Time Management is Priority Management

By Dr. Vivek Bindra

If we look at the most valuable currency on this planet, then our first thought sways towards dollars, dinars, pounds, etc., or in some cases, the crypto-currency called Bitcoin.

Time as Most Valuable Currency

However, as per Chanakya, "TIME' is the most valuable currency in this world where 1 second lost cannot be bought back by the most valuable or powerful currencies available in this materialistic world.

Everyone has an equal number of hours per week to become unequal — be it a local tea stall owner, shopkeeper, or someone as big as Ambani's, TATA's, Birla's, etc.

So what is that they (Ambani's, TATA'S, etc) do to create that big difference between their success and of others?

Priority Management

When we talk about time management it is merely an art of PRIORITY management, so are we prioritizing the schedule or scheduling the priority? If we have our priorities scheduled, then the amount of success or achievement of goals will not be an issue, however, if we prioritize our schedule we may have a good schedule but our goals will not be achieved to the level that we may want.

Doing the Right Thing

Similarly, what is more, important doing the right thing or doing things rightly? A lot of people believe that doing things right is the way to success, but doing the wrong things right will leave you high and dry on goal achievement status. So doing the right thing is far more important than anything.

Pareto's Principle

Implementation of Pareto's principle is also important in getting the priorities right from the beginning. The principle states that 20% of the invested input is responsible for 80% of the results obtained. Pareto's principle itself calls for SMART WORK. No matter if we invest even 20hrs a day to achieve our goal but if the priorities are not right then you may end up doing work that may not give you the desired outcome.

Habits that Can Help you Manage TIME

1. Take a note of things on paper or digitally to help you cruise through the day

2. Assign the toughest task at the beginning of the day so that the biggest hurdles can be overcome

3. Prioritize tasks – the most important tasks need to be finished at the earliest

4. Learn to say NO to people or tasks will increase at hand and existing tasks may fail to see closure

5. Stick to your break timings as they may take up your productive time period

6. Don't waste your time on social media and respond to messages if they are very important

7. Learn to delegate tasks as you alone cannot do everything

8. Most importantly, keep a clock on your desk to track your time on tasks

9. Break tasks into shorter goals so that every goal achieved keeps you motivated during the day.

Stay Productive

Time management is to make sure that you stay productive throughout the day and it should not be assumed that all the tasks will be completed within a time frame. The most important benefit that can be extracted out of it would be from the fact that you will get organized and it will improve your productivity both on the academic and professional front.

Practice Time-management Seriously

If you may have wondered why your boss is always busy and finicky about time then the reason is simple, they are practicing time management. Time management cannot be adopted in a day but has to be practiced over the years to get the desired outcome. If we look at top billionaires of the world they practice time-management very seriously as every single one of them has an early morning routine in common along with other pointers mentioned above and the best example for us is Indra Nooyi, CEO, of Pepsi Co.