Whether we are in school, students, have a part-time or a full-time job, we all know what it's like to have a lot to do in a short period of time. Who hasn't said “I don't have time to do it all" or "I don't even have time to breathe" at least once?
If you also experience time pressure and lack knowledge about time management and what to do first, then this article is for you. We hope that these tips will help you in any situation, whether it's exams, night outs, or you just want to manage your time so that you can relax at the end of the day.
- List everything you must do for the next day
Firstly, when you want to manage your time better, you have to think of all the things you must do and list them on a sheet of paper. Not only will you have an overview of everything you have to do, but this way you won’t forget anything and nothing will surprise you. We recommend that you get a special notebook for this or, if you want, you can write it down in Microsoft Word or on your phone.
Tip: Try to be realistic with the number of things you plan for the next day. It's important to find a balance in the number of tasks, so that you don't get tired solving them. However, you should still try to get out of your comfort zone.
- Know your priorities
Before you do anything, you need to think about the most important things you need to accomplish. After you have checked them off the list, you can occupy your time with the tasks that are not so urgent or of major importance to you.
- Start out with the easiest things, not the most difficult
We all know it's tempting to dive right into the most difficult tasks, but that only exhausts you and you won't have the energy to handle the easier ones. To accomplish whatever you set out to do, think about the criterion of importance first, followed by simplicity.
- Avoid bargaining with yourself.
Yes, we have all felt the want to save the tasks we have left over for tomorrow. We gain nothing from saying things like, "I'll leave them for tomorrow, I've done enough today," other than to mess up our day and postpone the work. Thus, despite how challenging it may be, you must try to keep to your strategy. Fortunately, the earlier you finish, the more time you'll have for yourself at the end of the day, and you'll be able to take a well-earned break.
- Group tasks that are the same
If you have several simple tasks such as "take out the trash", "wash the dishes", "wipe the dust", or other things that belong to the same field of activity, instead of doing them throughout the day, you can try to check them all one after the other. By doing so, you avoid abruptly switching from one topic to another that is entirely unrelated.
- Don't try to work around the clock
It is normal to become worn out from constant effort and experience burnout. We encourage taking a break to do something for yourself after each challenging or prolonged task, whether it be going out with friends to party (we're waiting for you in BOS), listening to music or podcasts, reading, exercising, or engaging in other leisure activities.
- Get rid of all interruptions
A good example is the phone. As nice as it is, we have tried and failed to work while getting notifications. Any notification breaks our focus and line of thought, making us slower to complete the task at hand. Our recommendation is to move it to another room, mute it, and then, after your activities are over, you can use it to unwind.
- Wake up earlier
The last but not the least tip is, unfortunately, the hardest. You can ask anyone: fixing your sleep schedule and waking up early is a very difficult thing. However, we guarantee that it is worth it. It's amazing to feel accomplished after finishing a significant amount of the tasks, so it kind of motivates you to work as hard as you can.
Although it may feel overwhelming at first, we believe in you! We are confident that you will manage your time well, fill it with the activities that are important to you, and plan your day efficiently. You got this!