236 C.M. Pugh

Time management has been defined as the use of a set of principles, practices, skills, and tools to accomplish specific tasks and goals. It is important to note that time management is a broad subject that covers many different areas from day- to-day actions to long-term goals. A good time management system integrates several skills including planning, prioritiz- ing, goal setting, scheduling, and maximizing efficiency. The goal is to have a consistent set of tools designed to work well with each other.The principles and practices involved in time management are broad and heavily dependent on your per- sonal goals, specialty, and academic setting. This chapter pro- vides an overview of the most successful time management strategies available. Examples on how to use these strategies for common academic tasks, projects, and goals are provided.

Time Management Strategies

Figure 15.1 provides a list of the most important time man- agement strategies and associated topics. Time management has become an extremely popular subject due to the ever- increasingdesireforefficiencyandwork-lifebalance.Whether you search the Internet or visit the self-help section of the

FIGURE 15.1  Key time-management strategies