is more free time .

More free time means you have more time to spend with your loved ones, practice a hobby, or even go on a trip abroad. This all results in a healthier work-life balance !

A family law expert and chief of divorce evolution at Divorce.com, Laura Wasser , explains the importance of effective time management for work-life balance:

“Time management is a tool for reducing workplace stress and fostering a better work-life balance. It’s like having an explicit, well-documented agreement — everything runs more smoothly when everyone knows what to expect.”

💡 Clockify Pro Tip

Looking for fun things to do in your leisure time that will help you stay productive at the same time? Check out this article:  

• Best productive hobbies to take on

Benefit #4: Time management helps you feel better

Now you must be wondering —  how can time management help you feel better?

When you properly manage time, you’ll enjoy the feeling of success a completed to-do list brings. You feel more capable of doing anything on your agenda. 

You’ll see how you can live up to your expectations and in turn, feel a boost of self-confidence about your abilities. In addition, reducing the amount of stress in your life helps you avoid serious issues such as mental fatigue . 

Laura Wasser explains how proper time management can help you find balance in life and feel much better:

“It [time management] helps you achieve balance and control in your life, freeing up time for the things that truly matter — like spending time with loved ones or taking a moment for yourself. It’s like finally reaching an agreement in a tough negotiation, there’s a sense of relief, accomplishment, and you suddenly find you have time for a well-deserved break.”

Benefit #5: Time management helps you improve your lifestyle

Proper time management makes sure you spend less time busy as a bee but as productive as a sloth on a duvet day.

You’ll be able to single out your work priorities and schedule your time in such a way that you manage to both attend your daughter’s recital and go over some crucial project issues with a client.

For Stacy Ennis , the best-selling author, coach, and speaker, time management is essential for improving our lifestyle as it leaves more time for activities we enjoy:

“Good time/energy management honors the ebb and flow of our bodies and brains and lets us tap into our most productive selves — not in a way that depletes us but rather makes more space in our lives. Win-win!”

The importance of time management in the workplace

Time management is essential in life overall — but it’s especially important in the workplace. So, how does time management help with our work? 

Laura Wasser illustrates how crucial time management is in the workplace — by comparing time management with the legal industry:

“Time management is as essential as having a good lawyer when you’re facing a court case. It helps you meet deadlines, improves your decision-making ability, and offers a better chance to achieve your career goals.“

Thus, here are the crucial benefits of effective time management in the workplace.

Benefit #1: Time management helps you avoid missing deadlines and appointments

Deadlines and appointments are often difficult to keep track of.

To keep yourself on track with your work and finish on time, you need to make sure you start on time — you’ll also need to ensure you divide your work into manageable chunks you’ll be able to tackle in the predefined time periods.

Bryan Clayton believes good time management helps us keep up with all of our deadlines and appointments, which makes us more productive and leads to exceeded expectations:

“You can deliver high-quality work on time and within budget. You can meet or exceed your expectations and standards.”

Benefit #2: Time management helps you procrastinate less

According to Valeri Gervaziev, procrastination is “ a response to negative emotions, such as stress or anxiety, that we associate with certain tasks.”

When you know you’re working on a fixed schedule with tasks allocated to specific time slots in the day, it’ll be easier for you to focus — because you’ll know you have personal deadlines to meet for each task. Thus, you’ll procrastinate less. 

Still struggling with procrastination? Check out this guide:

• Procrastination guide: Why it happens and how to overcome it

Benefit #3: Time management helps you avoid unwanted stress

Racing to beat a deadline is stressful because you don’t know whether you’ll succeed. Increased pressure over time can lead to more serious problems such as career burnout . 

But, smart time management helps you view your workday, not as a whole, but as a set of tasks you need to go through. Once you have all your tasks with the specific time you need to finish each of them, it’s easier to single out priorities and make arrangements that help you minimize such stress. 

For Bryan Clayton, time management is all about reducing your stress levels:

“You can avoid overwhelm and frustration. You can cope with pressure and uncertainty and prevent fatigue and exhaustion.”

Benefit #4: Time management helps you maintain your professional reputation

Missing deadlines, forgetting meetings, and rushing projects is an expected outcome of poor time management — one that will likely put a dent in your reputation if given enough time.

But, proper time management at work eradicates these possibilities and helps you build and maintain your professional reputation!

In line with that, Bryan Clayton also believes that good time management is beneficial for your professional reputation:

“Good time management can help you build trust and confidence with your clients, customers, colleagues, managers, and stakeholders. You can show your reliability and professionalism.”

Maintaining a professional reputation and building trust are essential for success! Read more about building trust in remote workplaces here:

• How to build trust in the remote workplace

Benefit #5: Time management helps you avoid financial penalties

There is more to your business than just project deadlines — for example, you’ll need to make sure you pay taxes on time. That is, unless you want to pay an additional 5% fee for every month your return is late.

If you allocate a specific time slot on your calendar to handling taxes and other expenses in your business, you’ll avoid any penalties.

Why do we waste our time?

A recent UK study showed that people spend almost 2 hours every day doing absolutely nothing. That’s almost a month wasted each year! Moreover, 56% of study participants understand the importance of better time management. However, family and work-related obligations frequently stand in the way of them being their most productive selves.

Before you can stop wasting time, you need to understand why you waste it in the first place. 

Bryan Clayton highlighted key reasons why people waste time: 

• Lack of clarity — no specific and measurable goals or action plans,
• Lack of motivation — absence of a purpose or incentive to use our time better,
• Lack of discipline — no willpower to resist temptations or distractions, absence of habits or routines that support our goals,
• Lack of skills — absence of knowledge or abilities to do the tasks or activities we need to do, and
• Lack of feedback — no way to measure our progress or results and the lack of feedback or guidance that can help us improve or fix our mistakes.

So, your first step in preventing time waste is determining which of these factors are detrimental to your time management. Then, you can start working on them and slowly incorporating some of the tips we’ll present to you in this article. 

According to Parkinson’s law, people tend to adjust their pace to their workload and the amount of time they have to finish it. If you recognize yourself in this, you might want to check out this article: 

• Parkinson’s law: why you waste time and how to avoid it

How to improve time management — Top 10 time management tips 

Once you’ve done away with wasting time , you’ll want to learn how to use it wisely!

You’ll do that by utilizing your time management skills and choosing effective time management strategies.

There’s always room for improving your time management skills. To dive deep into effective time management, check out this guide:

• Everything you need to know about time management (+ tips)

Tip #1: Set your goals

“People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.” — Earl Nightingale

Unless you’re aware of what you want to achieve, you won’t be able to plan the steps that will lead you to your goals. If you aren’t sure about your overall objectives and didn’t set concrete career goals , you could try journaling your thoughts and dreams over time. 

Run through what you’ve written so far, and define your goals — if you were honest about your dreams in your journal, you’ll be able to turn your wants into concrete goals . Having a fixed objective saves you a lot of time and keeps you in deep work .

