A520.2.6.RB_Time Management

Time management hasn’t always been on the top of my importance list until I turned 18. When I was a kid I was very free and never worried about time but something clicked once I graduated high school and became an adult entering college. I suddenly realized how important time management really was and I knew I needed to learn the skills on how to make that a strong skill in my life. Now as a graduate student and a full time employee at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, time management skills are of the utmost importance.

I would like to think that over the past 7 years I have mastered some of the important time management skills but I am sure I fault in certain areas. When I began integrating time management skills into my daily routine I also began to work on my organizational skills which I believe both of those skill sets go hand in hand and both have assisted me in gaining employment where I would be multitasking (for example my current position).

My destiny is important to me and I know that I am in control of where my life goes, what my ultimate career path will be and what steps in my educational journey will have to be met in order to obtain the end results. My time management skills have been able to mold and increase my locus of control. Without the skills I have learned I would not be inclined to understand what I have to do next in order to guarantee professional and personal success.

Some of the major faults I feel that I have in regards to time management are knowing when to say no, speed (I tend to want to do things fast and that can cause error in my work) and knowing when someone wants something done right away (urgency). Saying “no” to someone, even my boss, has been something very hard for me to do at time. I am the type of person who likes to say “yes” and then complete the task at hand but in reality it is okay to say no (when it is appropriate). Speed is also a problem with me because like I mentioned I like to do a lot of things and help as many as possible so I find myself completing tasks too quickly and I leave short trail or errors attached with my work (that is something I do not strive to do – I am very much a perfectionist). Also knowing the urgency of a task is not easy to know or to assume. Not everyone will tell you when they need something completed and unless you assume correctly 9 times out of 10 when you complete the task and when they wanted it completed are very different.

Action Plan: Since I utilize time management skills on a daily basis I think over the next year I plan to start using the word “no” when it is appropriate, slow down on the tasks I am completing and begin to ask more questions when tasks, jobs or projects are asked of me.