Life Management

Research papers on life management focus on issues that help individuals organize and manage their life better. Life management is an important skill that every person needs and our writers could assist you in writing a research paper on life management.

The modern world can, at times, become overwhelming and discouraging. Most people want to succeed in life's various pursuits, either in a career or in a relationship, but often do not have the vaguest idea how to go about organizing their life. Since organization is the key to success, life management may provide answers and guidance for those seeking to become better versions of themselves.

Many experts exist in the world to teach the skills required for life management. They often go by different titles, such as life coaches or professional organizers, but their goal is the same: to teach life management skills. Some experts state that the key to life management is time management. People fail to succeed at their various pursuits because they cannot organize their time effectively, leading to both inefficiency and lost opportunity.

Some aspects of life management can be more formal, and involve financial decisions. When financial planners discuss "life management," they are often referring to a series of decisions that an individual can make regarding their retirement. Investments, health care access, and pre-planning for one's inevitable death may allow a person to have a more secure and productive final phase of their life. Regardless of one's needs, it seems that everyone, at one time or another, can benefit from some degree of life management.

Life management is an issue growing in importance as men and women find that they are expected to take on more roles (and do them well) than at any other time in history. Today, many women must be good moms, paycheck earners, good housekeepers, and juggle the activities and schedules of their children. Many men must not only earn a paycheck as in times past, but also pick up a share of the cooking, cleaning, and care-giving responsibilities for the children. Balancing one's private life and work life has become even more difficult in recent times as employers are demanding more as a result of the hyper-competitive environment.

• Every individual has one hundred and sixty eight hours a week to split between all the chores that need doing.
• If fifty-six of these hours are spent in sleeping and twelve are spent in cooking and eating, the average individual will have one hundred hours left per week to split between their professional and personal life.
• If the individual works eight hours a day, five days a week, there is sixty hours left for one's personal life.

While this may seem like a lot, this does not take into account time commuting to and from work or time needed for personal grooming. As seen by the above, little time is left for personal chores such as paying bills and housekeeping and even less for family and parental obligations.

As a result of the above, time-management experts are in hot demand, both in industries and by individuals anxious to make some sense of their hurried lives. Although these experts differ in the exact steps needed to effectively manage the clock, many agree on several of the aspects these steps should contain.

The most important technique for managing the clock involves learning to prioritize demands and commitments. For most individual's, there is always more demanded than can be logically fit into one day. Individuals must learn to both accept this fact and refuse to let it stress them. By deciding at the beginning of the day which areas must receive attention, and doing the most important things first, individuals can greatly reduce the stress associated with too much to do and too little time to do it. In addition, deciding what really matters is often key in being happy in both home and work environments. For instance, a clean house with time left over to spend with the children and loved ones is often more rewarding than a spotless house with no time or energy left over. Experts point out that learning to do the most important or critical things first is only one step in the time management process. In addition, individuals must learn to categorize their lives so that attention is given where it is needed when it is needed. For instance, when at work, the individual should only think about work; when at home, the individual should only concentrate on matters relating to family and personal obligations.

Organization is the second key to effective time management. Individuals should organize their environments both at work and at home, beginning with ridding these environments of unnecessary clutter. Organizing chores by day is another method that helps individuals reduce stress. At home this may mean choosing specific days to do the laundry, grocery shopping, and dusting. At work, this could involve selecting certain days a week for employee meetings, weekly reports, and other required activities. When individuals know exactly what they will achieve that day, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by obligations.

Another time management technique that works well for many involves creating a list of things that need to be done. This technique works well for two reasons: first, it creates a sense of urgency, and second, it provides the individual with a sense of satisfaction as finished obligations are crossed off the list. Lists should not contain more items than can possibly be completed, as this sets the stage for disappointment at the end of the day. In cases where lists are long, using an "ABC" priority system is appropriate. With this type of list, items are prioritized with an A, B, or C letter. Items with an "A" are those that must be completed that day, those with a "B" are items that need to be completed if time allows, and items with a "C" are those with a low priority. "B" items that cannot be completed on the day listed move to "A" status on the following day, while "C" items move to the "B" priority level. Less stress is involved with this system since only items listed as "A" must be completed on any given day.

A fourth time management technique involves conceptualizing projects. This technique involves always looking ahead when completing tasks, both in the workplace and at home. This technique works well for several reasons. For one, it helps the individual see "the end of the project", which serves as a motivating factor. Second, by looking ahead the individual is able to see clearly what steps can be combined or eliminated. Third, the individual is less stressed as the end of the project is always in sight.