To have a productive life and thereby to be successful, learning to manage time is most important. In today's fast-paced, action-packed, suspenseful world, time management skills are essential to keep us on top of everything. Students like us have several tasks on a daily basis in front of us like, studies at school, extra-curricular activities, chores and responsibilities at home, personal interests and hobbies, commitments with friends and relatives, etc., that make most of us full each day. By learning and implementing time management techniques, we can effectively focus on and complete tasks that really matter to us, and make our life meaningful.

Time management can be defined as the whole process of listing down the tasks and goals in front of us, prioritizing the tasks and goals, scheduling them and controlling how much time we spend on each task for realizing the goals, tracking the progress and rectifying the errors and moving forward. The key benefit is that effective time management helps one to work smarter with less efforts. Let us explore briefly the aforesaid key elements in time management to master the art. Although, time management strategies can be applied to long term and short term goals, in this Article we are evaluating only the short term tasks mostly falling under the category of day-to-day activities because such planning are at the root level.

1. Listing the Tasks:

The most important element in the time management is to understand what is in front of us in the form of tasks for a given day. The first step is to list all the tasks in front of us, let the task be minor or major. For instance, use few minutes of every evening to think through the activities required to be completed or attended the next day. Some prefer to do the listing of tasks for the day, every morning rather than the evening of the previous day. Regardless of when one prefer to make the list, write down the tasks in the form of a list on a piece of paper or on other modes convenient to him. I personally prefer the notepad of my mobile and such list will have even minor routine items such as ‘filling water-bottle’, ‘wishing my acquaintances on my way to school’ etc., - list them all. I also take care not to give the complete details of my task in the list in order to avoid long time- consuming write-ups rather I use key words pertaining to a task which shall serve as a pointer to me. Alexis Carrel, the 1912 Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, sates the following for the daily task listing he made “The most efficient way to live reasonably is every morning to make a plan of one's day and every night to examine the results obtained."

2. Prioritizing the Tasks:

Aforesaid Step 1 help us to list down the daily tasks. The second step is to organize the list by prioritizing the tasks in the list or giving an order to the tasks in the list.

A popular technique for prioritizing is the Eisenhower Matrix where tasks are prioritized based on the level of importance and urgency. Accordingly, based on the said criteria, tasks can be categorized into (i) Level 1: urgent and important, (ii) Level 2: urgent but not important (iii) Level 3: important but not urgent, and (iv) Level 4: neither urgent nor important. Allocating one’s time and focus based on the above, will enable to prioritize the tasks to control the productivity.

For instance, if I have two items in my list as, ‘complete Math 1 chapter’ and ‘complete Science 1 chapter’, I would prefer to prioritize the subject based on the urgency and attention required. For me Math is more difficult than Science and therefore requires more time and attention, so when Math and Science are on a given day’s study list, I always keep Math in a priority position than Science to handle Math when my energy level is higher. Another example, if there is an item that requires to be completed in the morning itself, in my list such item will be on the top. Thus, working out logically on the tasks in one’s list, he can prioritize the tasks and give an order to it so that he knows for that given day what is key, critical and requires more attention. Victor Hugo said, “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life." A very appropriate statement regarding the time management.

3. Scheduling the Tasks:

Peter Turla is one of the world’s leading time management expert. He is a former NASA rocket designer who developed outstanding time management skills, and is popular as the ‘Time Man’. He says, “A ‘plan’= ‘what’; a ‘schedule’ = ‘when’. It takes both a ‘plan’ and a ‘schedule’ to get things done."

Thus, when we add a time frame to a ‘task’ in the list, it becomes a ‘schedule’ denoting when it requires completion or time allowed or anticipated for its completion. Therefore, the next step is to add a ‘time’ or ‘period’ to the items in one’s daily task list so there is more certainty to the task list. However, it is very important to be realistic while allocating the time. Constraining one with less time will affect the quality of the work and could even lead to frustration. Always allocate ‘time’ reasonably. If logically a task requires thirty minutes, I allocate forty-five minutes to it in order not to stress me out. If I am able to complete that task in thirty minutes or less, then the ‘time’ I saved will be either used for leisure purposes or will be added to the next task to make it more relaxing with a head-start. With the time added to the tasks in one’s daily task list, the ‘Daily To-Do List’ is ready.

4. Leaving Space between Tasks:

Scheduling the tasks continuously without leaving sufficient berth in between can lead to boredom, stress, lack of rest, etc. There could be requirements such as meal break or a bathroom break. If space is not allocated within the ‘To Do List’ for such activities, it could lead to congestion and stress. Leaving a five-ten minutes gap between tasks allows room for maneuver. I personally prefer a 10 minute break in between each tasks in my daily To Do List. This keeps me refreshed and helps to maintain my focus alive throughout.

A popular technique for listing and scheduling the task is the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in late 1980s, where the work day is split into 25 minutes intervals called ‘pomodoros’. This is followed by a five minute rest break. Four consecutive pomodoros entitles a further fifteen to thirty minute break for leisure.

5. Set Boundaries:

For overall well-being and happiness, a balance should be made between personal interest/hobbies and studies. Therefore, including within the To Do List, leisure tasks such as relaxation, exercise, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones is important. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the renowned spiritual leader, says “Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have." He portrayed the need of balancing the tasks in a simple way through his aforesaid statement. When I make my daily To Do List, I allocate within the list, activities I love, such as thirty minutes for watching my favorite cartoon show, reading books of my liking, listening to music, etc. which not only refreshes me but also allows me to explore deeper into my likings and hobbies.

5. Consistency:

Consistency is key to be a successful time manager. Make time management a daily practice and follow it strictly. Consider setbacks as lesson learned and use them as opportunities to learn and improve. Always, track your progress and identify areas for improvement. I adopt a practice of reviewing my performance on a daily basis at the end of the day, make note of short-falls, and come-up with remedial measures that will help me to rectify the short-falls.

6. Celebrate successes:

When one completes a task in the list, however small it is, recognize it and reward yourself and celebrate the completion. Reward yourself - you will remain motivated and focused on your tasks. When I am able to complete a difficult task, I reward myself with a chocolate cookie or by spending some quality time with my family discussing the topics we love.

7. Use Tools:

The tools such as a diary or organizer can help one considerably in the time management. There are software and applications available on our mobiles to assist time management and to be more organized. In the current world where various technologies are thriving, it will be ideal to utilize them in favor for time management. I utilize my personal cell phone extensively for time management. The features such as notepad for listing and editing my To Do tasks, alarm feature for time keeping, calendar and organizer for effective reminders, etc.

The time and tide waits for none. As Michael Altshuler, the New Jersey based motivational speaker and author, points out “Bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." If one is able to navigate the time, he will take himself to where he wants to be with ease. If one let the time loose, it takes him to unwanted and irrelevant situations. Therefore, let us take charge and pilot the time, the wonders will follow.