Whether you are a student, a housewife, or a working professional, time management is a skill you can simply not do without! Good time management helps you in getting your work done, meeting your goals and getting your batteries recharged. But, poor time management skills impact your performance in multiple ways.

While there’s no one schedule which fits all, there are some tips that you can use and bend to suit your individual needs:

1. Set a Timetable
   
   Thismay sound like too much work, but its importance cannot be overstated.
   
   When you start out, make a simple timetable, one which doesn’t look too daunting to follow. If you’re able to keep to it, gradually up the ante by making it more rigorous. However, if you feel you can’t follow a timetable, keep a notebook handy, and start logging your time. Review it at the end of the day. That way, you will know exactly how you spend your time, and are able to make adjustments accordingly. A time table is a great aid in tracking progress.
   
    
2. Make a To – Do List
   
   Every few days, list things that need to be done in order of priority. Don’t procrastinate over something important just because you’re not sure how to go about it. That tends to lead to a giant pile up of tasks. If you have, say, a big paper to submit in the coming week which you are dreading, break it up into manageable chunks (research, first draft, redraft, review), and make each chunk a high priority task. Otherwise, you may just end up slogging the night before submission only to get a B minus.
   
    
3. Take Time Off
   
   Don’t forget to take breaks, and get proper sleep. This might seem too humble in the context of other priorities. But, the truth is that there is no way your brain can function optimally, unless you get adequate rest.
   
   So, if you’ve been studying for long hours, take a break of 5 minutes every hour. Also make sure you get 7 hours of sleep every day, because lack of sleep leads to lack of concentration. Further, try to go out for at least an hour every day. It is proven that exercise is the most effective way to improve memory and attention. So, go for a brisk run or a jog and get fresh air so that you can return to work with a rejuvenated frame of mind.
   
    
4. Plan Backwards
   
   Sounds funny, but it actually works! Think of what you need to achieve, and by when. Start planning backwards accordingly.
   
   For instance, if you have a 5-chapter test after 15 days, that means you should have completed the syllabus in 10 days. For that, you have to complete 1 chapter in 2 days, and so on. This helps you correctly gauge how much time you need to allot per day for this particular test.
   
   Always remember to schedule other commitments by blocking out time for exams, holidays, sick-breaks etc.
   
    
5. Set Realistic Goals
   
   You know your capacity very well, so try to set goals in accordance with it. Often, we try to think of doing more than is possible, and when we don’t accomplish everything we hoped to, we end up getting discouraged, and dropping all our plans. This is why we need to manage our time and other resources, so that we can overreaching or underperforming.
   
    
6. Use Open Time Windows to Revise
   
   Once we’ve attended a class, or studied for a paper, more often than not we’re mentally exhausted, and may not retain all that we have learnt. So, try to revise and think about it when you are free, say, while waiting in line, or taking a walk in the evening. This will help you recall what you’ve forgotten. And better retain points of note.