If you’re looking for the best way to set and track your goals, try out this technique: 

• How to set SMART goals (+ examples and templates)

Tip #2: Keep your goals to yourself

You may think keeping your goals to yourself is counterproductive — after all, isn’t it a common saying that if you want your dreams to come true you have to share them with others?

But, it’s the exact opposite of that. 

According to entrepreneur and author Derek Sivers and several studies , people who declare their goals to the world are statistically less likely to reach said goals . 

This is tied to the fact that people pursue goals because of the satisfaction they feel when they reach them, and people who announce what their goals are, already feel this satisfaction. That renders actually reaching their goals unnecessary.

So, next time you feel the urge to tell someone about your dreams, goals, and aspirations — don’t. This might not seem like a logical time management technique , but, statistically, it’s an effective one.

Tip #3: Create a plan

When you make a plan , you’re less likely to lose your way, and thus less likely to fail.

To properly plan, you have to assess your goals once again. Then, list the tasks and actions that help you reach them, and do away with anything you believe to be a distraction.

A software Developer at Clockify, Milena Savatovic , highlights the importance of planning and writing down our tasks: 

“My most helpful time management hack is writing my plan in a journal. At the end of the workday, I like to write down all the tasks I have to do tomorrow and try to make a schedule for myself for that day. I always leave some room for unforeseen situations and try not to overload the schedule, that is, to distribute the work as realistically as possible.”

Furthermore, Laura Wasser offers a unique perspective on handling your daily schedule — treating your time like money:

“ Allocate a certain amount of time for each task, similar to how you’d allocate money for different expenses. It helps keep things in perspective and avoids overspending time on less critical tasks.”

Are you having issues with creating a plan? You could try some of our time block templates:

• Time blocking planner (+ 9 free time block templates)

Tip #4: Make decisions

“Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses in your life; you realize everything that happens in life is a result of the previous choice you’ve made and start making new choices to change your life.” ― Roy T. Bennett

Unless you make up your mind about the road you want to take, you’ll hardly ever make it past the intersection. But, as waiting around and procrastinating gets you nowhere, it’s best that you work up the courage and make a choice.

When you manage your time properly, you don’t feel as pressed for time, and you don’t feel as pressured when making decisions. As a result, you’ll make better decisions overall.

In her Harvard Business Review article , Sabina Nawaz, CEO coach, leadership keynote speaker, and writer, recommends starting small when making decisions about the future. She believes big goals are achieved through micro-decisions we make on a daily basis.

So, if you’re unsure about a decision, ask yourself:

“What’s the very first step I need to take that will get me to the next point in my plan?” 

Tip #5: Focus on important tasks first 

Once you’ve prioritized and organized what’s actually important, the next step is to focus on your priorities. If you let your mind wander off to other, less important actions, you’ll hardly ever finish what you’ve started.

For instance, Julianne Buonocore always places her most important tasks at the beginning of the day and only does the least important ones if she has time left.

Laura Wasser recommends following the idea of “ eating the frog :”

“It’s about tackling the most challenging task first thing in the morning, like dealing with the most contentious issue in a negotiation right out of the gate. Once that’s out of the way, the rest of the day tends to feel much more manageable.”

To avoid spending too much time on minor tasks, Stacy Ennis suggests batch emailing: 

“Check your emails two times per day. Period. This is a top way to increase focus and productivity, letting you potentially 4x your work and effectiveness.”

If you like to multitask and want to learn how to handle multiple projects and tasks successfully, this article will help you: 

• How to switch between projects and tasks without losing productivity

Tip #6: Minimize distractions

Minimizing distractions is among the best time management methods. That’s because it helps you avoid wasting time on unimportant activities.

A Software Developer at Clockify, Nenad Pejcic , highlights the importance of minimizing distractions for the proper use of one’s time. He specifically mentions keeping your phone away from you when working, to ensure you’re fully concentrated on every task at hand.

Moreover, Stacy Ennis recommends turning off all notifications:

“The number of people who have chimes going off all day is complete madness! How can anyone focus with beeps and bings all day? Turn off ALL notifications on your phone and computer, except for silent notifications for texts. Email notifications on the phone — even silent ones — is a big no as well.”

She also suggests buying earplugs to help fight distractions: 

“This is my #1 productivity hack that enables me to work in ANY space, including my own home when my kids are being exceptionally loud. Simple Mack’s earplugs from Amazon do the trick — no need for fancy Bose noise-canceling headphones.”

Getting rid of distractions is just one of the many ways to stay focused at work. Learn more methods of maintaining your focus: 

• How to focus better at work: 20 effective ways to stay focused

Tip #7: Make sure to rest

In the words of Bojan Pavlovic , a Software Developer at Clockify: “No amount of time management will help you if you are not properly rested.”

Making sure that you are getting enough sleep and taking regular breaks is as important as properly scheduling your tasks. That’s because you’ll be much more efficient when you’re well-rested. Moreover, you’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed and overworked !

For Julianne Buonocore, a key to being rested and ready for new challenges is committing to work-free weekends and setting boundaries around them.

Aside from quality sleep, setting boundaries, and taking breaks, you can also work on end-of-workday rituals to reduce the tension after a long day. 

Tip #8: Find an organization technique that works

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”  — Benjamin Franklin

You can choose from several great organization techniques:

• You can start with the Eisenhower Matrix — the solution that lets you distinguish the important from the urgent (but not important), 
• Another solution is the Pomodoro technique — great for taming serial procrastinators, or 
• A simple, yet effective technique is time blocking — works best in the context of taking control of your time and achieving a better work-life balance.

Furthermore, Bryan Clayton recommends trying out the Pareto principle :

“The Pareto principle says that 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. Find out the 20% of tasks that will bring you the most value or impact for your goals. Focus on those tasks first and do them well. Eliminate or delegate the rest of the tasks that are not essential or relevant.”

Tip #9: Track the time you spend on tasks 

We’re often pressed for time, so the way we spend it should be optimized. This is where tracking the time we spend on our tasks using time tracking software comes in handy. 

For example, Clockify is time management software that can help you track your time easily and effectively. The software itself offers a bunch of useful features , such as a time tracker, calendar, and scheduling — all of which can help you stay organized and on top of your tasks. 

Stacy Ennis recommends Clockify to anyone looking to add more order to their schedule:

“I encourage people to think of energy management and focus on blocking their days to support their best use of energy. One of the first ways to uncover this is by tracking one’s time — and Clockify is a great tool to do so! When doing so, they should note how they felt and how focused they are, which will provide insights into how to organize their calendars to support productivity.”

Tip #10: Work on your weaknesses and ask for help

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

You can’t be the best at everything. Luckily, once you determine your weaknesses, you can:

• Work on strengthening those skills, 
• Delegate some of your tasks, and 
• Rely on tools designed to make your daily activities easier.

For example, communicating and collaborating with peers and colleagues helps you do more in less time — because there’s more of you doing it. 

The same goes for your friends and family. You can save a lot of time in life if you would just let your loved ones help you, either directly, or with their advice and guidance.

