TIME MANAGEMENT

Time Management refers to the fine balance that has to be maintained between the ratio of "Time Utilized" to "Time Wasted". All those people who utilize their time more than wasting it tend to be more successful in their lives, whereas people who waste their time more than utilizing it in useful pursuits are found to be repenting all their lives.

Time Management is the most challenging aspect of today's high paced modern society. Whosoever learns to manage and utilize his time well can achieve his targets, be meritorious, successful, enjoy his life and be happy for ever. This is one of the major areas which make the difference between success and failure in life. Here a person proves to be an asset for himself, his organization as well as for his nation. He is also able to grab high positions and the most sought after designations where he is responsible for undertaking and executing important assignments and projects with his skills, knowledge and wisdom.

You must have come across the phrase that "Everybody has 24 hours in a Day'. But do you know what does this actually mean? Also, kindly do not feel afraid or get bogged down when you hear the term 'Time Management'. We must always study the basics first of any given topic to understand it and evaluate the importance it has in our lives. Then it will be easier for us to follow it and benefit from it.

The 24-hours phrase does not make much sense but rather confuses a person more. It creates fear and tension in his mind. He gets a feeling that he is wasting his entire 24 hours in a day and he starts getting stressed in whatever he does and fails miserably again and again. This happens because the quality time left over with any person is just a few hours in a day which can actually be used or wasted. The rest of the time gets used in daily routine activities like sleeping, going to the school or office and other mundane activities during the day.

Now, we have come across two categories and time management has to be implemented effectively in both of these to get good results. First, is the optimum utilization and saving of time required for carrying out the routine activities, and second, is to set a time table for the remaining quality time. Your attitude and habits play an important role in managing your limited time and resources. This will differentiate you from the rest of the crowd. Let us analyse the basic difference.

Studying with an Open & Positive Attitude: In this way, you remain active in whatever you do during the day be it in the school, at home or even while travelling. Everything that you observe is a part of the learning process and can aid you in your future. And by remaining alert you can keep a vigil on the events happening around you. You will also keep on looking out for ways to somehow save your time in whatever you do.

Other people also recognize and extend support or opportunities to those people only who are sincere, honest and hard working in their approach. Being alert and active you are likely to come across plenty of opportunities in your life and would also able to grab the right one at the right time.

Studying with a Closed & Negative Attitude: With such an approach, many people remain inactive, lazy and casual in their approach in whatever they do. Being alert or maintaining an active life is neither a part of their thinking nor a part of their life. They rather like to keep their life dull and easy going, thereby missing out on many opportunities coming their way. Such people also miss out on the ways of saving their valuable time and let it get wasted in routine activities. These are the people who blame their luck and God afterwards.

"Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude in Life."

The following points will guide you through various steps as to how effectively you can plan and manage your time. These are:
First of all, after reading this article, do not make immediate or drastic changes to your way of living and studying. Rather be slow and steady in your approach.
For being meritorious, you should always study as if you are preparing for an exam to be held the very next day. You should be concerned with your books and studies only.
Kindly arrange a room or a small apartment having the basic amenities. You would not be disturbed by the daily chores and other disturbances taking place in the house.
Keep in regular touch with class toppers, intellectuals and other successful people in your neighborhood. Such meetings and interactions will keep you motivated to cut down on wasting your precious time and studying more instead.
The importance of time and its proper utilization should be taught since early childhood so that with the passage of time your children can themselves realize its necessity and importance. Under your guidance, they will also learn to plan it effectively. They can thus improve upon themselves by the time they reach higher classes. Self-realization is more inspiring and result-oriented than constant nagging and punishments.
Your studying pattern should be such that it always keeps ahead of the class. Always maintain flexibility in your time table. This will help you to adjust any emergency or responsibility at any time without disturbing your regular studies. Provisioning done in this way is very helpful in being meritorious. Later on it adds extra hours in preparations also.
A school is an educational institution but it provides benefits and opportunities also. Participate in all the activities carried out in school whole heartedly. Do your best and always try to achieve a good position. School day will never come again in your life. Presence of mind, motivation, courage and energy is the best during these years. Make its optimum use. It helps to shape up your future in the best possible way.
For overall success and achievements in life, never ever a bookworm. Being studious and hard working is good but other activities also carry equal weightage and importance. Do spend enough time with all types of your friends but, in the school only. You would feel energized when you return home from school. This will further help you to save your precious time home which could have otherwise got wasted in entertaining refreshing yourself. Once home, follow your time table seriously with an upbeat mood and without any laziness. Always keep your priorities and goals in mind.
Friendship and networking done in the school now will prove be very helpful throughout your life. Here you get an opportunity to befriend all types of students belonging to different and varied backgrounds. This is quite helpful, especially at managerial positions, marketing jobs or in liaison fields. You get to know the different traits and habits of people and how to deal with them efficiently. It also greatly helps in establishing and maintaining connections later in life.
Many times, studying a certain subject according to your mood results into better understanding and learning. The only idea here is to study for more hours with the best utilization of time without pressurizing the mind. It results into good learning and remembrance.
Here it is advisable to take up the difficult topics first and gradually shift to lighter and easy subjects later on. In this way, taking up easier subjects later on will not exert much pressure on the mind which is now feeling a bit tired. So, this approach enables continuity in studying without longer breaks in between and thus saving time as well.
Always adopt an enthusiastic and optimistic approach towards all the activities that you undertake. Most importantly, it will check any of worries and tensions entering mind and thus disturbing you. Any problem or negativity should be dealt with immediately so as to continue with regular studies.
With regular practice and increased confidence level, now comes the time for increasing your speed in studying. This results in increasing the capacity of the mind thereby allowing it to store more things in lesser time. It also enables better learning, remembering and recalling of the stored information. Thus, the above helps in saving time.
Besides the above mentioned tips, also remember the following:

Take Frequent but Small Break in Between for a quick bath, drinking water, to have refreshments or to relieve yourself. This allows certain movements to your body and thus, to your limbs which had got tired while sitting in a certain position for a long duration.
Correct Posture plays a very important role in the learning process. It keeps the mind alert and active which keeps you interested in your studies.
A Table Lamp lightens up the table area only where the student is sitting with his books. It helps in better concentration and stops the mind in drifting away from the books. Because rest of the room is comparatively dark and damp.
An Alarm Clock is a student's best friend throughout his/her life. It not only reminds him of his timings but also wakes him up on his pre-fixed time. It can also be used as a timer and have the alarm set, to alert him so that he can take up his next assignment.