People rushing around seemingly clueless as to where they are rushing off to. This is typical of major cities such as Manhattan. Tourist often wonder, ?Where everyone is rushing off to?? ?Why is everyone in such a hurry?? It's all because of time. Someone's late for lunch or getting back to work from lunch or going to miss the train or bus home or be late for dinner or for an appointment. Rarely does anyone ever stops to think about the amount of time wasted worrying about time. Proper planning is the key to saving time yet coming to the realization of this has somehow eluded us. These brief but important time management techniques when put to use can effectively yield positive results.

Prepare Ahead of Time

Make a daily list of things that need to be done, appointments that need to kept, and so on.

Prioritize Your List

When creating your daily to do list, start with the most important tasks first and ending with the least important task of the day.

Be Punctual

Plan ahead for traffic delays and phone call interruptions. Leave an hour or so earlier than your scheduled appointment time giving you plenty of time to arrive at your destination even if something unexpected should occur.

?Don't sweat the small stuff.?

Perfectionism has no place in effective time management. Take for example, you have an important engagement, wedding or other function to attend; don't spend time mulling over minor things, this will cause you to be late. Perhaps you are expecting company for the holidays don't panic because your kitchen floor isn't spotless. No one cares or will probably even notice but you. Your guests, be it friends or family are coming to your home to see you, not your kitchen floor.

It's Okay to say, ?I'm sorry, I can't.?

You are a hard worker; you're very efficient, and you're always there when your boss needs you. So what happens when your boss asks you to stay an extra hour but you have a scheduled appointment say to go pick up your kids on this particular day, what do you do? You feel torn and fear upsetting your boss if you say you can't. Stop! It's time to think of you. Simply say, ?I'm sorry, I can't today.? If you've been a good worker and you are honest with your boss as to why you can't stay there is no reason to feel guilty and he/she will hopefully admire your honesty and understand.

Don't put off what you can do today till tomorrow.

Procrastination is a real time stealer. Know that if you have something scheduled for a particular time, do it. If you need a nudge set a reminder on your phone or an alarm clock that will tell you it's time to do what you have scheduled.

Time is important to each and every one of us. It should not be wasted rather we should make the most of our time by being prepared for our daily routines, our work and our family responsibilities. It is a basic and important component in how we conduct our lives not only in regards to work but also in our personal free time.