What’s more, you can find great tools that may help you work on some of your weaknesses. Junior Java Developer at Clockify, Milana Todorovic , explains the value of finding tools that suit your needs:

“Determine your weaknesses and find things that help you with specific time management problems . My biggest issue is remembering what I need or want to do, so the most useful techniques for me include relying on a tool that helps me remember my tasks.”

Manage your events and activities better — with Clockify

Do you know how those pesky online meetings take large swaths of your work time? 

Yes, you do. 

So, you can ignore them — or find an alternative to see how much of your time is consumed by meetings.

To track the time you spend on online conferencing tools and the like, you can connect Clockify to your Google Calendar via Zapier. Some of the benefits of this integration include:

• Starting the timer automatically when a Google Calendar event starts,
• Stopping the timer automatically when the said Google Calendar event ends, and
• Seeing the tracked time in your Google Calendar.

With the Google Calendar integration, Clockify records time spent on meetings. As a result, you can better understand how you’re managing your time and whether you need to take your meetings down a notch.

Moreover, Clockify provides you with a clear overview of your daily, weekly, and monthly activities, helping you prioritize tasks. 

Here’s a quick image of what detailed reports look like in Clockify:

With information like amounts, users, time, duration, and other useful bits of data, you can get a better idea of where your time goes and if you need to course-correct.

Now, bid farewell to your last-minute chaos and missed deadlines. It’s prime time you took the first step towards a more productive you.

Manage your work-related events efficiently with a time tracking tool.

Teodora is a productivity author and researcher. Due to her desire to find the balance between studying, volunteering, and working, she has been tirelessly researching productivity, time management, and remote work in the past couple of years. She is excited to share her insights with readers!

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• Essay on Time Management

Time Management Essay

We have always considered time to be one of the most essential and precious things of our life. Our parents and grandparents always told us that time once gone will never come back. So it is better not to think about the time that has already passed but it is important to focus on the present, considering this time to be good and blissful. 

In the modern era, when everyone is leading a very busy life, and everyone has different kinds of things to put together, instead of finding out the fastest and easiest way to solve our problems to get the maximum benefits, we should always try to plan to work hard towards completing whatever we have in hand today, that is the most important or urgent task of the day and execute them, keeping our goals in view. We know there is no comparison to hard work. 

However, Urgent work may not always be very important, but they seem to be very critical. By doing and finishing the most critical task of the day, we feel energetic and our brain continuously feels very active.  

However, setting our priorities before working is a conventional method of time management. In this modern era, we should implement Covey’s Time Management Matrix 

According to Covey, each task can be broken down according to its urgency and importance. All in all, we have 4 categories of tasks.

Quadrant 1: Important and Urgent - Necessity 

To avoid serious consequences in future, in this quadrant we have to deal with the unforeseen events and pressing problems, immediately. Most of the time, some issues are unexpected and hence proper planning may not happen. Therefore, sometimes, it’s just enough to work on them proactively— before they have become urgent. 

Quadrant 2: Important but Not Urgent - Extraordinary Productivity

Tasks in this quadrant are not that urgent. We can keep them aside for some time, but this is a mistake.  Ideally, this is the quadrant where one should spend most of one’s time- working on strategic and high-impact tasks. They will bring more value to your studies, work or business. This is one way to help grow professionally and personally. 

Quadrant 3: Not Important but Urgent - Distraction

Since we have to constantly keep ourselves busy, in this quadrant we have to deal with the less urgent tasks. They might distract an individual from the main goals, but as Dwight Eisenhower puts it, ‘What is urgent is seldom important.

There are times when we can avoid these petty issues entirely, but the burden automatically reduces if this task gets delegated to someone else in the team or in class. If the delegation of this assignment is not possible then the same task can be completed by including small batches. The better the job, the more hours can be allocated for particular tasks thereby making the work easy. 

Quadrant 4: Not Important and Not Urgent - Waste 

These tasks are neither important nor urgent. Small amounts of trivial activities help us relax. Yet we tend to waste a lot of time in this quadrant, so it is always advised to be careful because we may be losing the present moment. 

Therefore, time management skills and following these quadrants during studies or at the workplace becomes essential to handle every project with diligence in future. In other words, as Lord Chesterfield had mentioned, “Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.”

How to Make the Most of Your Time

You must examine a few factors that will assist us throughout our life in order to make the most of our time. Setting objectives, establishing to-do lists, prioritizing work, getting adequate sleep, and so on are all examples of this.

Set long-term and short-term goals to help you stay productive while striving to maximize your time. Furthermore, they will act as a motivator to keep you going. This will also motivate you to accomplish something in your life.

At first, it will appear to be a tedious task, but as you perform it on a regular basis, you will discover that it only serves to increase your productivity. As a result, you will be compelled to achieve more in life in the end.

Prioritizing tasks is an excellent way to keep track of your time. As a result, you will have a better understanding of the importance of various tasks and jobs. Aside from that, you will be more productive if you join a group and participate in a similar activity at the same time. As a consequence, it will help you achieve greater life success.

Being productive does not mean that you are always working on a variety of projects. Getting proper sleep and exercising are also important parts of being productive. Furthermore, regular exercise and sleep aid in the maintenance of a good body-mind balance, which is essential for productivity and efficiency.

FAQs on Essay on Time Management

1. What is time?

In life, the most valuable asset is time. Everyone must appreciate and understand the importance of time since time can create both positive and bad outcomes. Some people understand the importance and meaning of existence. We can maintain a healthy habit of arranging and managing our everyday tasks by using time. Nobody is immune to the passage of time. We are all prone to age and death. In our life, time is really important. We may gain experience and build talents through time if we better understand the time worth. Time possesses the ability to cure things, whether they are external wounds or inside sentiments. We can not quantify time since it is the ultimate thing. When tasks are completed on time, they are very beneficial and produce excellent outcomes. A person's reference point in time can also be referred to as time.

2. What are the benefits of effective time management?

Many advantages are there when you know how to successfully manage your time. These are some of them:

Productivity and efficiency will increase.

There will be less tension.

A more positive professional image.

Possibilities for progress have improved.

More chances to fulfill your life and career objectives.

Overall, you begin to feel more in charge, with the assurance that you can make the greatest use of your time.

You will be in a great position to assist others to attain their goals, too, since you will be happier, calmer, and better equipped to think.

3. How powerful is Time?

In the past, several rulers considered themselves to be the rulers of their era and the whole globe. They do, however, neglect the reality that they only have a limited period of time. Time is the only thing in the world that has no bounds. Time may transform you into a king or a beggar in a couple of seconds.

Finally, we might declare that God's greatest gift is time. "Time will waste you if you waste Time," as the proverb goes. This remark alone shows the significance and value of Time.

4. Why should we place so much importance on time?

The majority of people are unaware of how important time is until it is taken away from them. Furthermore, there are those in the world who place a higher value on money than on time since time has no meaning for them. They are, however, ignorant that Time has presented them with the opportunity to make money. Aside from that, time provides us happiness and success, but it may also bring us sorrow and despair. As a result, it is critical that we appreciate Time and make effective use of it.

