Time management lies at the heart of running a home, a business, and a personal life. When you manage your time well you know how long things generally take, how much extra time to leave yourself, and how many things you can realistically fit into your schedule. You also have time left over to breathe.

Unfortunately, we don't learn time management skills in school. If you're feeling overwhelmed, there's probably a good reason for it. With an understanding of the basic principles of time management, however, you can master the tasks that seem to be holding you hostage and free up your time for things that truly matter.

• Design a schedule that matches your lifestyle
• Make time to take care of yourself
• Keep track of appointments, deadlines and meetings
• Achieve results by incorporating long- and short-term goals into your everyday life
• Learn to prioritize and to use your time well