Perhaps, because we do not spend money to enjoy time, many of us take it for granted. Worse still, some even waste and squander it. Few seem to realize that time, unlike money, can never be won back once lost. Trying to get it back by working double time later is an exercise in futility.time-management

The mystery of time has haunted humanity through the ages. There have been efforts by science to understand time in order to control it. Until that time comes when time can be harnessed (pun not intended), we just have to live with it and try to make it work for us effectively.

The way to do this is to apportion wisely the 24 hours given to everyone of us. This number of hours may be enough to some, too short or too much to others, depending on how we use it. Ideally, we should be able to squeeze in or spread out most of our activities within the 24 hours.

We can start by defining our priorities. We may have important tasks to do in a given day but they cannot be equally vital although
some may appear to be so. Somehow, some tasks have an iota of importance over the other so we have to be discerning in this aspect.

One way to do this is to ascertain which ones are time-sensitive and which ones can be delayed a bit without adverse repercussions.

Another issue to be considered is the effort needed to accomplish a task. Some may require more effort, mentally or physically. In this case, we have to be aware of our body’s biological makeup. Studying our circadian body rhythm will help us in setting our most effective schedule. Are we “morning” people or late afternoon ones? We should then schedule strenuous tasks during the routinetime of the day when we are at our peak and leave the rest for our down moments.

There is also our mood to consider. Some jobs may not require much effort to do but are dependent on our state of mind. This is especially true of tasks that are inspirational like writing an article or book and composing music or a commercial jingle. We should set aside time for these tasks when we are mentally psyched-up for them.

In short, managing our time wisely to make it work for us requires our thorough knowledge of ourselves. Although we should practice self-discipline to help us stick to our work plan, we must also be flexible and practical. This way, our schedule does not become a burden but a pleasant guide for us to follow throughout our day.