As students and individuals, we may find ourselves in a constant battle against time. Our important tasks collide in a mosh pit with our personal lives, and suddenly we don’t know where our priorities lay. This blur of priorities can cause procrastination, which unfortunately, the days aren’t long enough for. What if you can live and learn a whole lot easier by following these simple steps to organize your time better?
To maximize your productivity, create both a weekly and daily schedule. At the beginning of each week, write down your to-do’s, then further break down that list into what days you’ll complete each task. For each day, block out the hours in which you’ll focus on getting that task done. It’s important to be realistic about the amount of time it takes to complete a specific task. If you know it takes you an hour to read a textbook chapter, for instance, don’t give yourself 30 minutes. It’s okay to take the extra time- otherwise, you’ll fall behind and be disappointed. Keep in mind when scheduling to block out time for self-care and leisure as well.
Time is important, yet easy to lose track of. When allotting time for a task, set timers to keep track of and assess how you’re doing. If you fall short of time, don’t stress. You can simply rearrange your schedule so that you can do better moving forward.
When scheduling, make sure to prioritize your activities. To do this, make a list of the tasks you have due and the additional things you’d like to get done that day. Block out time in that day to do that specific task that you know will move you ahead. If you get nothing else done that day, at least you stayed focused on your priority and achieved your main goal of the day.
To avoid being late, watch the clock wisely and leave five minutes early for appointments. Nobody likes the anxiety that comes with being late or making people wait. It’s as simple as five minutes to prevent this.
To avoid cramming work in at the last minute, create artificial deadlines for your assignments. To illustrate, if you have an essay due on the 20th, write in your calendar to have it complete by the 15th, and begin the essay on the 10th. This gives you five days to focus on completing the assignment, and five extra days to ease into that deadline.
It’s really easy to get down on yourself for falling behind, but remember that you’re doing the best you can. It’s easy to say yes to everything, but if it’s not realistic for your schedule it’s okay to say no. Time is yours, so protect it with the best of your time management abilities!
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