5. Where can I find an essay on time management?

Vedantu provides students with essays on time management.  This essay contains topics such as what is time, the importance of time and time management, how to manage time, and much more. Teachers who are experts in their subjects develop the content of Vedantu. Furthermore, the data is structured in such a way that students will have an easier time learning and remembering the concepts. Vedantu also provides students in grades 1 through 12 with study materials and a range of competitive exams. Notes, important topics and questions, revision notes, and other materials are included in the content. On Vedantu, you may utilize all of these materials for free. Students must first register on the Vedantu website in order to access any of these items. You may also use the Vedantu smartphone app to sign up.

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Essay on Time Management for Students in English [500 Words*]

December 20, 2020 by Sandeep

Essay on Time Management: Time is the most precious asset in our lives and wise execution of time management increases productivity and defines goal orientation. It helps us to balance personal and professional lives and provides peace of mind, happiness and satisfaction. For students, businessmen, professionals and persons in esteemed positions, hard work coupled with effective time management provides the perfect recipe for success.

Essay on Time Management 500 Words in English

Below we have provided Time Management Essay in English, written in easy and simple words for class 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 school students.

We live in a fast-paced world that values time. Time is certainly an extremely important resource. It governs our world, which never stops working. We are busy with one or the other work throughout the day, and in this process, we lose the essence of spending time alone. Here comes the requirement of time management. Time, once spent, cannot be recovered. Our days are filled with different tasks, but we only have twenty-four hours to complete them. We all wish we had more hours. Even though we cannot control time, we can control how to use it effectively. Thus, the division of time is very important. And once you realize this, the rest of the things become easy.

You need to identify what is important in your life and then fix the time for those things. There are so many distractions that waste our time. To manage time properly, you need to discard these distractions. Time management is the process of efficient planning and execution of tasks to get maximum benefits. It teaches us discipline and helps us achieve our goals. Managing time is an art that you have to master. If you successfully learn to do so, you will be able to lead a stress-free life. You must make a schedule which gives enough time to each of your tasks.

Working, sleeping and socialising are the top three priorities. Dividing time for each of them helps you move forward smoothly. It gives you mental satisfaction at the end of the day. Time management can extremely change our lives and make them more productive. With this approach, we can do quality work with minimum stress level. Time management is the key to maintain a balance between our personal and professional lives. It rests our minds and brings us happiness.

Importance of Time Management

Time management is a skill that helps you to carry on with your work in a systematic manner. It lowers your burden and boosts your confidence. Its importance cannot be denied as we are all dependent on time. We all need some extra hours in our day to day life. But with the overload of work, it is impossible to get it. Instead, we can create a schedule that prioritises our work and personal activities. Time management helps you get rid of the unnecessary things and allows you to create time for yourself. With proper time management, you will be able to achieve more with less effort. Moreover, this will save you from last-minute panic attacks.

If you are a manager of a company, time management is your absolute tool for success. You will be able to acknowledge the smaller joys of life. Punctuality and discipline will be your companions. You will always be organized, prepared for meetings, and you will be able to monitor your employees efficiently. This will lead to an increase in profits and the productivity of the company. If you are a student, time is your ultimate weapon. You can battle with exams, projects, extra-curricular activities, and classes with proper time management skills.

Student life is certainly the best. It is packed with new adventures and activities. Daily you learn something new, which makes you want to explore. Habits and mannerisms shape the rest of your life. Time management boosts your personality. Sometimes it is energy-consuming when you are loaded with your classes. Self-study is an integral part that often gets compromised in all these things. Effective time management will help you overcome these problems.

How to Manage Time?

Time is such a valuable aspect of our lives. It does not speed up for the rich or slow down for the poor. Time cannot be controlled or stored. So when you have multiple things in your mind, how can you do it all? Here are a few tips to do so: Set up your goals. These can be short-term or long-term goals. This step is essential if you want to work in an organized fashion. Avoid thinking about another work when you are already doing one. Learn to prioritize your work and take one step at a time. If you try to do multiple activities simultaneously, the chances of failure increase.

With time management skill sets, you will get a deeper understanding of yourself. As we grow old, we lose track of the important things in our lives. This can be avoided to an extent if you discover what you truly want to accomplish. Focus on short term goals. Maintain a diary to keep track of your tasks. You can also prepare a chart of your schedule on a paper and stick it on your bulletin board. This will help you be updated for each task. Learn to mark deadlines on your calendar. This acts as a constant reminder for you to achieve your goals.

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Does time management work? A meta-analysis

1 Concordia University, Sir George Williams Campus, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Aïda Faber

2 FSA Ulaval, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Alexandra Panaccio

Associated data.

All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.

Does time management work? We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of time management on performance and well-being. Results show that time management is moderately related to job performance, academic achievement, and wellbeing. Time management also shows a moderate, negative relationship with distress. Interestingly, individual differences and contextual factors have a much weaker association with time management, with the notable exception of conscientiousness. The extremely weak correlation with gender was unexpected: women seem to manage time better than men, but the difference is very slight. Further, we found that the link between time management and job performance seems to increase over the years: time management is more likely to get people a positive performance review at work today than in the early 1990s. The link between time management and gender, too, seems to intensify: women’s time management scores have been on the rise for the past few decades. We also note that time management seems to enhance wellbeing—in particular, life satisfaction—to a greater extent than it does performance. This challenges the common perception that time management first and foremost enhances work performance, and that wellbeing is simply a byproduct.

Introduction

Stand-up comedian George Carlin once quipped that in the future a “time machine will be built, but no one will have time to use it” [ 1 ]. Portentously, booksellers now carry one-minute bedtime stories for time-starved parents [ 2 ] and people increasingly speed-watch videos and speed-listen to audio books [ 3 – 5 ]. These behaviors are symptomatic of an increasingly harried society suffering from chronic time poverty [ 6 ]. Work is intensifying—in 1965 about 50% of workers took breaks; in 2003, less than 2% [ 7 ]. Leisure, too, is intensifying: people strive to consume music, social media, vacations, and other leisure activities ever more efficiently [ 8 – 11 ].

In this frantic context, time management is often touted as a panacea for time pressure. Media outlets routinely extol the virtues of time management. Employers, educators, parents, and politicians exhort employees, students, children, and citizens to embrace more efficient ways to use time [ 12 – 16 ]. In light of this, it is not surprising that from 1960 to 2008 the frequency of books mentioning time management shot up by more than 2,700% [ 17 ].

Time management is defined as “a form of decision making used by individuals to structure, protect, and adapt their time to changing conditions” [ 18 ]. This means time management, as it is generally portrayed in the literature, comprises three components: structuring, protecting, and adapting time. Well-established time management measures reflect these concepts. Structuring time, for instance, is captured in such items as “Do you have a daily routine which you follow?” and “Do your main activities during the day fit together in a structured way?” [ 19 ]. Protecting time is reflected in items such as “Do you often find yourself doing things which interfere with your schoolwork simply because you hate to say ‘No’ to people?” [ 20 ]. And adapting time to changing conditions is seen in such items as “Uses waiting time” and “Evaluates daily schedule” [ 21 ].

