Definition of time management
- 5 min reading
- 4 min activity
Aisha, 23, came from Somalia to Turin two years ago. On Monday she has her Italian course from 9:00 to 13:00, an appointment at the job centre at 14:30 and a shift in a hotel kitchen from 17:00 to 23:00. Her mother calls from home most evenings. Aisha does not need to "do more". She needs her day to fit together, with some calm in it.
- Explain in your own words what time management means.
- Know the skills you will practise in this module.
- See why time management matters for daily life, learning and work.
What is time management?
Time management means making choices about how you use your time, so that the things that matter to you get done and you still have energy and rest.
Researchers describe it as a kind of everyday decision making: people "structure, protect, and adapt their time to changing conditions" (Aeon and colleagues, 2021). These three verbs are a good short definition.
Put the fixed things in your week first: course, shifts, appointments. Then you can see the free gaps.
Guard the time that keeps you going: sleep, meals, family calls, learning, prayer or quiet time.
Change the plan when life changes: a shift moves, the bus is late, a letter arrives. No blame, just a new plan.
Time management is not about filling every minute, being busy all day or never making a mistake. Many parts of your day are decided by other people: the rota, office hours, the bus timetable. Time management is about the part you can shape.
The skills you will practise
In this module you will practise these three verbs through four skills:
- Awareness
Notice where your time and energy really go, without judging yourself.
- Priorities
Decide what matters most now, and what can wait.
- Planning
Give important things a time and a place, with some space for surprises.
- Attention
Stay with one thing for a while, and protect your focus from distraction.
Aisha's week: which skill is it?
Aisha tries a few small things this week. Match each thing she does with the skill it shows.
Why it matters
- Daily life: appointments with offices, deadlines for documents, rent, family duties.
- Learning: a language course, homework, exams, a training programme.
- Work: starting a shift on time, a handover to the next colleague, combining a job with a course.
The European Union counts the ability to "effectively manage time and information" as part of a key competence for lifelong learning (Council of the EU, 2018). In the same competence you also find staying resilient and looking after your well-being. In ESCO, the European list of skills and jobs, "manage time" is a transversal skill: a skill you can use in almost any job. You can name it on your CV.
Think about tomorrow. Which parts of the day are decided by others, and which part can you shape a little? Write down one small choice you will make in that part.
- Time management
- Making choices about how you use your time, so important things get done and you still have rest.
- Fixed block
- A time you cannot easily move, like a shift, a course or an appointment.
- Priority
- Something that is more important than other things right now.
- Rota
- A list that shows who works which shift and when.
- Transversal skill
- A skill that is useful in many different jobs.
In short
- Time management means choosing how to use your time: structure, protect, adapt.
- It is not about being busy all the time. It is about the part of your day you can shape.
- You will practise four skills: awareness, priorities, planning and attention.
- It helps in daily life, in learning and at work, and the EU sees it as a key competence.
Sources
- Aeon, B., Faber, A., and Panaccio, A. (2021). Does time management work? A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 16(1), e0245066.
- Council of the European Union (2018). Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning (2018/C 189/01). Definition quoted on the Youthpass key competences page.
- European Commission (n.d.). ESCO skill: manage time. ESCO classification, transversal skills.