Consultants regard time as crucial. The value of time is derived from the fact that we must each make reasonable use of the 24 hours we have been allotted in order to live a balanced life that is not only productive but also healthy, happy, and fulfilling. Effective time management can be applied to complete tasks, maintain relationships, and enjoy recreational activities.
Using time reasonably is not an easy task. For example, you may not have an ideal work schedule. A typical consulting workday comprises administrative duties, client engagement, participation in meetings, actual work, and hopefully a brief break for lunch. Many of us have limited control over our volume of work, and so it is common for work to carry over beyond the standard 8-hour work day, especially during the firm’s busy season. Time management is needed to strike a good balance between life and work.
Dedicating work hours to working and recreational hours to family, friends, and self is an effective way to avoid being overwhelmed by work or falling behind due to work time being spent on personal activities. By separating the two aspects of life you can give each the focus it deserves. Make an active effort to minimize workload spillage beyond work hours, as your personal time should already be full. Make an active effort also to minimize workload spillage into the next day because tomorrow will come with its own challenges. Active time management needs to be deliberate, especially in an online work environment.
You will face challenges in consulting. Working late will curb your social life, raise questions of career sustainability, and make your wonder whether the salary, benefits, and value of the experience are adequate compensation for the pound of flesh the job demands.
It is important to consciously seek out meaning and enjoyment in your work. For example, it can be extremely rewarding to challenge yourself and to think of how the work is helping you to build a brighter future. You may also notice how pleasing it is to spend time networking. Daily watercooler conversations and small moments of office banter can be refreshing. To have a fantastic time, it is not about the number of hours you have but the quality of each moment. How present you are can affect the quality of your experiences, the amount you learn, and how much you produce.
Prioritising your time can make an important difference. Inefficient overtime may be less effective than a good night’s sleep and more productivity the next day. Regarding relationships, you will need to prioritize the people who matter and who are willing to accommodate your situation. In that way, you will maintain solid relationships that support your career decision. It is not easy to draw the line on a project or on a relationship that has become a tax on your time, and maintaining open communication with your managers and loved ones will help to guide you. Do things your own way but be willing to correct your approach as you come to better understand yourself and your work. The value you derive from your time is partly a function of your efforts, but also depends heavily on the people you choose to spend your time with.
Following simple time management strategies each day will make a big difference over time. If you work for a firm that has resource planners and clear busy seasons, use this information to plan your days. Make an honest attempt at challenging tasks early in the day. Take initiative but do not work as an island. Feel free to decline a few requests when you lack the time or have something scheduled. Any sacrifices of your time should be within reason and mostly rewarding to yourself. Trying to out compete your colleagues can be hugely time consuming and should be done in moderation. Distractions like social media should be minimized and kept at bay to ensure effective use of your time.
When you spare a minute for a consulting engagement, a family member or a friend, be present in those moments. Although you will make mistakes, don’t dwell on them. Any time misspent cannot be recovered and there will be time enough to find your feet and do better at the next opportunity. Remaining conscious of time management and treating it as an ongoing long-term aspect of your life can help to make the process habitual, simplify your decisions, and ease the pressure that many of us feel to make the most of every minute.
Rhulani (Ruce) Ndlala is an accounting student at the University of Cape Town, and former President of the UCT Consulting Club.
Image: Pixabay
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