There's always enough time...

Think of the last one year. Could you finish all that you wanted to do? Did you accomplish all the goals which you had set for yourself? Are you better-equipped in terms of knowledge and skills than you were a year ago? If your answer is “yes” to all these questions, you should be commended for your efforts and efficient use of time. If the answer is a “no”, this is something to reflect upon. You should get ready to review your usage of time and take charge of your life.

We all know that organisations work with resources to produce results. Human resource is one of them. But we human beings also require resources to achieve our goals and objectives. These resources can also be called inputs. Time is one such resource. When it comes to time, no one is better than the other in possessing it. Everyone has the same 24 hours. Although the stock of time is same with every person, what differentiates them is the way in which they make use of this resource. Our success and achievements in life are determined by what we do with our time.

Truth of the matter
People often complain about the lack of time in their lives. You ask working people about their hobbies, and in nine out of 10 cases the answer will be – “Where is the time for hobbies?” You get a similar response when you ask someone if she or he has read any good book recently. Going by this, lack of time appears to be one of the most shared problems in this world.

Yet, there are people, who with this daily stock of 24 hours, are achieving and accomplishing their dreams and pursuing their hobbies along with their regular work. The best part is that they’ll hardly say that they don’t have time. Atal Bihari Vajpayee while being the Prime Minister of our country could bring out his book of poetry Meri Ekyavan Kavitayen. When Dr Raja Ramanna was the chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, even with huge responsibilities, he found time to play  violin daily. If we look at such examples, we’ll find that use of time, like many other things, is a matter of attitude.

There are a few things peculiar about time. You can’t store or preserve it. Whether you do anything or not, time just fritters away. You’re never going to have today’s date in future. You also can’t borrow or lend time. You own your time and you have to decide how you are going to use it for your study, job, relationship, hobbies or leisure etc. You can’t have more than 24 hours in a day. Whatever one has to do, need to be done in the limited amount of time which remains same for everyone.

For students, time management means a lot. By focusing on proper use of time, you may study well and also make yourself ready for future by learning useful things and working on personality development. Good habits with regard to use of time will help you now and in the future. Caring about your time and also that of others’ can become a hallmark of your identity. This positive trait will bring you more respect and acceptance throughout your life. Moreover, making the best use of your time will keep you happy and satisfied, improve your confidence and help you lead an accomplished life.

If utilised properly, you’ll find that enough can be accomplished in the time provided to us in the universe. All you require is proper planning and self-discipline. You should be clear what you want to do with your time. Only then can you be a good time manager. If you feel that you don’t have enough time, you’re not alone. But there are ways to come out of it.

n For instance, get rid of activities that don’t add much value to your life. How often you check your email? Too often? This is not necessary. Not only does this eat your time, but also diverts your attention from the task at hand. Most of us, despite knowing that many of the mails in our inboxes are spam and irrelevant, don’t stop from opening these. Social networking sites have become part and parcel of our lives. People in general and students in particular are spending considerable time on these. This too should be reduced. Don’t let your addiction to the Internet sites make you socially aloof and withdrawn.

n When you start a task, don’t leave it unfinished, as doing things in pieces takes more time. You always can’t start from the point you’d left off. You’ve to go back, recollect and rework, which needs extra time and efforts.

n Keeping your things organised is also a part of time management. Be mindful of your things and where they are kept.

n With proper planning, you may have time for everything. All students should have one or more active hobby. Watching a cricket match or listening to music will be counted as passive hobbies. Participating in activities such as painting, music, sports, creative writing, gardening, dance etc help students perform better in academics too.