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Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammâ Sambuddhassa!

A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO TIME MANAGEMENT ¹

Version: 1.1  •  Website: www.vihara.org.au

The importance of skilful time management can never be over emphasized. Skilful time management gives more time to do the things that are important, thereby reducing levels of stress and increasing levels of happiness. Coupled with scheduling (time-tabling), it gives an insight into how much time there really is there for given tasks in a week and allows for the effective ‘budgeting’ of time.

            The following steps can be taken when planning/scheduling the week ahead:

1. Identify weekly tasks and attach a priority value to them, e.g. 1-3 or ‘low,’ ‘medium’ or ‘high.’ The priority of a task can be determined in two ways. One is how much value the task adds to one’s life (this is a personal view, but seek the guidance of a wise person if in doubt). The higher the value, the higher the priority should be. The other is how much damage/loss would be caused if that task was neglected; again the higher the damage or loss that can be caused by neglecting the task, the higher the priority that should be assigned to it.
2. Based on the priority values for tasks from step (1) determine how much time to allocate to that task in a day or week. Generally the higher the ‘value’ or priority of the task, the greater the amount of time that would be allocated to it.
3. Create a weekly/daily time-table for week days and weekend days and schedule tasks from step (2) to it.

            Here is a suggested daily time-table for someone who works full-time:

            This time-table can be modified to fit your needs, especially if you are a school or university student.

            May you gain the knowledge and skills to effectively manage your time and hasten your journey towards the lasting peace of Nibbana!

Notes

1. The latest version of this document can be found in HTML format here http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=timeman and in PDF format here http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=timemanp

2. The Lord Buddha has talked of the benefits of not eating at night to Venerable monks (this can be applied to lay people too) in Majjhima Nikaya 70, Kitagiri Sutta, At Kitagiri:

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a tour of Kasi with a large community of monks. There he addressed the monks: "I abstain from the night-time meal. As I am abstaining from the night-time meal, I sense next-to-no illness, next-to-no affliction, lightness, strength, & a comfortable abiding. Come now. You too abstain from the night-time meal. As you are abstaining from the night-time meal, you, too, will sense next-to-no illness, next-to-no affliction, lightness, strength, & a comfortable abiding."

For better health, greater physical ease and comfort as well as better management of physical weight, it is best to eat a good breakfast and lunch and skip dinner altogether if this is possible. If this is not possible then something light can be consumed at night, e.g. soup, a light sandwich, a healthy food drink, fruit juice, or yoghurt/curd (good for the stomach). This is the secret to losing/maintaining physical weight without exercise! Even though the norm is to eat a light or no breakfast, a medium lunch and a heavy dinner; this is yet another instance of where conventional society has got it wrong en masse! The proof of the unskilfulness of this kind of approach is widely reported with statistics of health related issues such as obesity, heart conditions, pressure, diabetes and other such conditions on the rise.

3. Consider cutting down on or completely giving up television viewing as most of the content is empty and offers little real value.

Related Suttas (Discourses)

1. Digha Nikaya 31, Sigalovada Sutta, The Discourse to Sigala, The Layperson's Code of Discipline see

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.nara.html

2. Majjhima Nikaya 70, Kitagiri Sutta, At Kitagiri see http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html

Related Dhamma Articles

1. Offerings - On making offering to the Lord Buddha's supreme qualities, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=offerings

2. Daily Dana - On giving and generosity, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=dailydana

3. Five Precepts - Developing virtue through the five precepts, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=pansil

4. Work Stress - An analysis of stress in the work-place, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=workstress

5. An Introduction to Buddhist Meditation - Basic instructions for doing the mediations of loving kindness (metta), awareness of breath (ana-pana-sati) and foulness of the body (asubha), see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=intromed

6. Equanimity - Dealing with the eight characteristics of life, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=equanimity

7. Metta Meditation - Easy to follow instructions for doing the meditation on loving-kindness, see

http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mettamed

8. A Buddhist Approach to Problem Solving - Problem solving through the development of wisdom (panna), see

 http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=probsolv

9. A Buddhist Approach to Mental Health - A Buddhist perspective and approach to mental health, see

 http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mentalhealth

10. One Hour of Unsatisfactoriness - The unsatisfactoriness that can be felt within the space of an hour, see

http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=onehour

11. Four Noble Truths - The essence of Buddhism, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=fourtruths

12. Noble Eightfold Path - The path for ending stress and suffering, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=noblepath

Online Resources

1. AccessToInsight.org here http://www.accesstoinsight.org

2. Mettanet.org here http://www.mettanet.org

3. What-Buddha-Said.net here http://what-buddha-said.net

4. What-Buddha-Taught.net here http://what-buddha-taught.net

5. SuttaReadings.net here http://www.suttareadings.net

6. Buddhanet.net here http://www.buddhanet.net

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