14. Have you ever wondered why it seems that some people can have enough time to do everything they want, but others can't? Is it that the first type of people has less to do? No, it's much more possible that they are practicing good time management skills.
Time management is hard to practice well. But once done, you will manage time much better. With
minor tweaks and little efforts, you can do all you need to do in an effective (有效率的) way.
The key to good time management is to understand the difference between the urgent and the important. "Urgent" tasks need your immediate (立即的) attention, but whether you give that immediate attention may or may not matter (要紧). "Important" tasks matter, because not doing them may have serious or even bad results.
For example, answering the phone is urgent. If you don't do it, you may miss something important. However, it may be a stranger who just wants to sell you a phone you don't need at all. That's not important.
Going to the dentist is important. If you don't, you may get gum disease. But it's not urgent. If you leave it too long, however, it may become urgent, because you may get a toothache.
Helping to pick up your brother or sister from school is both urgent and important. If you are not there at the right time, they will keep waiting and worry too much. Seeing Wechat moments (朋友圈) is neither urgent nor important. So why do you put it first?
Knowing the difference between the urgent and the important is the key to managing time well. Try to put your tasks into their right groups. Remember that your health is important. You should pay enough attention to your health even though there are many urgent things to do.
Although it's not easy to group your tasks properly, try to be a good time manager so that you can have time to spend with the people you love and on the activities you like. The better you manage your time, the more successful you can be.