That’s a question we ask ourselves daily. Do you wake up each day with a feeling of being able to accomplish the difficult tasks set in place for you? We certainly all hope to start our days that way. But how often do we find ourselves getting ready for bed at night and wondering, “Where did my day go?” Time management is one of the most evasive practices in any industry. The desire to achieve all that is in store for us and the reality of what can be done, don’t always merge into one. So what can you do to more effectively manage your time and make the most of each day? So many lists of how to properly manage your time are in print, on the internet and flooding social media. We’re even giving you links to some of them in this article! No single technique works for everyone. At Interpreter Education Online, we like to practice The Three A’s: Assess, Adjust, Accept.
Assess your day before you start. Make mental notes of the tasks at hand, the resources with which you have to accomplish each task, and the reality of your abilities within the limitations. Assessing your daily schedule gives you the opportunity to step back and see the big picture before over committing and setting unobtainable goals.
Change is natural. Adjusting to change is where we often find ourselves in a tough situation. You have to be prepared for changes, and be willing to adjust to them. Adjusting does not mean being unfaithful to your goal, it just means taking control of each situation and allowing reality and the ideal to merge. When our plans change, or something isn’t going as we expected it to, is when we tend to lose the most time. Prioritize the key elements of any task and trim the edges to allow for change.
Acceptance is the underlining key to time management. When we accept that things will rarely ever go according to plan, that our abilities are not always given enough room or breath, and that each new day brings new opportunities to learn and grow, we make room for peace of mind. At the end of the day, time management means not only achieving more, but also peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy the little things in life. Are you practicing these three techniques? Start implementing The Three A’s today, to save yourself time and energy and to give yourself more time to accomplish your training goals!
