Self-management – for employees

Scholarly article

Self-management – for employees

Focusing on what matters

You might be used to juggling so many tasks at work that you don’t really know where to start or how to proceed. And as soon as you start tackling something, your thoughts turn to the hundred other pending tasks that you also need to do. You work through your assignments hastily, rushing from one task to the next. But by the time you’ve got one thing off your plate, several more have become urgent. You might feel your energy levels running seriously low.

But you can get off the hamster wheel – with good self-management. Self-management means consciously shaping your own life in accordance with your personal values and goals. It helps you set priorities, use your time and energy sensibly and create healthy structures in your day-to-day life. This creates more clarity, allow you to focus on what matters – and give you a feeling of ease and control.

How to strengthen your self-management skills:

Identify your personal priorities

Only when we know what is important to us can we align our lives with it. Take the time to figure out: What are your core values? What are your priorities? This will give you a sense of direction in life.

Set clear goals

Goals provide a sense of direction. This allows you to map out your priorities in life. Once you know the destination, you can think about the best route to take.

Weigh up, plan and implement

Weigh up the importance and urgency of each task. Plan how you’re going to tackle them. This will help you use your time and energy effectively. Make sure you can get to work without any distractions.

Be open to change

Are you having trouble implementing your goals right away? That’s no big deal. Take a step back and identify where the stumbling blocks are. This will help you change your patterns or behaviour – so that nothing stands in the way of success.