For me it seems like there are too many tasks to complete and rarely enough time. Effective and efficient time management is something I have room for improvement on and make great use of. I started by taking a time management survey.#1 Accept the Problem The results of this diagnostic time management survey assured me that my time management skills are poor. The survey revealed that I am at the bottom of the time management scale. There were two sections of the investigation. One section measured your time management skills in the office and the other section measured your time management skills in your personal life. By having two sections you can compare your time management skills for the two different settings. The total score measures your overall time management skills and puts the score into a category. My scores of 27 points for personal life and 31 points for office combine for a total score of 58 points. My combined score falls into the lowest category, which suggests that training is necessary and will improve my effectiveness considerably. The first step to solving a problem is to identify it. After taking this survey I have proof that my time management skills are poor. Time management has been a problem for me for a long time. I always made excuses for not doing things on time or for being late. My main excuse is being involved in so many things as a college student. All this is true, but it shouldn't be an excuse. I currently work as a lifeguard between classes, tutor evenings and weekends, work at a coffee shop on weekends, hold a vice president position in the American Marketing Association, am a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, team captain for the division of Cleveland State's swimming team and I am co-chair of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. All these extras require good time management. If I could improve my time management skills, I think I would get better at most things I do. I could improve my grades in school and be better in the world of work. I would be more relaxed and have a feeling of control.#2, Goals and Priorities The first step in managing time effectively is to develop a long-term goal statement. This goal statement will allow you to set short-term goals and prioritize specific activities based on how much they contribute to your goals. To set these long-term goals you need to have the required software or a portable organizer on hand. As for me, I'm using it as a last step and also as a goal. When I reach this point I will afford to buy a laptop. This would be my reward for making it this far. This step should take 1-3 weeks. Implementation I have tried many times to improve my time management. Every semester I start with a calendar, but about halfway through I usually don't use it anymore. This semester I decided I needed to use it all the time and I'm still using it. I think if I had used this action plan the first time I wanted to start using a calendar, I would have been successful at first. Now, when I start using this action plan, I am sure that I will continue to use my calendar and will also be able to live a less stressful life. It will keep me from studying for tests at the last minute and forgetting about meetings. I will be able to live a well-balanced and goal-oriented life, without unnecessary stress. References: Poser, B. (2003) Time