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A Time Management Exercise

A time management exercise is an exercise meant to transform your time into a knowable and predictable resource.  You will be able to be more on time with projects you are working on.  You will also find extra time left in the day for you personally. 

On a piece of paper, write down the dates you begin the exercise right down to exactly one week from the time the exercise started.  Record all of the fixed blocks of time that can’t be changed.  These are things you have to do through the course of your day.  They are responsibilities you can’t put off until tomorrow.  Then you record how you will use your free time.  Make a record of how you used your time spent waiting at any appointments. 

You should also keep track of times during certain things that happen throughout your day.  This keeps an accurate account of your time.  This time management exercise will help you to recognize how all time is spent.  You should keep track of traveling or commuting.  Your household chores can’t be forgotten.  Any special activities you have to participate in.  If you are religious, make sure you keep track of the time for that.  Your family activities have to be listed, because family is important.  You will also have to schedule in entertainment and fun.

Learning From Time Management Exercises

Any and all activities throughout a day should be written within your time management exercise.  With 168 hours in a week, make sure that account for all of them in your time management exercise.

Use all of your information to look at the past and figure out your plans for the future.  Record any changes that you have made that make your time management better or worst.  Analyze the results once a week.  Look at what you should spend more time on.  Look at how you can shift some of the time needed throughout the day.  Are you setting up clear times when beginning projects and ending them?  Make sure you have short projects to do during unscheduled ‘extra time’.  If you are stuck at the airport, it wouldn’t hurt to get one more project done.

For a time management exercise, you have to be willing to change things in your life and stick with it.  You need to use your time wisely.  Make sure you schedule everything in your day into the planner.  This way you can account for all the time spent, and more importantly, for time that is wasted.  The planner is a key tool if you want to manage a successful time management exercise.