If you’re reading this it’s quite likely that time management is not your strong suit. You probably feel over-worked, over-tired and over it all!
But there are plenty of things you can do to make sure you use your time effectively – and actually save yourself some time in the process. And creating more free time to use as you please is by far the best part of managing your time well.
Tip number one – start using to-do lists. It’s far easier to remember what you need to get done by writing it down and then prioritizing the list you create. It’s no good just trying to remember everything in your head – you need to start making to-do lists! Make sure when you create the list you create it with very specific actionable steps that you are going to take. For example, don’t write “Start Maths homework”, but instead write “Do first 3 questions of Maths homework”. See the difference? If you have vague items it will only lead to uncertainty about what the task means and further procrastination problems.
Tip number two – actually prioritize your tasks. Going to back to tip one, you should understand which tasks always come first and which tasks can always be put off. Think of them in terms of air, water and food. You can last seconds without air, days without water and weeks without food. So how quickly will you die if you don’t do the task? That should help you clear up the priority level of the taskand also creep you out a bit.
Tip number three – tackle procrastination head on. When we look at things we need to complete we have a tendency to look at them as one big ugly task. Instead of doing this, you need to break any big task down into much smaller pieces. For example, in order to write a 2000 word essay you first need to write one word, then one sentence, then one paragraph, then one page, and then 1000 words. By then you are half way done! By it’s the breaking it down and getting started that makes the most difference. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and concerned and do nothing. But the smart thing to do is break the task right down and get started on something small. Once you actually start you will realize the task is easier than you thought.
Tip number four – do what counts. A major trap we all fall into is trying to do everything that’s assigned. But that’s actually a waste of your time. You should do only what you know counts towards your final grades. If a paper is worth 50% then spend lots and lots of time on it. If your homework is not worth grades but must be handed in – then make sure you hand it in – but don’t spend as much time on it as anything that counts towards your final grade. Find out what counts the most and give that the most time. Worrying about everything will only drive you nuts!
Tip number five – overcome any tendency to procrastinate. We all do it. Something is due but we can’t be bothered so we do nothing. Life’s hard. We get it. Everything is hard. We get that too. But if you don’t do the work it will catch up with you. So just do it! Get off your butt and get to work. But don’t worry about completing the whole thing. If you have to write a paper just write one paragraph – or even one sentence. If you have to complete a worksheet of Maths homework just do the first question. Instead of getting overwhelmed and anxious about having to complete the whole task just make sure that you first get started. It’s easier to keep going once you actually start.
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