Session A: Where Does All the Time Go?

1 Introduction

How often have you said: 'I wish there were more time in the day'?

There are always deadlines to meet, problems to deal with, demands upon your time.

'Time, you old gipsy man, Will you not stay, Put up your caravan Just for one day?' Ralph Hodgson, Poems.

But, if we're honest, many of us would have to admit that we don't stop to think about making better use of our time. We get into certain patterns of working, we find a way of coping from day to day, and are content to let things go on as they are.

In this first session of the workbook, we will look in more depth at some of the unthinking behaviour that leads to these unrewarding work patterns.

First, though, we'll try to define our subject.

2 What is Time Management?

Let us begin by defining what we mean by 'managing time' or 'time management'.

Some examples of how 'managing time' have been described are:

• making the best use of time;

• getting more done in the time available;

• not wasting time on irrelevant things;

• getting more control over time;

• spending more time on the important parts of the job;

• avoiding a last-minute rush to get things done.

These are...