Time management is a critical life skill that guarantees success for those who master it. How we choose to use our time determines what we accomplish. We often have more work than time and may wish for more hours in our days, but alas. If we learn to manage time well, we can increase productivity, achieve process excellence, and attain work-life integration.

Today we share three essential elements of effective time management that we have learnt over time.

Productivity

Time management is the key to achieving productivity in processes; we can use the following ideas to increase productivity. 

• Identify the most productive hours of the day: These hours are the foundation of success in productivity because when we use them well, we achieve the most crucial tasks on time. 
• Prioritise tasks: This helps us determine what is most important, work on and accomplish those activities first and enables us to meet our business objectives sooner. 
• Take breaks: Breaks are short periods of rest during our work day that can be key to being productive as they allow us to refresh our minds and approach tasks with renewed energy. 
• Organised workplaces: An organised workplace enhances time management and creates a smooth workflow. An example is a choice to have members of one department sitting together to reduce movement to consult, the speed of decision and improve teamwork. The organisation of workplaces could also include office layout and established work processes.
• Planning: A clear plan outlining how to accomplish tasks and maximise limited time increases productivity in any process. Planning includes daily to-do as a short-term plan to enhance the accomplishment of the long-term goals. It also helps managers focus on the matters that support organisational growth.

Process excellence

Time management skills contribute directly to process in two ways; process efficiency and improvement. Process efficiency is when we successfully allocate limited time to accomplish unlimited tasks within a process. When we do a lot in a shorter time than before, that is process improvement. Let us consistently look into our work processes to reduce the time taken to accomplish tasks and ultimately increase efficiency.

Work-Life Integration

At times, we do not recognise that there is time for everything. We can accomplish every task we need to with careful time allocation. Often, we concentrate too much on one thing then ignore other critical aspects of our lives and lose effectiveness. For instance, running a business can be hectic, but it is not our only reason for existence. Family, leisure, learning, community and religious activities are important ways to grow and recharge: 

• What if we allocate time for work, family and leisure and become disciplined? 
• What would change in our levels of productivity? 
• How much can we improve the quality of our lives and be more effective?

Time management requires discipline that will totally change our ability to be consistent and effective. Work-life integration takes planning, but it helps us be successful at work, with family, in volunteer activities and in the community around us. Consistent rest enables us to approach work with renewed energy so we can achieve more faster. 

It is possible to start maximising every 24-hour cycle and strike a balance in our lives. We can start today and get things right at every minute. How we choose to invest each minute will determine our outcomes. Effective time management will help us take control of daily tasks that contribute to achieving our goals and objectives.

 Vusi Thembekwayo said, “Tomorrow, everyone begins at zero,” so you can start today.

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Lucy Moragwa is a Business Process Analyst with dynamic experience spanning several industries including construction, technology, retail, media, advertising, and branding. She is specialised in helping organisations develop operational efficiency and increase revenue, business process improvement and using root cause analysis to identify issues and develop process improvements. The heart of her work is to help organisations achieve cost savings through exceptional planning and implementation of business processes.