Time management is a procedure where you plan out your time and chalk out your tasks accordingly, in order to be more efficient and productive. Some people have a hard time managing it, while others know the hack of time management. If you don’t have strong time management, your work is going to suffer and you will face a lot of issues in your personal as well as your professional life. This can lead to poor quality of work, missing out on deadlines, hampering your work-life balance, increasing your stress, and harming your reputation. 

Time management is extremely important because it will help you control your work and establish a good work-life balance. 

Benefits of proper time management: 

• It improves your performance levels- When you manage your time properly, you have a defined schedule of what work is to be done, when, and in how much time. This way your time and effort is not wasted and your performance level increases. It helps you in focusing on the important tasks and also avoids any unrequired distractions. If you have a strong time schedule, you will spend less time procrastinating and more time getting your work done. 
• Helps you deliver your work on time- Managing your time properly, involves assigning a specific time to each task of yours. When you have a specific time block for all your tasks, you tend to complete them in that given time and hence it helps in delivering good work without missing out on deadlines. 
• Helps in delivering better work- If you properly manage your time, you tend to put more effort into your work. Time management helps you in prioritizing your work and ensures that you complete the work on time. The quality of work increases in these cases, when you are not rushing to complete a deadline. 
• It prevents stressful situations- You become anxious and restless when you have a huge list of work to do with no time in your hands. This is where time management makes your job easy for you. If you have assigned every task a specific time, you don’t have to worry about the work and how much it is going to take, or if you will be able to complete it or not. Time management helps in reducing your stress. It keeps you away from all these stressful work situations. You don’t have a constant headache thinking about how you are dropping in to outright your tasks in time. 
• It makes you more efficient- Time management increases your efficiency. When you know you have chalked out a time plan and managed your work accordingly, you become more efficient. You are able to work more efficiently when you have an entire-time and work schedule planned out in front of you. 
• It gives you a sense of achievement- Completing your work on time and with full efficiency gives you a feeling of achievement and satisfaction. This feeling is unmatchable. Time management helps you in completing your tasks according to the time frame you have allotted. This way you become more productive. When you are productive, you get a feeling of accomplishment and it makes you feel good about yourself. 
• It helps in boosting your confidence- Time management helps you complete your task with full efficiency. When you are efficient and productive, you get appreciated. This boosts your confidence and makes you want to work harder. 

How can you practice time management?

• Plan your time in advance- Get into the habit of planning ahead. The most important demeanor of time management is realizing when you are being the most productive. Save that particular time for your major and very important tasks. When you are planning your time, make sure that you have a list of your tasks with you and you keep assigning those tasks to specific time blocks according to your deadlines. Plan out in advance what you are going to do for the day. Segregate the time for your personal tasks and your professional tasks. 
• Exclude any kind of distraction- The one most common thing that will kill your productivity is distractions. When you are managing your time, make sure to eliminate all kinds of distractions from your work schedule. Make it a point that when you are working, you won’t use your phone till your task gets completed. Fix a short time slot separately for these distractions, so that you don’t waste your time indulging in them during your work slot. 
• Prioritize your tasks- The most important tasks should be given utmost priority. Work on your important deadlines first. Leave the less important tasks for the extra time you have in your hand after completing the important ones. 
• Don’t try to multitask- Even though multitasking may feel cool, you should not try to multitask at all. You will create a mess for yourself. Fix a time slot for each of your tasks and give those tasks the time it requires. When you complete one task, only then jump to the next one. 
• Plan out your breaks- Don’t take unplanned breaks. Maximum time is wasted when you take breaks unnecessarily. When you are making a time schedule for yourself, include a time slot for your break and make sure you take a break only at that time. This way you will be able to save enough time and it will also increase your productivity. 

Time management is very essential for a successful professional and personal life. It will help you in establishing a work-life balance which will only make you more efficient and productive. Get habituated to this particular practice so that you do not have to face any problems whatsoever, that come in your way. The key to time management is focus, determination, and dedication. 

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