60-Minute Session Recap: Effective Time Management Hack with Memunat Iyabo Asubairo

Date: September 5th, 2024
Event: Productivity, Personal Development, Leadership

During a biweekly session hosted by FYL (Foundation for Aspiring Youths in Ethical Leadership), Memunat Iyabo Asubairo shared valuable insights on effective time management. She emphasised the importance of prioritising essential tasks and highlighted how procrastination on small tasks can lead to significant issues over time.

Key Takeaways on Time Management

Time management involves essential skills, tools, and techniques to plan, optimise, and organise your time for achieving objectives and priorities.

Benefits of Effective Time Management:

• Prioritise Tasks: Similar to using a scale of preference in economics.
• Schedule Activities: Allocate time for tasks, projects, and activities.
• Boost Achievement: Enhance your sense of accomplishment and motivation.
• Set realistic goals: Establish attainable deadlines and objectives.
• Minimise Procrastination: Reduce distractions like gadgets and social media.
• Increase Productivity: Enhance efficiency and output.
• Reduce Stress: Alleviate stress and minimise burnout.

Improving time management skills enhances work-life balance, crucial for mental health.

Common Time Management Challenges and Solutions

1. Procrastination: Delaying tasks leads to inefficiency. Solutions include breaking tasks into smaller parts, setting specific deadlines, and using the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break). Avoid overcommitting by saying “no” to non-essential tasks, using the Eisenhower matrix to prioritise, and delegating when possible.
2. Distractions: Social media and email notifications hamper productivity. Combat this with website blockers (e.g., Freedom, SelfControl), scheduled times for checking emails and social media, and a conducive work environment.
3. Time Estimation: Underestimating project time leads to delays. Use historical data to estimate time, break tasks into smaller steps, and add buffers for unexpected tasks.
4. Unnecessary Meetings: Excessive meetings are counterproductive. Establish clear agendas, set a “no meeting day,” and use asynchronous communication tools (e.g., email, Slack) when possible.
5. Self-Care: Neglecting self-care causes burnout. Schedule self-care activities (e.g., exercise, meditation), set realistic goals, and take regular breaks.

These strategies address common time management challenges and provide practical solutions.

Memunat concluded by summarising the session and encouraging participants to share their ideas on enhancing time management skills.