Y’all know that I think time management is a skill we HAVE to learn (why else would I write a post on tips for using your time wisely??), but I’ve never really shared exactly why it’s so important. Today I want to talk about the importance of time management. And I promise it’s interesting – although something about that last sentence sounds a bit like a snooze fest. TRUST ME, it’s not! Come on, am I ever a snooze fest?! 😉 Don’t answer that. But really though, stay with me!
The Importance Of Time Management
I’d actually never really even thought about the WHY myself and I went into a deep dive a couple months ago on this topic. And I had a WHOA moment. Because if we don’t fully understand why it’s important than all the tools and apps and to-do lists in the world aren’t going to help us. And it’s probably really freaking hard to even care about TM without knowing just how much it can positively affect us, right? Right!
I’m not going to pretend I’m a pro at managing my time or anything like that… and if you follow me on Insta Story this is probably obvious, but I tend to perform a heck of a lot better when I know the WHY behind things I’m doing. Some intention ya know? So what I share in this post is really going to help you get a handle on why managing your time effectively is important and what you stand to gain from it — at least that’s what learning the WHY has done for me.
The Importance Of Time Management: 8 Reasons Why It Matters
But just so y’all are clear, time management is NOT just about getting more stuff done. It’s all about doing the right things as effectively as possible because there is no point being productive at something that you don’t even need to do in the first place. Yes, you need to be efficient but being effective is what it’s all about which means doing the right tasks in the best amount of time.
1. So You Can Make the most of the time you’ve got
We’ve heard it before – you have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyoncé. But it’s true! You only have a limited number of hours everyday and instead of giving up sleep to try and make more of them (#notrecommended), time management will help you get all the important stuff done in the time that you do have. And have time left over for the latest episode of Riverdale too (wooo!).
Plus I don’t really think it’s such a bad thing that we only have 24 hours in a day. If y’all are anything like me, when you do have more time on your hands you just get less done anyway because nothing feels urgent. So as much as I keep wishing I had more hours in the day (I do this constantly) I don’t think it’d actually help. And thankfully, the thing that would help is to keep working on my time management skills, which is something I can actually do!
2. Managing Your Time Helps You Make better decisions
Time management is an amazing skill because once you’re on top of your life, it gets SO much easier to make good decisions. When you’re running around trying to put out fires 24/7 it’s nearly impossible to really take a look at all the opportunities that come your way – trust me, been there. You’ll either feel too busy to pursue the good ones or too rushed to say no to the bad ones. If you put the effort into learning how to manage your time better, all of your decisions will improve because of it.
3. You can be More Successful In Your Career Slash Life
I know this one’s a little obvious, but if you learn how to manage your time and get a handle on all the stuff you need to do every day then you’re going to be more successful in whatever it is you’re doing. When you get things done ahead of deadlines and are totally cool, calm and collected while getting it done, people notice. They really, really notice. And you can be sure that if you keep it up then you’ll achieve more, you’ll get more recognition and… you’ll be more successful.
4. You Can Get more done with less effort
Yassss! This is probably my favorite thing about time management – getting more done with less effort. WORKING SMARTER NOT HARDER has literally been giving my life lately! Sounds too good to be true, right?? But once you actually get a handle on your time and figure out exactly what you need to do and the best time to do it, everything just gets easier. It’s a dream ppl!
I love that you don’t even need to get that much better at time management to experience this either. As I’ve shared with y’all before, on any given day I feel like I’ve got a million tasks going in a million different directions and rarely do I feel like I’m using my time wisely. And even though I still struggle with it, the improvements I have been able to make have made a HUUUGE difference. So don’t be thinking that you have to be perfect before it’ll improve your life.
5. Managing your time will enable you to take advantage of learning opps
When you’re jumping from one task to another and feeling like you’ll never have enough time to get everything done, you miss some real learning opportunities. Whether that’s helping out a colleague with an exciting launch they’re working on or even just going out to lunch with everyone so you can stay up to date, missing out on those things is crucial. And don’t think your employer isn’t going to notice that you’re falling behind (#realtalk).
6. Cultivate Self-discipline
Time management can be HARD y’all but… that’s actually a good thing. It takes self-discipline to be able to create a plan and stick to it (because ALL THE DISTRACTIONS). So the better you get at managing your time, the better you become at staying disciplined. And I know self-discipline sounds like no fun at all but it’s what will help you achieve all your goals, so it’s a skill you definitely want to hone.
7. Time management helps you find more free time in your schedule
Remember before how I said that time management is NOT just about getting more stuff done? That’s why one of my favorite benefits of time management is that I actually have more free time, not less. When you’re on top of your calendar and feel calm and in control, you will get everything done. And when you get everything done, you will actually be able to have time off. You won’t even feel guilty! (If you need some ideas for what to do in your free time, read this post).
8. Managing Your Time Will help you Feel less stressed
Even if you believe that you work better under pressure, frantically getting everything done at the last minute like a mad woman is not healthy nor is it any fun for your colleagues. Even just small improvements in your time management skills will help you feel less stressed. This isn’t just better for your health but you’ll also be able to actually enjoy your job (which is the best) and you’ll spend less time in a bad mood. And what’s not good about that??
I could go on about the benefits of time management for days but I feel like I’ve covered enough to give y’all the big picture view you’ll need to start to manage your time better and to understand the WHY!
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Why do y’all think time management is so important? Join in on the discussion in the comments, let’s chat!
I wanted to write this article to serve as a starting point for other time management articles because I think this is is an incredibly important topic and one I hope to cover more in-depth on BTD. How do y’all feel about that? I personally feel VERY ecstatic about it because I freaking love this stuff and how it plays into productivity, #adulting, managing oneself, and so much more. I could go on, but I’ll spare you! Bottom line is, I hope you like this topic because this is just the beginning, friends!
