Life Skills 102: Managing Your Time
By Karen Unger, MA
Finding Enough Hours in A Day
Does this sound like you?
- Do you feel as if the older you are getting, the shorter the days are becoming?
- You never seem to finish everything you Have To do, let alone everything
you Want To do?
 You
end the day feeling stressed and exhausted and worried about all you have
left undone?
- You leave things to the last possible second because that's the only time
you have?
- You keep adding to your "To Do" lists but never manage to cross much off?
- You say yes to something only to discover you've already promised to do
something else at that time?
- You never feel that you have done a really good job at anything because
you are always rushing to finish it?
- Are you getting headaches or stomach aches because you are never able to
catch up with your workload?
If you could answer "yes" to any of these questions, then you need to learn
the skill of time management. Just as you could learn how to manage your money
(Life
Skills 101), you can also learn how to manage your time.
Time Is A Resource
You need to think about time as a resource. Just as money is a resource, you
spend it and then it's gone, so is time. You have 24 hours in a day -no more-
to do the things you need to do. The more things you have to fit into that block
of 24 hours, the more important time management skills become.
The Good Old Days
When you were a little kid, time probably seemed to drag. "I'm bored," you'd whine. Even with play dates and music lessons, you still had blocks of time with nothing scheduled. Now, your life has gotten a lot busier. Think about everything you need to accomplish in a day. You have commitments such as:
- School - and everything related to school, such as clubs, activities,
school sports, and homework and projects.
- Family-your share of family chores and family responsibilities, such as
babysitting younger kids or visiting relatives.
- Friends-all the activities you do with friends-and some friends may need
more hand-holding and time spent with them than others.
- Job-You may be working and need to spend so many hours per week at your
job.
- Planning for your future-you may be working on college applications or studying
for tests such as the SAT.
- Hobbies-You may have hobbies and interests that you devote time to.
- Religious activities-you may be involved in a youth group or religious organization.
- Community activities-you may be a member of a youth organization or other
community organization, such as a service club or sports team.
With all these commitments, you need to set priorities. You have to decide which things are most important to complete.
Prioritize!
Make a list of all the things you need to do by category-you can use the categories
above if you like. Then code your list. Put a 
next to the things you enjoy doing the most. Put an X next to all the
things you have to get done and put the date next to them when they need to
be completed. A school project with a set due date is something you have no
choice over as is a piano recital for which you have to have a piece of music
ready to play or your cousin's birthday party on Saturday afternoon that you
must go to with your family. Next, put a ? next to all the things that
are flexible-you can put them off without causing too much trouble. For example,
can you move a haircut appointment, a date with friends, an after-school activity?
Then put an # next to anything that you can not do without having too
many negative consequences. Did you volunteer for too many activities in your
youth club? Did you sign up for three sports when you really like one the best?
Now take a good look at your list. Do you see any patterns? For example, if
all your "Must-Do" activities with X's have no hearts next to them, then you
may need to shift your priorities. While homework or a family chore may never
be on your "Top Ten" list, you need to have some favorite activities as top
priorities. Look at the activities that you must complete and their due dates.
Rank them in priority order. What do you have to get done first? Second? And
so on.
Consider the "When's, How's and Where's"
Think about when you have blocks of time to get things done. If you have a project due for school by Friday, what time can you set aside the weekend before it's due and then during the week? What other activities can you put off to make time for finishing your project? Also, think about how you work. When do you have the most energy? Are you a morning person? Try to schedule harder jobs and tasks for the early hours and easier work that requires less concentration in the afternoon. Where you do your best work is also important. Do you know that the phone or your e-mail is too tempting and you will always be interrupted? Then go to a library or a part of the house where you can be alone and really get your work done.
Get a Second Opinion
Sometimes you are too involved in all your activities to know which you can put off or drop. Get a second opinion-a family member or friend you trust to take a look at your list and offer you some advice. You may be surprised by what patterns they see.
Fight Procrastination
You can put off doing things that aren't important or priorities. Sometimes, though, you may fall victim to procrastination-putting off what you have to do because it is easier not to deal with it. Eventually, though, what you put off will catch up with you and then you will find it is harder to finish and you are more stressed out than ever. The key to conquering procrastination is to recognize that you are procrastinating and then break the job or task into smaller, more manageable blocks of work. Once you have completed a part, the rest will be easier to finish. For example, if you need to study for a major test, set aside an hour of time to read notes. Read your notes for an hour and then take a break. The sense of accomplishment you feel when you have completed what you set out to do will motivate you to schedule time to continue studying.
Get Organized
Clutter, mess, and disorganization can make managing time wisely absolutely
impossible. If you spend twenty minutes in the morning looking for your blow
dryer, you won't be able to spend the time you need looking over your review
notes, eating breakfast, or catching the bus. If you can't find a pen, you can't
write out the birthday cards you need to send. If you can't find the car keys,
you are going to be late for work. Organize your space and devote a few minutes
a day to de-cluttering -throwing out what you don't need.
Get Someone Else To Do It
Corporate executives delegate tasks- their function is to make sure work is
done well and on time. You can delegate some of your tasks, too. See if you
can get family members and friends to share some of your work.
Learn to Say "No"
Some activities you can't say no to-like schoolwork or family obligations, but other activities you probably can and should say no to. If your plate is full and your friends ask you to come over, set another date to see them. If your youth group asks you for the third year in a row to lead its fundraising project (you did such a great job the last two years) and you have too much going on, say "no" and offer to do something less time-consuming. Learning how to say no gracefully is a great life skill and a great stress reliever.
Cut Back
If your life is over-scheduled, look at your list and see where you can cut back and scale down. Maybe you have too many after-school activities. Think about which ones you really enjoy and which may have lost their appeal. Talk to your family about stopping one or two. Do you have a family chore that is taking away precious study time? Talk to your family about substituting a chore that you can finish more quickly. Are friends pressuring you to spend hours on the phone? Find ways to have phone time that fits within your schedule.
Give Yourself Time
Make sure that you have some time just to day dream or pursue a hobby or veg
out-and don't expect to be a time management guru immediately. Learning how
to manage time well takes time and practice -but once you have mastered this
skill, you will find that you actually have much more time to do the things
you want to do -nd that will make you feel less stressed and more accomplished.
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