ORDERLINESS IN TIME MANAGEMENT.

DEVELOPING A GOOD CHARACTER

THE VIRTUE OF ORDERLINESS

Individual orderliness (without going to excesses) is an important and necessary virtue to be learned in life to enable one get along well with other people.

ORDERLINESS IN TIME MANAGEMENT.

Always distinguish between what is important and what is merely urgent and never sacrifice the former for the latter, unless the conditions warrant you to do so. Schedule your activities in life following your priority hierarchy (that is beginning with what is most important then flowing down to the least) in executing your schedules.

Lay logical rules to reconcile activities that appear to conflict because they compete for more or less the same time. For example dinner time and home-work time for a school going child. The different types of activities to be scheduled include

(i)                                    Regular activities competing for the same time schedule

(ii)                                Activities requiring a specific timeframe, but flexible time-wise.

(iii)                            Activities whose execution can be broken down and which do not need to be done all at once.

(iv)                             Things that can be done when it is convenient and      

(v)                                 Regular or occasional activities but with specific dates.

Set rules for specific routines that follow in the form of a chain of events with reasonable flexibility to important sporadic (or irregular) events which may interrupt it. These rules could be done on and applied say when you report to work, arrive home, put on your computer or even walk into a supermarket. For activities that are flexible time-wise, plan the best available time for it and stick to it. Jobs that take along time to complete desperately need this arrangement as they may not conveniently be abandoned halfway because some exiting interruption like an exiting T.V. programme is showing! This way we are able to relate the time available with the task to be carried which is a major pillar in orderliness.

Activities punctuated with interruptions require a good memory and perseverance due to their extension over a long period of time. Because we tend to spend our spare time in doing what is most pleasant, the virtue of orderliness demands that we place the least pleasant and necessary at the top of the list, otherwise they may altogether be forgotten.  

Form the habit of using a diary to remind you of infrequent or even regular activities who because of their occassionality are prone to be forgotten inspite of their importance. These include among others, keeping appointments, ringing a friend, or sending a birthday card.

Learn good habits even if it means under orders for the sake of efficiency or to avoid disappointing or annoying others with the understanding of why it is important to plan your time rationally. Plan and carry out your activities with high priority in the use of your time, not just in a spontaneous or unplanned manner.