Research has, furthermore, addressed several important aspects of time management, such as its relationship with work-life balance [ 22 ], whether gender differences in time management ability develop in early childhood [ 23 ], and whether organizations that encourage employees to manage their time experience less stress and turnover [ 24 ]. Despite the phenomenal popularity of this topic, however, academic research has yet to address some fundamental questions [ 25 – 27 ].

A critical gap in time management research is the question of whether time management works [ 28 , 29 ]. For instance, studies on the relationship between time management and job performance reveal mixed findings [ 30 , 31 ]. Furthermore, scholars’ attempts to synthesize the literature have so far been qualitative, precluding a quantitative overall assessment [ 18 , 32 , 33 ]. To tackle this gap in our understanding of time management, we conducted a meta-analysis. In addressing the question of whether time management works, we first clarify the criteria for effectiveness. In line with previous reviews, we find that virtually all studies focus on two broad outcomes: performance and wellbeing [ 32 ].

Overall, results suggest that time management enhances job performance, academic achievement, and wellbeing. Interestingly, individual differences (e.g., gender, age) and contextual factors (e.g., job autonomy, workload) were much less related to time management ability, with the notable exception of personality and, in particular, conscientiousness. Furthermore, the link between time management and job performance seems to grow stronger over the years, perhaps reflecting the growing need to manage time in increasingly autonomous and flexible jobs [ 34 – 37 ].

Overall, our findings provide academics, policymakers, and the general audience with better information to assess the value of time management. This information is all the more useful amid the growing doubts about the effectiveness of time management [ 38 ]. We elaborate on the contributions and implications of our findings in the discussion section.

What does it mean to say that time management works?

In the din of current debates over productivity, reduced workweeks, and flexible hours, time management comes to the fore as a major talking point. Given its popularity, it would seem rather pointless to question its effectiveness. Indeed, time management’s effectiveness is often taken for granted, presumably because time management offers a seemingly logical solution to a lifestyle that increasingly requires coordination and prioritization skills [ 39 , 40 ].

Yet, popular media outlets increasingly voice concern and frustration over time management, reflecting at least part of the population’s growing disenchantment [ 38 ]. This questioning of time management practices is becoming more common among academics as well [ 41 ]. As some have noted, the issue is not just whether time management works. Rather, the question is whether the techniques championed by time management gurus can be actually counterproductive or even harmful [ 26 , 42 ]. Other scholars have raised concerns that time management may foster an individualistic, quantitative, profit-oriented view of time that perpetuates social inequalities [ 43 , 44 ]. For instance, time management manuals beguile readers with promises of boundless productivity that may not be accessible to women, whose disproportionate share in care work, such as tending to young children, may not fit with typically male-oriented time management advice [ 45 ]. Similarly, bestselling time management books at times offer advice that reinforce global inequities. Some manuals, for instance, recommend delegating trivial tasks to private virtual assistants, who often work out of developing countries for measly wages [ 46 ]. Furthermore, time management manuals often ascribe a financial value to time—the most famous time management adage is that time is money. But recent studies show that thinking of time as money leads to a slew of negative outcomes, including time pressure, stress, impatience, inability to enjoy the moment, unwillingness to help others, and less concern with the environment [ 47 – 51 ]. What’s more, the pressure induced by thinking of time as money may ultimately undermine psychological and physical health [ 52 ].

Concerns over ethics and safety notwithstanding, a more prosaic question researchers have grappled with is whether time management works. Countless general-audience books and training programs have claimed that time management improves people’s lives in many ways, such as boosting performance at work [ 53 – 55 ]. Initial academic forays into addressing this question challenged those claims: time management didn’t seem to improve job performance [ 29 , 30 ]. Studies used a variety of research approaches, running the gamut from lab experiments, field experiments, longitudinal studies, and cross-sectional surveys to experience sampling [ 28 , 56 – 58 ]. Such studies occasionally did find an association between time management and performance, but only in highly motivated workers [ 59 ]; instances establishing a more straightforward link with performance were comparatively rare [ 31 ]. Summarizing these insights, reviews of the literature concluded that the link between time management and job performance is unclear; the link with wellbeing, however, seemed more compelling although not conclusive [ 18 , 32 ].

It is interesting to note that scholars often assess the effectiveness time management by its ability to influence some aspect of performance, wellbeing, or both. In other words, the question of whether time management works comes down to asking whether time management influences performance and wellbeing. The link between time management and performance at work can be traced historically to scientific management [ 60 ]. Nevertheless, even though modern time management can be traced to scientific management in male-dominated work settings, a feminist reading of time management history reveals that our modern idea of time management also descends from female time management thinkers of the same era, such as Lillian Gilbreth, who wrote treatises on efficient household management [ 43 , 61 , 62 ]. As the link between work output and time efficiency became clearer, industrialists went to great lengths to encourage workers to use their time more rationally [ 63 – 65 ]. Over time, people have internalized a duty to be productive and now see time management as a personal responsibility at work [ 43 , 66 , 67 ]. The link between time management and academic performance can be traced to schools’ historical emphasis on punctuality and timeliness. In more recent decades, however, homework expectations have soared [ 68 ] and parents, especially well-educated ones, have been spending more time preparing children for increasingly competitive college admissions [ 69 , 70 ]. In this context, time management is seen as a necessary skill for students to thrive in an increasingly cut-throat academic world. Finally, the link between time management and wellbeing harks back to ancient scholars, who emphasized that organizing one’s time was necessary to a life well-lived [ 71 , 72 ]. More recently, empirical studies in the 1980s examined the effect of time management on depressive symptoms that often plague unemployed people [ 19 , 73 ]. Subsequent studies surmised that the effective use of time might prevent a host of ills, such as work-life conflict and job stress [ 22 , 74 ].

Overall, then, various studies have looked into the effectiveness of time management. Yet, individual studies remain narrow in scope and reviews of the literature offer only a qualitative—and often inconclusive—assessment. To provide a more quantifiable answer to the question of whether time management works, we performed a meta-analysis, the methods of which we outline in what follows.

Literature search and inclusion criteria

We performed a comprehensive search using the keywords “time management” across the EBSCO databases Academic Search Complete , Business Source Complete , Computers & Applied Sciences Complete , Gender Studies Database , MEDLINE , Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection , PsycINFO , SocINDEX , and Education Source . The search had no restrictions regarding country and year of publication and included peer-reviewed articles up to 2019. To enhance comprehensiveness, we also ran a forward search on the three main time management measures: the Time Management Behavior Scale [ 21 ], the Time Structure Questionnaire [ 19 ], and the Time Management Questionnaire [ 20 ]. (A forward search tracks all the papers that have cited a particular work. In our case the forward search located all the papers citing the three time management scales available on Web of Science .)

