Time management

Ideas for managing your time

Meeting deadlines for work and school can sometimes seem overwhelming. Managing your time may help you to be more organised and meet the deadlines you have. Here are some suggestions for maximising the time you have available:

Set goals - It may be a good idea to think about what you need and want to do with your time. From this you can set your goals, which may help you to manage your time more effectively. You may want to check out the fact sheet on Setting goals for more information.

Project plan - Ever had a big project to do for work or school and never quite known where to start? It may help to write down all the things you need to do to complete the project and list the order in which you can do this. This can give you some direction and help you to form a timeline.

Use a diary - Writing down appointments, homework, or things you have to do may help you to keep track of what's on. This way you may avoid things catching you by surprise. Use a wall calendar - having a calendar that shows everything that is on during the month, or even the year, might help remind you of events that are coming up.

Switch the phone or email off! - If you find that you are being distracted by the phone or emails, it might help to disconnect it or put the answering machine on for a while. You can always ring people back later.

Be flexible - Sometimes situations change and you may need to re-adjust your goals or work plan to fit in with the changes.

Balance your time - Having a balance of activities in your life may help to avoid you burning out. It is a good idea to find time for relaxing, being active and hanging out with friends. Spending time relaxing or re-energising yourself may help you with your work and study.

Talk to someone - It is not uncommon to have lots of things we need to get done and this may make it difficult to manage your time. If you are finding these hard it may be helpful to talk to a teacher, lecturer, or counsellor.

Check out the Getting Help section for more information about how these people may be able to help.