Time management is one of the key skills for professionals and students alike. Each day we have a number of tasks to get through; each day we intend to get through all the tasks; yet, at the end of the day we find we have fallen short of the mark. With each shortfall tasks pile up and stress levels increase. We wish the days were longer, there was less to do in a day, or we had a magic wand in hand to keep up with our tasks. None of these wishes are ever likely to be fulfilled. So are we doomed to lag behind and build up stress through life or can we do something to change the scenario? Yes, we can learn to manage time.

Time management refers to techniques of finding and allotting time for all our tasks on a day to day basis. It  rests on our ability to categorize and prioritize tasks, set schedules for each, and monitor and measure progress realistically. To accomplish these goals, we need to first create a Time Matrix with four quadrants that categorizes tasks.

Important and Urgent Quadrant of Necessity  crisis deadline based work work that has been delayed/postponed  last minute tasks                                                                            1	Important but not urgent Quadrant of Quality strategic planning working towards goals relationship building true recreation 2
3 Not important but urgent                                Quadrant of deception                                      interruptions phone calls/e-mails minor demands unplanned meetings/work	4   Not important and not urgent     Quadrant of waste web- browsing social media activity used to procrastinate irrelevant gossip/chatting

The first step in time management relates to creating a to-do list for all tasks scheduled for a day. Each item in this list is next put into one of the quadrants in the Time Management Matrix. The next step is to prioritize the tasks in each quadrant and to decide on expected time needed to complete each task. Now we are ready to go through the day, taking up tasks on our list one by one.

The Time Matrix can be further extended for easy disposing of tasks. Tasks in the first quadrant are the ones that need to be done personally and immediately. Tasks in the second quadrant need to be scheduled and planned for execution at appropriate times. Tasks in the third quadrant need to be delegated , and tasks in the fourth quadrant need to be avoided. 

Time Management saves time, reduces stress, increases productivity and effectiveness, and gives greater control over our lives and responsibilities. Successful people have the same number of hours in hand per day yet manage to get more work done not because they are geniuses but because they understand the value of Time Management and do the right task at the right time. Time management is a means of staying on top of our lives and activities. More than effort, it requires sincerity and discipline.