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Stop Wasting Your Time

TheSunSpot

Me: "I'll start my homework at 6:00pm."


Time: 6:02


Me: "Ugh, too late. Guess I'll start at 7!"


As a master of procrastination, I can tell you that it's a bad practice, because it often leads to feelings of regret. Today, we're going to learn to manage our time effectively (and God knows I need to)!

 

‘Time is what we want most, but... what we use worst,’ wrote William Penn, who was a writer and founder of the English North American colony that became the state of Pennsylvania, USA.


With schoolwork, extra-curricular activities, volunteering and all the things that are on my regular schedule, I sometimes wish I could manufacture more time, if just to get more sleep and hang out with friends. Making time for everything we would like to do can sometimes seem daunting.


A few tweaks here and there can help improve time management. For example:



Avoid Procrastination

After being the queen of procrastination in the past, I have learned that avoiding procrastination is key to time management and success. You have to resist the urge to leave things till later, because new things can come up and limit the time you have available. This then leads to feeling stressed.


Use a Planner and To-Do List.

This has been key for me. I actually prefer the old-fashioned “week in view” planners. Being able to see a week at once helps me prioritize tasks and plan adequate amounts of time for each thing I have to do. It also reminds me to stay on track. When I get a due date for any project or assignment, I immediately enter it into my planner so that I don’t forget and scramble at the last minute to get things done. In addition, I keep a color-coded to-do list on a dry erase board above the desk in my room. Seeing everything that needs to be done for the week all at once and having a written to do list helps deter me from procrastination and keeps me organized. If you are not keen on a traditional planner, consider using an online app. There are many of those to choose from after reading online reviews. There are also time management apps.



Do One Thing at a Time and Set Time Limits

A lot of people seem to believe that multitasking helps you accomplish tasks faster. In reality, multitasking can make you work more slowly while not letting you completely focus on either of the things you’re doing. It can also lead to having a number of uncompleted projects. It is often helpful to focus on completing one thing before moving on to the next thing on your list. Furthermore, decide how much time is reasonable to complete each item on your to do list for each day, and assign that amount of time to it. Some people use an hourly timer to accomplish this. I sometimes set an alarm to remind me when time is running out and I need to move on to the next activity. This can be a motivation to stay on track.

Get Rid of Distractions

Finally, as much as I hate to say it: phones are a distraction!! I thought that if I just had my phone in my room, but far away, I'd be okay. How did that end? I'd find myself scrolling on my phone and wonder how I got there! Keep your phone in a different room if you can. If not, put it in a place where it is not readily accessible, for example, under a couch. I know it seems silly, but it actually works.

These small changes can make a huge difference in your life and help you manage your time much better. DO the work now, because regret is forever. And, your future self will thank you for it!


Thanks for reading my loves!


Until next week,


Tiffney


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