Effective Time Management Activities For Self Training

Effective time management activities are practices you can do in order to improve the way you handle and think about your personal time.

These are activities which can test your time management skills on how you organize your limited time with your priorities.

At the same time these can help you see where you need further improvement.

There are different types of time management techniques that can be developed using different training methods.

You’ll see some of the most effective you can use below.

1. Identify the Obstacles that Prevent
Effective Time Management

When you begin improving your personal time management it would help you to record your daily activities for no less than one week.

This is one of the effective time management activities where you have to record your use of hourly time with a notebook or journal in hand.

In your journal use a plain sheet of paper, you’ll be using both the front and back of it.

a. Draw 12 rectangles of several inches wide which make 6 on each side of the paper. Each of these rectangles will represent an hour of time in your typical 12 hour day.

b. Label each rectangle with increments of hour like 7:00 to 8:00 am for the first then 8:00 to 9:00, and so on… You should do this on each day for one whole week.

c. Each rectangle-block will be used to record the activities that you perform during that specific time period.

For example: Monday, 7-8 am

• Made & ate breakfast

• Brushed teeth

• Took a shower

• Dressed for work

• Combed hair

• Went to the office

You should always make your notes and be as detailed as possible.  

If you don’t have a time journal yet you can download and use our journal below:

Printing this time journal will need a 8 ½" x 11" piece of paper or "Letter size." The PDF file is 2 pages.

Click this link to open the PDF file of this Journal to Print or Save

At the end of the week you should look back at your journal and make note of any blocks of time that you think you could have used better.

Also remember that some amount of free and fun time is important for your overall health and well-being as part of your effective time management training.

If you notice that there are some blocks of time that are not being managed wisely, this can be a good place for you to start to make some changes in your personal time management strategies and habits.

2. Effective Time Management Activities Using  
Graphic Organizers

Students and non-students alike can learn better time management strategies through the use of graphic organizers. These are efficient learning tools that allow you to envision and sort out information.

When your tasks are made easy you will be able to budget your time for other activities.

Many school teachers are finding graphic organizers for developing time management skills helpful in motivating and organizing the thinking of primary and secondary age children.

This technique is even effective for these younger years.

Teachers use the structure of graphic organizers for effective time management activities as a cognitive approach so they can visually demonstrate to the students how ideas and information within a specific problem, passage and text or unit of study are organized and related.

Here are different ways on how graphic organizers can be used:

• Flow Chart

• Venn Diagram

• Concept Mapping

• Webbing

• Matrix

You can look for a professional who can help you in learning time management techniques through any of these methods.

One of the most effective ways of utilizing these effective time management activities is when teachers create the graphic organizer themselves.

They will then give it to the students with the proper instructions on how to complete it.

Graphic Organizers Advantage

As part of effective time management activities graphic organizers can help you keep track and make your thought process precise. It can be used to:

• Illustrate description

• Classifying data

• Comparing and contrasting

• Causal relationship

• Sequencing

• Decision-making

Teachers for early childhood use Venn Diagrams in order to instruct comparing and contrasting different objects. This is something that an adult worker also utilize in their job.

There are engineers who use complex organizers to build up new simulations and development.

Another advantage of graphic organizers for effective time management training is that it can help students get on with their studies overcoming the usual stubbornness and laziness that they sometimes have.

Not to be ignored, the use of graphic organizers by teachers as one of time management techniques is a support for underachieving students which are given the proper assistance.

According to some experts on students and time management, the creativity with which graphic organizers are created is one way of developing the student’s ability and insight to come up with better plans, solutions and decisions that work.

3. Time Management Simulations: Learning by 
Example

Time management simulations as effective time management activities are presented as advices for controlling time and organizing daily life.

Everyday activities such as work, school and personal hobbies or interests can be handled more efficiently while keeping sound and healthy relationships with your family and friends.

Here are several effective time management activities you can practice:

• Maintain a planner or calendar of activities, as part of time management strategy. These can help keep track of all tasks to accomplish.

• Spare time can be precious you should learn to use them wisely. Start getting small but profound tasks finished during times of intervals such as breaks and free time in-between activities or even while waiting for your bus to arrive.

• Learn to overcome peer pressure. Learn to say no when necessary but you shouldn’t forget to be polite. You may turn down friendly invitations about social activities which you would want to avoid because it will get in the way of your more important tasks.

• If you’re a student or someone who studies it would be helpful to take down lecture notes that you can review every day. As part of your effective time management activities this will further advance and reinforce what you have already learned and experienced. It may help you in adding new knowledge.

• You’ll always need a good night’s rest, each night as part of your time management strategy because having a proper rest and sleep will keep you bright and fresh in each day you’ll face.

You should start adapting these time management techniques so that they will become your habits and you’ll surely appreciate the benefits that they bring.

More Effective Time Management Training

There are more time management simulations you can use for improving your time management skills.

These practices are not hard to do and they only involve your willingness to make some adjustments.

• You should set up a schedule that you can open to others so you can prevent being disturbed unintentionally. Set a space of time when you can allow yourself to get distracted by social calls from friends. Learn to set a daily schedule for your everyday routine.

• Plan your projects by identifying your free times, that you have each week. You should manage this free time properly by using it in doing other projects, tasks or activities you aren’t able to finish earlier or have just taken on recently.

• It is an important support with effective time management activities to always keep a good perspective on things, avoid being negative because it can lose your motivation. Avoid setting unrealistic goals that will just lead to failure and frustration.

• Keep steady and persevere, stop worrying too much. Too much worry can cause you serious health problems, stress and lack of appetite. Learn to fight and overcome procrastination and agonizing so you can be more productive and accomplish more.

These time management simulations will greatly help in improving your lifestyle and outlook in life and assist you in reaching your goals in life. You can personalize them according to your character and habits.

Practicing effective time management activities are indeed beneficial as you learn through training and experience. These time management techniques and strategies that you learn can be applied to any situation in life which will always make your situation better.

Go from Effective Time Management Activities to Home