How do I Manage My Time?


There are 168 hours in a week. To learn how to manage your time, it’s a good idea to first discover how you spend your time. Complete the Time Monitor/Time Plan process to better understand where your time goes and how you can be a better time manager.

  1. Download the Daily Time Monitor. Print or photocopy one for each day of the week.

  2. Study the Time Monitor/Time Plan. The Monitor column is to be completed at 15 minute intervals in the first week. (This may sound crazy but it is not! You only need to complete it for one week and it will give you an opportunity to become conscious of how you spend your time both at work and in your free time). Keep it in a place where you will see it and complete it on a daily basis. For the first week, during the “monitor” phase, carry it with you and fill it in every few hours.

  3. Download the Weekly Time Monitor. Daily events have been grouped into categories, such as: Meals, Commuting, Study, Grooming (shower/shaving/make-up etc), Exercise, Sleep, Family, Entertainment; modify the list to suit your needs. In the left-hand margin, predict how much time you will spend on each category. Make your predictions prior to beginning your time monitor.

  4. For the first week use only the “monitor” column. For each activity you begin, write it down next to the time you started (round to the nearest 15 minute interval). Draw a line to indicate the start time and a line at where you finish. For example: If you started dinner at 18:05 and finished at 18:40, draw a line at 18:00 and one at 18:45, write “dinner” in the space in between.

  5. Once you’ve monitored your time for one week, add up time spent according to your categories.

  6. Put the totals in the Weekly Time Monitor plan under “monitored”. The grand total of all categories should equal “168” – for the available hours in the week.

  7. Compare the “monitored” totals with your predictions. How do the numbers compare? Are you surprised? Angry? Confident? Use your reactions to plan for week two of your Time Monitor/Time Plan process.

  8. For week two, print out a set of seven Daily Time Monitor sheets. Now fill in the “plan” column for the week.

  9. Monitor your time throughout the day. 

  10. Evaluate how well you stuck to your plan.

  11. Repeat the process until you have mastered the technique, creating a habit for successful time management.


              Last modified: Thursday, 18 January 2024, 2:51 PM