Time Management

What is it?

Time management is defined as the process of planning and organizing how and when to spend your time across multiple activities. Basically, it is consciously controlling how the events of your day will go. It can look like this:

• 9:00 AM- Walk the dogs

• 11:00 AM- Go to the store to pick up groceries

• 12:30 PM- Go to class and take notes

• 3:00 PM- Study for Calculus exam

• 6:00 PM- Go to yoga class

• 9:00 pm- Sleep

Of course, the lists will be more comprehensive and detailed than this, but this is a practical example of what planning your day looks like. Time management works with planning because it allows you to plan out what you will do and how long it will take. It serves as a guideline for how long you should spend on a certain activity.

Why is it important?

Managing time is the best way to improve work-life balance. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to be constantly working. Time management helps you fit in periods of relaxation so you can properly rest before you have to work again. For example, it may be tiring to start studying after you just came from work. Time management allows you to schedule times to relax before and during studying so you don't get burnt out. Time management is essential to productivity and prioritization.

Guidelines to follow

• Track your time: It can be easy to lose track of time, and doing so could potentially ruin your entire schedule. The best way to avoid that fate is to simply track your time to ensure you're on track. Remember, you are not a robot, you do not need to calculate every minute of your life. This is just for days you definitely need to stay on schedule.

• To-do lists: This can seem like a no-brainer, but do not store your schedule in your head. Referring to a detailed list of what you have to do will allow you to follow through with it more efficiently. Not having a to-do list can make you forget potentially important tasks that you had to do.

• Do not multitask: Multitasking can seriously overwhelm you, especially if you want to stay on schedule. Do one thing at a time to ensure you get everything done. Multitasking risks not getting everything done, which can tamper with your entire schedule.

• Do not procrastinate: This one may be obvious, but procrastination will just throw off you and your schedule

• Give yourself breaks: Having everything planned one after the other can be overwhelming and tiring. Scheduling in breaks while managing time is important to keep you rejuvenated.