1

TIME MANAGEMENT: AN OVERVIEW

When I decided to pen an article for the newsletter, a number of topics flooded in my mind. I
held tightly on my intention to develop the article around an issue having contemporary significance. Thus the topic Time Management gained my attention. The essay aims at educating the readers the significance of managing time and related issues.

Introduction:

The term management, as defined by Henry Sisk is the co-ordination of all resources through the processes of planning, organising, directing and controlling in order to attain stated goals. So Time Management may be understood as the process of managing the time factor in order to attain declared goals. Why the issue of time management gains much significance in the present days? Let me portray a student coming out of the examination hall after the exam. When his friend asks him about the exam, he will yell Oh! My dear I didnt get time to complete. In another instance we can see a husband confessing to his wife that he didnt get time to buy the vegetables and so on. In the above cited instances we see the problem maker is not lack of time but failure to use the time efficiently. Unlike other resources a person cannot create or hire time. What a human being can do is merely to utilise the available time wisely and fruitfully. When a person is capable of allocating successfully the time for the conduct of his daily affairs neatly, he can be said to have managed the time with most efficacy. In this modern world of cut throat competition opportunities may vanish if we fail to manage the time effectively. Let us have a detailed study about time management and related issues.

What is Time Management? Time management is nothing but planning the time. In the olden
days a good majority of the people were engaged in agricultural activities and livestock maintenance from which they earned livelihood. In other words the major portion of income came from agricultural and allied activities. The people then had ample leisure which they utilised for developing and maintaining cordial relationships with the fellow beings. The threats of mental stress, anxiety etc were suppressed to a large extent thanks to such amicable relationships. A group rather than an individual was then important. The process of time management was automatically carried out in those days i.e. no deliberate efforts as we make today were made to manage the time factor. Now the picture is entirely different. Agriculture gave way for industries. The people prefer jobs in the industrial sector-either manufacturing or service rendering and related areas to that in agriculture sector. They love to live in the cities. Per head income from industrial sector is very high when compared to that from agriculture. This forced the people to shift to cities and arrange a job in the industrial sector. The life became mechanical and boredom crept slowly in the personal life. Even then people toiled in the industries and offices to enhance their earning. Many people spoiled their personal life and became workaholics. Hard and fast time schedules ruled their days and the relationships became emotionless. The number of workaholics is increasing day by day. They are only interested in achieving the targets fixed and allotted to them by their masters. How can we eradicate this threat? We can prevent ourselves from becoming workaholics by planning our time. ..contd

2 Even though industrialisation is a cause for pushing the people into a state of remaining busy round the clock, Time Management is inevitable in the industry also. In order to finish a work in time, the proper planning of time is essential. In short we can say that Time Management is a must in every area of operations when found necessary. The maximum number of hours a person can utilise in one day is 24.Time Management gives emphasis to effectively planning these 24 hours or planning the time for a job and so on. The scope of the concept Time Management is very vast. Before concluding the sub heading, time planning is the effective allocation of time available for the completion of certain jobs, fulfillment of certain duties, rights and obligation. Such an allocation may be done by an individual, a group of individuals or by the managers of an organization etc for the accomplishment of a pre set aim.

Why Time Management is required? Time Management is required to attain the predetermined
objectives. Time Management can help a person, who is always busy with his work to maintain a cordial atmosphere in his family. It can help a student in covering the entire syllabus on time and can assist him in maintaining a rhythm in his studies. Moreover, as far as a student is concerned time planning should be there while writing the exam. If it is a factory, the planning of time may be required to complete a job within a specified time in the future. From this it is very clear that the purpose served by the tool differs from person to person, organisation to organisation and from situation to situation. However the principles governing time planning is universally applicable which can be modified and altered to suit the specific requirements. Time Management is required due to the following important reasons: The time factor can neither be created nor be hired. The available time can be utilised in the most effective manner. It will reduce tensions and unnecessary anxieties in doing an action. Since every minute is well planned, a feel of confidence will dominate. It will reduce complexities and facilitate easy accomplishment of the objective. Allows scientific scheduling of time and so wastage of time can be minimised. The time gone cannot be brought back. It is gone for ever once gone. It may shorten the total time required for a project or an activity. It may reduce the cost of actions which might otherwise touch great figures.

How can we Manage Time? There are many proverbs related with time. All those proverbs give
emphasis to the fact that time is precious and for its wastage we will have to pay severely. Let me quote some such proverbs before we discuss the sub heading: - (1) Time and Tide waits for no men, (2) Make hay while the sun shines, (3) Hoist your sail when the wind is fair etc are some of them. They announce everything about the value of time, need for timely decisions and actions. But they keep mum on How to manage time? Time study is an important tool in the general management. Most organisations do have a separate wing to conduct time study and plan the works accordingly. Removal of the elements which leads to wastage of time is possible based on the reports of time study conducted. The duty of this wing is not complete merely by conducting the time study. Regular follow up will be made regarding the status of adherence to the suggestions in the previous reports. If any non-compliance is noticed, the same will be communicated to the higher authority. A systematic approach can be seen in planning and managing time factor in organisations and industrial concerns, contd

3 Similarly, Can an individual adopt Time Management in his day to day life? The answer must be in affirmative. However the planning should be done in the right direction, without resulting in a negative end. The plan structure, if it could be expressed diagrammatically will prove to be heterogeneous from individual to individual. However the steps to be followed and the principles which should serve platform cannot differ. In the case of an individual, he should consider his job, his family, his social status, his revenue and so on before he plans his one day. But due care and emphasis must be provided for joy and prosperity in his as well as his dependents life. In other words time scheduling should bring in reasons to rejoice.

Conclusion: Every noble work is at first impossible. The real task is to put a thing into practice.
Objections may come from all directions especially if the idea or the work is novel. However, we can welcome success if we are ready to toil continuously and consistently. Our efforts accompanied by tools like time management, rational thinking, scientific and systematic approach etc will surely reveal to us the path to destination. Let creativity rule us. Let the works of great people inspire us. Let the instructions of experienced hands guide us. Let the stories of success motivate us. For all these, provide in the time plan and dream a marvelous future.