Title: Self management-Learning material
Course: EN_Career planning > Section: 4. Self-management_2UC + x

Managing your time carefully and consciously, using it specifically for learning, working and your own needs is ultimately self-management.
At the strategic level, time management involves the development of strategies for dealing with time, which are to be implemented at the operational level through concrete measures.

You will get to know time management strategies and methods to  break it down into measures and so learn how to manage your time to be organized and effective in your doing. For this you will track your time, plan a day and prioritise tasks.

Manage your time for learning and working

Time is a phenomenon that has occupied people since time immemorial - in the most diverse contexts of their being and that cannot be controlled. However, we can influence how we use it through our actions. In order to be efficient, one should analyse one's own use of time and then learn to set specific goals and priorities.
That is time management.

Everything related to everyday life takes time.
What do you have to take into account when planning your time? F. ex.

- learning or training and work,
- family and friends
- for relaxing
- for creative activities,
- for personal development

Task: Track your time!

Guiding questions:

- How do you spend your working days: Get a detailed overview of all the activities you do during the working day. Concentrate especially on things you do regularly.
- How much time do you give to unimportant things?: Which activities do not make an impact in the context of your work? They are not related to your work and at the same time do not provide a few minutes of relaxation.
- How long can you concentrate?: Observe how long you manage to give full concentration to a particular task without walking away or doing something else.
- Which things take a lot of time and which are done quickly?: Identify activities that you can solve/complete quickly and activities that take you longer to complete.

Time Thieves

An important factor in time management is the avoidance of "time thieves", distractions and disruptive factors. Everyone must determine for themselves what their time eater(s) is (are). And avoid them...
These can be frequent interruptions of work:

- Coffee breaks
- Cigarettes
- Internet
- Small talk with colleagues, ...
- Constantly waiting for someone who is always late for consultations and meetings is also part of it.
- Not to forget: looking at the smartphone, social media, lack of concentration, perfectionism...

What are your time thieves? In which situations do they particularly like to appear?
Be honest to yourself and name at least three.

Time management and task planning

How to proceed in order to systematise one's own time management:

- Determine the tasks to be done: First, all the tasks to be completed by a certain deadline are catalogued.
- Plan the length (duration) of the time needed for this: The working time needed for each task is determined or is available through REFA work studies.
- Consider buffer times: Time reserves must be planned for unexpected job stoppers and disruptions. These are free time windows taken into account in the schedule during which no other tasks are to be completed.
- Decide on priorities: the catalogued tasks are to be ranked in terms of their importance and urgency; and
- Carry out a follow-up check: A target-performance check after the work result or at the end of the working time ensures whether and to what extent the time management has worked.

in German: ALPEN-Methode

How to set priorities?

Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#Setting_priorities_and_goals

There are different methods, like

- ABCD Analysis
- PARETO Analysis
- The Eisenhower-Method

Check your knowledge!

Time Management-Quiz.h5p

Watch the video (12:32)

How to manage your time as a student | 10 Tips to stop procrastinating & get things done!