Time Management Is an Important

Time Management is an important issue in various aspects of life. Time management is essential as it pertains to job performance, endeavors in academia and in the domestic sphere. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the issue of time management.

Time management is an issue that is related to work performance, job performance and the running of a household. As it pertains to work performance Time management is essential to ensure that tasks get completed and deadlines are met.

There are many strategies associated with time management in the sphere of the workplace. According to Claessens et al. (2004) over the past twenty years technological advancements have altered the manner in which people work. In addition, these advances have led to greater responsibilities at work and there is also a greater emphasis that has been placed on timeliness. The authors further explain that

"Several studies have pointed out the rise in work intensity and time pressure over the last decades as a consequence of these changes (e.g., Endler,

Marcrodimitris, & Kocovski, 2000; de Jonge, 1996; Karasek, 1998). In this

context, self-management, especially regarding the temporal dimension of work, has become a critical issue. This is exemplified by the increased demand for time management training in managerial practice (Claessens et al., 2004)."

One of the most popular ways to deal with time management in the workplace is project management. Project management relies on planned behaviors to guarantee that a project is completed in a timely manner. Project management delegates responsibilities and designates certain deadlines. Planning Behavior is defined as the process of planning and allocating efforts as it pertains to various goals, activities, and time periods

(Claessens et al., 2004). It can also be defined as the decisions made about the following issues:

Tasks to complete,

Prioritizing tasks

Confronting distractions

4. Completing several tasks concurrently (Claessens et al., 2004)

The authors also explain that there have been a great deal of research Several studies have been devoted to the effects of planning behavior. These studies have found that planning behavior as an aspect of time management training had positive outcomes. Those that participated in time management training had a greater amount of perceived control of time. Having greater control of time "was positively related to job satisfaction and negatively to job-induced and somatic tensions. Perceived control of time thus acted as a mediator in the relationship between planning behavior and these variables. In other studies of planning behavior -- usually operationalized as setting goals and priorities -- positive relationships were found with self-reported job performance (Claessens et al., 2004)."

Setting priorities is one of the essential keys associated with time management. According to Macini (2003) Priorities should be placed in one of three categories for A to C. In the A category are the tasks that must be completed right away. Consequences of not completing tasks in this category can be detrimental. Tasks in the B. category are important but not dire, they do not have to be completed right away. In the C. category can be postponed and the effects of postponement will not be detrimental. Prioritizing in this manner is one of the ways in which time can be better managed.

Time management in the academic arena is also extremely important. The importance of time management becomes apparent to most students in middle school. Middle school is the time in which the workload first begins to drastically increase. It is important that students gain some time management skills in Middle School so that when they get to high school they are able to excel.

An article entitled "Adolescents' Time Use and Academic Achievement: A Test of the Reproduction and Mobility Models" explains the pressure that many adolescents feel to be well rounded can contribute time management problems. The article asserts that extracurricular activities that are not well planned and manage can lead to academic problems. These academic problems arise most often when students have jobs particularly during high school. Studies have found that students that work during high school are less likely to attend college than students who do not work. The author points out that other extracurricular activities including sports and music can enhance student achievement. However, if time is not properly managed academic achievement can suffer greatly.

To combat this issue students and their parents must make sure that extracurricular activities do not interfere with schoolwork. Students should also have enough time to get the proper amount of sleep and free time (Dumais, 2008). Over scheduling can be detrimental to achievement if not properly monitored. However, students can also learn beneficial time management skills when they are encouraged to engage in the appropriate amount of activities (Dumais, 2008).

Time Management is also a major issue in college. The issue of time management becomes even more complicated in college because students have additional responsibilities that may not have been present in High School. Time Management in college entails prioritizing which can be accomplished by the creation of lists that identify which tasks need to completed and when they should be completed.

Organization is one of the major ways to develop good time management skills in college. According to a book entitled "Successful Time Management" good organization skills assists in the development of the right time environment. The author insist that

"Poor organization is insidious; everything takes just a little bit more time than it should and this adds up day by day, inevitably reducing effectiveness. This is true of even minor faults or omissions which, duplicated across a number of activities, can together have a significant effect and dilute efficiency. At worst, a lack of organization causes real, even debilitating, problems (Forsyth, 2007)."

Within the context of college organization is important to ensuring that assignments are turned in on time. Failure to turn in assignments on time can lead to poor grades and other academic problems. In addition, studying for tests becomes problematic when there is a lack of organization.

Finally time management can also be useful in the domestic sphere. Responsibilities of the household include mowing the lawn, cleaning, cooking, washing clothes etc. If time is not properly managed these tasks can get overwhelming. Time management in the home can be confronted in much the same way that time is managed at work and school. List can be made and authority can be delegated to ensure that everything that needs to be accomplished is handled in a timely fashion.