Message from the Editor

How well is your time managed in your day-to-day activities? Like many people, the answer to this question may not be completely positive. Perhaps your workload has become one pile on top of the other, working late to meet deadlines. Being unable to manage your time effectively can cause undue stress and aggravation. Many of us realize this difficultly but may not know the steps of how to improve on this task. One of the most positive things that come out of managing time efficiently is the exceptional productivity at work, which in turn decreases the stress levels. Possessing the ability to manage time can also lead to a happier well-being. There are several mistakes that people make that interfere with the opportunity to manage their time.

The first mistake that is often overlooked is not having a checklist. Writing down a to-do list can often help prioritize goals and projects. You are then able to categorize each task with a priority of completion. Another mistake related to a checklist is not setting a date of when completion will be accomplished. Goals provide a destination and vision to work towards. Taking this step will prevent additional procrastination or distractions.

The second mistake is simply taking on too much. This can often be a poor use of time, as having the ability to complete one project before taking on another can start to feel overwhelming. This ends up creating too many commitments, which can then lead to poor performance or rushed, sloppy work. Taking on multiple projects can sometimes seem efficient, but this is when time begins to run thin and deadlines become closer and slowly move out of reach.

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Every job has its own demands and time management is an essential skill that is adaptive to each situation. The basic steps to attaining this skill are relatively simple. Time management ultimately improves productivity and increases overall happiness and morale.

Thank you, Laura Teifel editor@rla.org