Time management measures typically capture three aspects of time management: structuring, protecting, and adapting time to changing conditions. Structuring refers to how people map their activities to time using a schedule, a planner, or other devices that represent time in a systematic way [ 75 – 77 ]. Protecting refers to how people set boundaries around their time to repel intruders [ 78 , 79 ]. Examples include people saying no to time-consuming requests from colleagues or friends as well as turning off one’s work phone during family dinners. Finally, adapting one’s time to changing conditions means, simply put, to be responsive and flexible with one’s time structure [ 80 , 81 ]. Furthermore, time management measures typically probe behaviors related to these three dimensions (e.g., using a schedule to structure one’s day, making use of downtime), although they sometimes also capture people’s attitudes (e.g., whether people feel in control of their time).

As shown in Fig 1 , the initial search yielded 10,933 hits, excluding duplicates.

The search included no terms other than “time management” to afford the broadest possible coverage of time management correlates. Nevertheless, as shown in Table 1 , we focused exclusively on quantitative, empirical studies of time management in non-clinical samples. Successive rounds of screening, first by assessing paper titles and abstracts and then by perusing full-text articles, whittled down the number of eligible studies to 158 (see Fig 1 ).

Data extraction and coding

We extracted eligible effect sizes from the final pool of studies; effect sizes were mostly based on means and correlations. In our initial data extraction, we coded time management correlates using the exact variable names found in each paper. For instance, “work-life imbalance” was initially coded in those exact terms, rather than “work-life conflict.” Virtually all time management correlates we extracted fell under the category of performance and/or wellbeing. This pattern tallies with previous reviews of the literature [ 18 , 32 ]. A sizable number of variables also fell under the category of individual differences and contextual factors, such as age, personality, and job autonomy. After careful assessment of the extracted variables, we developed a coding scheme using a nested structure shown in Table 2 .

Aeon and Aguinis suggested that time management influences performance, although the strength of that relationship may depend on how performance is defined [ 18 ]. Specifically, they proposed that time management may have a stronger impact on behaviors conducive to performance (e.g., motivation, proactiveness) compared to assessments of performance (e.g., supervisor rankings). For this reason, we distinguish between results- and behavior-based performance in our coding scheme, both in professional and academic settings. Furthermore, wellbeing indicators can be positive (e.g., life satisfaction) or negative (e.g., anxiety). We expect time management to influence these variables in opposite ways; it would thus make little sense to analyze them jointly. Accordingly, we differentiate between wellbeing (positive) and distress (negative).

In our second round of coding, we used the scheme shown in Table 2 to cluster together kindred variables. For instance, we grouped “work-life imbalance,” “work-life conflict” and “work-family conflict” under an overarching “work-life conflict” category. The authors reviewed each variable code and resolved rare discrepancies to ultimately agree on all coded variables. Note that certain variables, such as self-actualization, covered only one study (i.e., one effect size). While one or two effect sizes is not enough to conduct a meta-analysis, they can nonetheless be grouped with other effect sizes belonging to the same category (e.g., self-actualization and sense of purpose belong the broader category of overall wellbeing). For this reason, we included variables with one or two effect sizes for comprehensiveness.

Meta-analytic procedures

We conducted all meta-analyses following the variables and cluster of variables outlined in Table 2 . We opted to run all analyses with a random effects model. The alternative—a fixed effects model—assumes that all studies share a common true effect size (i.e., linking time management and a given outcome) which they approximate. This assumption is unrealistic because it implies that the factors influencing the effect size are the same in all studies [ 83 ]. In other words, a fixed effects model assumes that the factors affecting time management are similar across all studies—the fallacy underlying this assumption was the main theme of Aeon and Aguinis’s review [ 18 ]. To perform our analyses, we used Comprehensive Meta-Analysis v.3 [ 84 ], a program considered highly reliable and valid in various systematic assessments [ 85 , 86 ].

Meta-analyses do not typically perform calculations on correlations (e.g., Pearson’s r). Instead, we transformed correlations into Fisher’s z scales [ 83 ]. The transformation was done with z = 0.5 × ln ( 1 + r 1 − r ) , where r represents the correlation extracted from each individual study. The variance of Fisher’s Z was calculated as V z = 1 n − 3 where n corresponds to the study’s sample size; the standard error of Fisher’s Z was calculated as S E z = V z .

In many cases, studies reported how variables correlated with an overall time management score. In some cases, however, studies reported only correlations with discrete time management subscales (e.g., short-range planning, attitudes toward time, use of time management tools), leaving out the overall effect. In such cases, we averaged out the effect sizes of the subscales to compute a summary effect [ 83 ]. This was necessary not only because meta-analyses admit only one effect size per study, but also because our focus is on time management as a whole rather than on subscales. Similarly, when we analyzed the link between time management and a high-level cluster of variables (e.g., overall wellbeing rather than specific variables such as life satisfaction), there were studies with more than one relevant outcome (e.g., a study that captured both life satisfaction and job satisfaction). Again, because meta-analyses allow for only one effect size (i.e., variable) per study, we used the mean of different variables to compute an overall effect sizes in studies that featured more than one outcome [ 83 ].

Overall description of the literature

We analyzed 158 studies for a total number of 490 effect sizes. 21 studies explored performance in a professional context, 76 performance in an academic context, 30 investigated wellbeing (positive), and 58 distress. Interestingly, studies did not systematically report individual differences, as evidenced by the fact that only 21 studies reported correlations with age, and only between 10 and 15 studies measured personality (depending on the personality trait). Studies that measured contextual factors were fewer still—between 3 and 7 (depending on the contextual factor). These figures fit with Aeon and Aguinis’s observation that the time management literature often overlooks internal and external factors that can influence the way people manage time [ 18 ].

With one exception, we found no papers fitting our inclusion criteria before the mid-1980s. Publication trends also indicate an uptick in time management studies around the turn of the millennium, with an even higher number around the 2010s. This trend is consistent with the one Shipp and Cole identified, revealing a surge in time-related papers in organizational behavior around the end of the 1980s [ 87 ].

It is also interesting to note that the first modern time management books came out in the early 1970s, including the The Time Trap (1972), by Alec MacKenzie and How to Get Control of your Time and your Life (1973), by Alan Lakein. These books inspired early modern time management research [ 21 , 58 , 88 ]. It is thus very likely that the impetus for modern time management research came from popular practitioner manuals.

To assess potential bias in our sample of studies, we computed different estimates of publication bias (see Table 3 ). Overall, publication bias remains relatively low (see funnel plots in S1). Publication bias occurs when there is a bias against nonsignificant or even negative results because such results are seen as unsurprising and not counterintuitive. In this case, however, the fact that time management is generally expected to lead to positive outcomes offers an incentive to publish nonsignificant or negative results, which would be counterintuitive [ 89 ]. By the same token, the fact that some people feel that time management is ineffective [ 38 ] provides an incentive to publish papers that link time management with positive outcomes. In other words, opposite social expectations surrounding time management might reduce publication bias.

Finally, we note that the link between time management and virtually all outcomes studied is highly heterogeneous (as measured, for instance, by Cochran’s Q and Higgins & Thompson’s I 2 ; see tables below). This high level of heterogeneity suggests that future research should pay more attention to moderating factors (e.g., individual differences).

