Time management is the ability to plan and control how someone spends the hours in a day to effectively accomplish their goals .
How to Integrate Work and Life
The U.S. is unique in a focus on round-the-clock work life. On a scale from 1 to 10, Denmark enjoys a 9.8 in quality of life, while the U.S. scores a 5.3. Not surprisingly, the extended workweek applies to only 2 percent of the population in the Netherlands. But are Danes and Hollanders less productive? In a word: no.
Granted, many employees are expected to respond to emails at all hours. But being more deliberate about how one spends time away from work can help make time, in general, more valuable. Of course, there are certain mandatory actions that must take place, the most important of which is the need for optimal self-care.
It is critical to clearly communicate one's preferences: Keeping separate email accounts, one for work and one for home, is an example. Plus, the desired boundary must be shared with family and coworkers as well.
In this, as in many domains, focusing on specifics rather than overwhelming generalities is a good rule of thumb. Breaking down tasks and taking on one thing at a time can help; focusing on just one assignment through to completion will help movement toward the next task.
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