Lesson 01
Foundations of Time Management
Time and Resource Management · Careers
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Summary, mindmap and highlights
Manage your choices within the day
Prof. Rupashree Baral begins with Dr. Indu Iyer, a faculty member moving through family care, teaching, student supervision, accreditation, research deadlines, evening caregiving and late-night catch-up. Indu ends the day exhausted and already worried about the next one. The case asks practical questions: what is the real problem, what could be delegated, what might the institution change, and which boundaries would protect wellbeing while meeting professional responsibilities?
Next, list three current priorities at work and three in family life. Check how they connect to organisational goals, career development and what matters personally. Prioritising becomes difficult when demands compete or arrive unexpectedly, goals and measures are poorly defined, fear of missing out takes over, firefighting becomes normal, or time is simply tight. A one-minute eyes-closed exercise shows that the same duration can feel very different under different pressures.
The central exercise offers ₹86,400 for one day, with the balance expiring at day’s end. How people spend it reveals what they value. The number then becomes the 86,400 seconds in a day. The exercise asks learners to decide how to allocate that fixed daily allowance.
Baral locates time management in our own choices and behaviour within a fixed day. Deliberate choices can create room for what we want to do as well as what we must do. Time management is a habit, and so is last-minute working when it repeatedly appears to succeed. Start by recognising the need for change, believing change is possible, choosing one small plan and reinforcing progress.
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- 01
Dr. Indu Iyer’s day shows teaching, research, service, caregiving, deadlines and recovery competing at once.
- 02
Ask what can be delegated, what the institution can support and which boundary is reasonable.
- 03
List current work and family priorities, then connect them to goals, needs and personal values.
- 04
Unexpected demands, poorly defined goals, FOMO and constant firefighting make prioritisation harder.
- 05
The same minute can feel different depending on pressure, context and attention.
- 06
The ₹86,400 exercise stands for the 86,400 seconds whose balance expires at day’s end.
- 07
Allocate the fixed daily hours according to current priorities.
- 08
Build a better habit through a recognised need, belief in change, one small plan and reinforcement.
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Additional resources
Use these readings and tools to check sources, extend the topic or apply it in your teaching.
Grand Valley State University
Time Management for Faculty
A faculty guide to semester goals, practical steps, calendar commitments, accountability and boundaries.
University of South Carolina Center for Teaching Excellence
Manage Your Time
Practical guidance on roles and values, estimating time, setting priorities, scheduling and delegating.
University of Maine Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning
Time Management for Teaching Assistants
An accessible academic guide to balancing teaching, study, research, routines, calendar blocks and communication boundaries.
Saint Louis University
Online Time Management for Faculty
A concise resource for setting routines and realistic communication expectations in an always-available digital course.
Georgetown University CNDLS
Communication Preferences and Boundaries
Adaptable examples for explaining response times and communication boundaries clearly to students.