Time management and performance in professional settings

Overall, time management has a moderate impact on performance at work, with correlations hovering around r = .25. We distinguish between results-based and behavior-based performance. The former measures performance as an outcome (e.g., performance appraisals by supervisors) whereas the latter measures performance as behavioral contributions (e.g., motivation, job involvement). Time management seems related to both types of performance. Although the effect size for results-based performance is lower than that of behavior-based performance, moderation analysis reveals the difference is not significant (p > .05), challenging Aeon and Aguinis’s conclusions [ 18 ].

Interestingly, the link between time management and performance displays much less heterogeneity (see Q and I 2 statistics in Table 4 ) than the link between time management and other outcomes (see tables below). The studies we summarize in Table 4 include both experimental and non-experimental designs; they also use different time management measures. As such, we can discount, to a certain extent, the effect of methodological diversity. We can perhaps explain the lower heterogeneity by the fact that when people hold a full-time job, they usually are at a relatively stable stage in life. In school, by contrast, a constellation of factors (e.g., financial stability and marital status, to name a few) conspire to affect time management outcomes. Furthermore, work contexts are a typically more closed system than life in general. For this reason, fewer factors stand to disrupt the link between time management and job performance than that between time management and, say, life satisfaction. Corroborating this, note how, in Table 6 below, the link between time management and job satisfaction ( I 2 = 58.70) is much less heterogeneous than the one between time management and life satisfaction ( I 2 = 95.45).

* p < .05

** p < .01

*** p < .001.

k = number of studies related to the variable | N = total sample size related to the variable.

r = effect size of the correlation between time management and the variable | 95% CI = confidence interval of the effect size.

Q = Cochran’s Q, a measure of between-study heterogeneity | τ 2 = measure of between-study variance | I 2 = alternative measure of between-study heterogeneity.

Moreover, we note that the relationship between time management and job performance (see Fig 2 ) significantly increases over the years ( B = .0106, p < .01, Q model = 8.52(1), Q residual = 15.54(9), I 2 = 42.08, R 2 analog = .75).

Time management and performance in academic settings

Overall, the effect of time management on performance seems to be slightly higher in academic settings compared to work settings, although the magnitude of the effect remains moderate (see Table 5 ). Here again, we distinguish between results- and behavior-based performance. Time management’s impact on behavior-based performance seems much higher than on results-based performance—a much wider difference than the one we observed in professional settings. This suggests than results-based performance in academic settings depends less on time management than results-based performance in professional settings. This means that time management is more likely to get people a good performance review at work than a strong GPA in school.

In particular, time management seems to be much more negatively related to procrastination in school than at work. Although we cannot establish causation in all studies, we note that some of them featured experimental designs that established a causal effect of time management on reducing procrastination [ 90 ].

Interestingly, time management was linked to all types of results-based performance except for standardized tests. This is perhaps due to the fact that standardized tests tap more into fluid intelligence, a measure of intelligence independent of acquired knowledge [ 91 ]. GPA and regular exam scores, in contrast, tap more into crystallized intelligence, which depends mostly on accumulated knowledge. Time management can thus assist students in organizing their time to acquire the knowledge necessary to ace a regular exam; for standardized exams that depend less on knowledge and more on intelligence, however, time management may be less helpful. Evidence from other studies bears this out: middle school students’ IQ predicts standardized achievement tests scores better than self-control while self-control predicts report card grades better than IQ [ 92 ]. (For our purposes, we can use self-control as a very rough proxy for time management.) Relatedly, we found no significant relationship between time management and cognitive ability in our meta-analysis (see Table 8 ).

a Female = 1; Male = 2.

b Single = 1; Married = 2.

Time management and wellbeing

On the whole, time management has a slightly stronger impact on wellbeing than on performance. This is unexpected, considering how the dominant discourse points to time management as a skill for professional career development. Of course, the dominant discourse also frames time management as necessary for wellbeing and stress reduction, but to a much lesser extent. Our finding that time management has a stronger influence on wellbeing in no way negates the importance of time management as a work skill. Rather, this finding challenges the intuitive notion that time management is more effective for work than for other life domains. As further evidence, notice how in Table 6 the effect of time management on life satisfaction is 72% stronger than that on job satisfaction.

Time management and distress

Time management seems to allay various forms of distress, although to a lesser extent than it enhances wellbeing. The alleviating effect on psychological distress is particularly strong ( r = -0.358; see Table 7 ).

That time management has a weaker effect on distress should not be surprising. First, wellbeing and distress are not two poles on opposite ends of a spectrum. Although related, wellbeing and distress are distinct [ 93 ]. Thus, there is no reason to expect time management to have a symmetrical effect on wellbeing and distress. Second, and relatedly, the factors that influence wellbeing and distress are also distinct. Specifically, self-efficacy (i.e., seeing oneself as capable) is a distinct predictor of wellbeing while neuroticism and life events in general are distinct predictors of distress [ 94 ]. It stands to reason that time management can enhance self-efficacy. (Or, alternatively, that people high in self-efficacy would be more likely to engage in time management, although experimental evidence suggests that time management training makes people feel more in control of their time [ 89 ]; it is thus plausible that time management may have a causal effect on self-efficacy. Relatedly, note how time management ability is strongly related to internal locus of control in Table 8 ) In contrast, time management can do considerably less in the way of tackling neuroticism and dampening the emotional impact of tragic life events. In other words, the factors that affect wellbeing may be much more within the purview of time management than the factors that affect distress. For this reason, time management may be less effective in alleviating distress than in improving wellbeing.

Time management and individual differences

Time management is, overall, less related to individual differences than to other variables.

Age, for instance, hardly correlates with time management (with a relatively high consistency between studies, I 2 = 55.79, see Table 8 above).

Similarly, gender only tenuously correlates with time management, although in the expected direction: women seem to have stronger time management abilities than men. The very weak association with gender ( r = -0.087) is particularly surprising given women’s well-documented superior self-regulation skills [ 95 ]. That being said, women’s time management abilities seem to grow stronger over the years ( N = 37, B = -.0049, p < .05, Q model = 3.89(1), Q residual = 218.42(35), I 2 = 83.98, R 2 analog = .03; also see Fig 3 below). More realistically, this increase may not be due to women’s time management abilities getting stronger per se but, rather, to the fact that women now have more freedom to manage their time [ 96 ].

Other demographic indicators, such as education and number of children, were nonsignificant. Similarly, the relationships between time management and personal attributes and attitudes were either weak or nonsignificant, save for two notable exceptions. First, the link between time management and internal locus of control (i.e., the extent to which people perceive they’re in control of their lives) is quite substantial. This is not surprising, because time management presupposes that people believe they can change their lives. Alternatively, it may be that time management helps people strengthen their internal locus of control, as experimental evidence suggests [ 89 ]. Second, the link between time management and self-esteem is equally substantial. Here again, one can make the argument either way: people with high self-esteem might be confident enough to manage their time or, conversely, time management may boost self-esteem. The two options are not mutually exclusive: people with internal loci of control and high self-esteem levels can feel even more in control of their lives and better about themselves through time management.

