Time Management 2

Time Management Tips

Many teens go through their day thinking, "I just don't have enough time!"
You only have 24 hours in a day, but sometimes you just need an extra hour or two t get everything done. Since you can't add any hours to do the day, what can you do to get ahead of the game?

It's called TIME MANAGEMENT. Time management is the process of making the most of the time that you have. As a result of good time management, you often find that you are less stressed and able to accomplish more in the day.

If you have experienced any of the following, you may be in need of some time management skills:

- Missed deadlines
- feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling like you're rushing all the time
- Unable to commit to new activities
- Constantly tired or worn out
- Unable to spend quality time with family and friends
- Often distracted
- Realizing you have no clear plans or goals

If any of those items describe you, there are a few easy steps you can take to start developing good time management skills.

1. Set priorities
Determine what is most important and focus the majority of your time on those things. Is school most important? Spending time with friends or family? Make a list of activities and people in order of importance and consult that list when planning your day.

2. Set goals
By setting goals, you are better able to organize your time and complete tasks in a timely manner. For example, if you have a research paper to write, set a goal to work on your research for 30 minutes a day until it is finished. You can set multiple goals at once to help keep yourself on track.

3. Schedule every minute
To get yourself on track, schedule every minute of the day. That doesn't mean you need to be on the go for every minute of the day, but you should have some idea of how you spend your time. Include time for relaxing, sleeping, and doing homework. As you become more aware of how you spend your time and start setting priorities, you can refine your schedule to make it work better for you.

4. Decrease Time Wasters
Do you do little things that suck up time? Maybe you spend 30 minutes deciding what t wear every morning or sit down to watch TV for 30 minutes and end up staying on the couch for 2 hours. Pay attention to how long it takes you to complete small activities and look for ways to shorten the time it takes.

With these few simple steps, you can start managing your time now instead of always letting your time get the best of you.