We also note a very weak but statistically significant negative association between time management and multitasking. It has almost become commonsense that multitasking does not lead to performance [ 97 ]. As a result, people with stronger time management skills might deliberately steer clear of this notoriously ineffective strategy.

In addition, time management was mildly related to hours spent studying but not hours spent working. (These variables cover only student samples working part- or full-time and thus do not apply to non-student populations.) This is consistent with time-use studies revealing that teenagers and young adults spend less time working and more time studying [ 98 ]. Students who manage their time likely have well-defined intentions, and trends suggest those intentions will target education over work because, it is hoped, education offers larger payoffs over the long-term [ 99 ].

In terms of contextual factors, time management does not correlate significantly with job autonomy. This is surprising, as we expected autonomy to be a prerequisite for time management (i.e., you can’t manage time if you don’t have the freedom to). Nevertheless, qualitative studies have shown how even in environments that afford little autonomy (e.g., restaurants), workers can carve out pockets of time freedom to momentarily cut loose [ 100 ]. Thus, time management behaviors may flourish even in the most stymying settings. In addition, the fact that time management is associated with less role overload and previous attendance of time management training programs makes sense: time management can mitigate the effect of heavy workloads and time management training, presumably, improves time management skills.

Finally, time management is linked to all personality traits. Moreover, previous reviews of the literature have commented on the link between time management and conscientiousness in particular [ 32 ]. What our study reveals is the substantial magnitude of the effect ( r = 0.451). The relationship is not surprising: conscientiousness entails orderliness and organization, which overlap significantly with time management. That time management correlates so strongly with personality (and so little with other individual differences) lends credence to the dispositional view of time management [ 101 – 103 ]. However, this finding should not be taken to mean that time management is a highly inheritable, fixed ability. Having a “you either have it or you don’t” view of time management is not only counterproductive [ 104 ] but also runs counter to evidence showing that time management training does, in fact, help people manage their time better.

Does time management work? It seems so. Time management has a moderate influence on job performance, academic achievement, and wellbeing. These three outcomes play an important role in people’s lives. Doing a good job at work, getting top grades in school, and nurturing psychological wellbeing contribute to a life well lived. Widespread exhortations to get better at time management are thus not unfounded: the importance of time management is hard to overstate.

Contributions

Beyond answering the question of whether time management works, this study contributes to the literature in three major ways. First, we quantify the impact of time management on several outcomes. We thus not only address the question of whether time management works, but also, and importantly, gauge to what extent time management works. Indeed, our meta-analysis covers 53,957 participants, which allows for a much more precise, quantified assessment of time management effectiveness compared to qualitative reviews.

Second, this meta-analysis systematically assesses relationships between time management and a host of individual differences and contextual factors. This helps us draw a more accurate portrait of potential antecedents of higher (or lower) scores on time management measures.

Third, our findings challenge intuitive ideas concerning what time management is for. Specifically, we found that time management enhances wellbeing—and in particular life satisfaction—to a greater extent than it does various types of performance. This runs against the popular belief that time management primarily helps people perform better and that wellbeing is simply a byproduct of better performance. Of course, it may be that wellbeing gains, even if higher than performance gains, hinge on performance; that is to say, people may need to perform better as a prerequisite to feeling happier. But this argument doesn’t jibe with experiments showing that even in the absence of performance gains, time management interventions do increase wellbeing [ 89 ]. This argument also founders in the face of evidence linking time management with wellbeing among the unemployed [ 105 ], unemployment being an environment where performance plays a negligible role, if any. As such, this meta-analysis lends support to definitions of time management that are not work- or performance-centric.

Future research and limitations

This meta-analysis questions whether time management should be seen chiefly as a performance device. Our questioning is neither novel nor subversive: historically people have managed time for other reasons than efficiency, such as spiritual devotion and philosophical contemplation [ 72 , 106 , 107 ]. It is only with relatively recent events, such as the Industrial Revolution and waves of corporate downsizing, that time management has become synonymous with productivity [ 43 , 65 ]. We hope future research will widen its scope and look more into outcomes other than performance, such as developing a sense of meaning in life [ 108 ]. One of the earliest time management studies, for instance, explored how time management relates to having a sense of purpose [ 73 ]. However, very few studies followed suit since. Time management thus stands to become a richer, more inclusive research area by investigating a wider array of outcomes.

In addition, despite the encouraging findings of this meta-analysis we must refrain from seeing time management as a panacea. Though time management can make people’s lives better, it is not clear how easy it is for people to learn how to manage their time adequately. More importantly, being “good” at time management is often a function of income, education, and various types of privilege [ 42 , 43 , 46 , 109 ]. The hackneyed maxim that “you have as many hours in a day as Beyoncé,” for instance, blames people for their “poor” time management in pointing out that successful people have just as much time but still manage to get ahead. Yet this ill-conceived maxim glosses over the fact that Beyoncé and her ilk do, in a sense, have more hours in a day than average people who can’t afford a nanny, chauffeur, in-house chefs, and a bevy of personal assistants. Future research should thus look into ways to make time management more accessible.

Furthermore, this meta-analysis rests on the assumption that time management training programs do enhance people’s time management skills. Previous reviews have noted the opacity surrounding time management interventions—studies often don’t explain what, exactly, is taught in time management training seminars [ 18 ]. As a result, comparing the effect of different interventions might come down to comparing apples and oranges. (This might partly account for the high heterogeneity between studies.) We hope that our definition of time management will spur future research into crafting more consistent, valid, and generalizable interventions that will allow for more meaningful comparisons.

Finally, most time management studies are cross-sectional. Yet it is very likely that the effect of time management compounds over time. If time management can help students get better grades, for instance, those grades can lead to better jobs down the line [ 110 ]. Crucially, learning a skill takes time, and if time management helps people make the time to learn a skill, then time management stands to dramatically enrich people’s lives. For this reason, longitudinal studies can track different cohorts to see how time management affects people’s lives over time. We expect that developing time management skills early on in life can create a compound effect whereby people acquire a variety of other skills thanks to their ability to make time.

Overall, this study offers the most comprehensive, precise, and fine-grained assessment of time management to date. We address the longstanding debate over whether time management influences job performance in revealing a positive, albeit moderate effect. Interestingly, we found that time management impacts wellbeing—and in particular life satisfaction—to a greater extent than performance. That means time management may be primarily a wellbeing enhancer, rather than a performance booster. Furthermore, individual and external factors played a minor role in time management, although this does not necessarily mean that time management’s effectiveness is universal. Rather, we need more research that focuses on the internal and external variables that affect time management outcomes. We hope this study will tantalize future research and guide practitioners in their attempt to make better use of their time.

Supporting information

S1 checklist, acknowledgments.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our colleagues for their invaluable help: Mengchan Gao, Talha Aziz, Elizabeth Eley, Robert Nason, Andrew Ryder, Tracy Hecht, and Caroline Aubé.

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Data Availability