How to put more time on your side?

                         

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent -Poet Carl Sandburg

 I have been recently overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to complete in such a short period of time this week. I keep putting off meetings,  not hanging out with my pals and submitting tasks at the last minute because I believe I don't have enough time. Every day, as soon as I wake up, I hurry to my desk and make those long to-do lists, noting down all the things I might be able to complete that day. Academics, chores, workouts, acquiring new skills, and reading books are all examples of activities. Do you believe I'll be able to complete everything on my list? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I feel good at the end of the day when I check off the things I did do throughout the day, but when I look at the things I did not do, I feel horrible, so I write it down again on my to-do list for the following day and guess what, I don't manage to complete it the next day either. The sensation worsens until I sink into a deep sadness, convinced that I will never have enough time to do the things that truly meant to me.  Yes, time is finite; every one of us has the same 24 hours in a day. 

It is critical to understand how to make more time for yourself so that you may accomplish the things that bring you actual joy! Are there any side projects you've wanted to work on but haven't because you don't think you have the time? Perhaps you'd want to start your own business? or perhaps a book you'd want to write? A visit to an old friend or family member with whom you've lost touch? So, we've all got something! Take a minute to consider what you've been wanting to do but have been putting off due to a lack of time. Well, if we really want to do something, WE MAKE TIME FOR IT!

If you feel, you're not achieving as much as you know you can accomplish in any given day, then learning time management skills can help you become more productive. I have gathered a couple of tips that I used to put more time on my side. Trust me, this changed my whole time management game. I can go out, enjoy a lot more personal free time without the feeling of guilt that I need to be studying, working, or doing something else rather than living my moment.

1. Prioritize things

 I'm sure you've heard the term "prioritizing," but how many of us actually do it? Do you know what you're supposed to do today? Is it a priority you set for yourself, or is it established for you by someone else? (Related to employment) It is critical that we all focus on the priorities that people expect of us. That is how we are able to maintain our jobs.

So, first and foremost, determine what you should be doing. If you truly want to achieve your own objective of living a meaningful life, you must make time for your own priorities every day, at night, or on weekends. The ones you set for yourself, that will make all the difference in achieving your long-term and short-term goals. You can be a student, full-time employee, and still find the time to do the things you love!

2. De-clutter

Having a cluttered environment may significantly decrease your optimum productivity. If the entropy is high, it takes a longer time to sort out things. How do you feel when you see a pile of clothes lying around on your bed and now you have to dig through your clothes, making you late for school/work? Or having piles of books on your desk after finishing research work or doing an essay? Chaos and disorder create tension and steal your mental peace, making you feel bad about yourself. It takes much more time to find the things you really need. If you are the type of person who has to spontaneously clean up when guests unexpectedly drop in, these de-cluttering tips are definitely for you:

• Give away things you do not use anymore
• Recycle it
• Throw it out
• rearrange it so it has a proper space
• sell it 
• Store it somewhere out of sight 

3. Know YOURSELF

 Time-management=Self- management

It is really important that you get to know yourself. Knowing how your body works are critical to time management and productivity. To make optimum use of your time, you need to know when you have your peak energy and what kind of conditions that will enhance your focus. Are you someone who is highly efficient during the day or at night? I am definitely not a night owl because I value my sleep above all. Moreover, knowing what kind of person you are and what kind of environments work for you is important. Are you someone who enjoys studying in a cafe, hearing people talk, or do you prefer a more controlled and quiet environment like in a library? Similarly, knowing what kind of technology will aid you and which ones will shut you down. Getting to know yourself is critical in optimizing your productivity.

4. Find a mentor

A mentor is a knowledgeable and trustworthy counselor. It might be a teacher, a counselor, or someone working in the profession or topic you want to learn more about. Last year, I got myself a mentor, and I can assure you that it saved me a significant amount of time while working on my project. A mentor will help you see things from a professional perspective and will teach you the most important stuff. This saves you a lot of time and holds you accountable for how you use your energy and time, especially when speaking with others. I struggled with my organization skills, so my mentor taught me the art of task allotment and overcoming the fear of delegating. I learned the ability to delegate and to whom to delegate specific tasks. This indeed contributed to my success last year in organizing two successful events. And yes, delegating tasks is the best way to make up for most of your time, however, make sure you do appreciate the person you delegated the task to and value their contribution. Similarly, you should find yourself a mentor who can help you do your things in a small amount of time rather than always trying to figure out all the things by yourself!

5. Be more in control of the use of technology 

Hahaha, this one is quite challenging! Isn't it? I will have to admit that I deeply struggle with this one. Now that my classes are online, it's very easy to just open up social media and drift away from that boring research I was doing for my assignment. Furthermore, my emails are distracting as I am constantly reminded about that 50% discount on clothing from a random website I subscribed to. We all have done countless things like that. Even my Netflix subscriptions start missing me when I am about to cancel it. Distractions are everywhere! However, these things are in our control and therefore we exert more power over them. The frequency with which we check up on them is a key factor in our productivity. I cannot put my devices away as I am constantly using them for work. The thing that helps me is to turn off all the unnecessary notifications and I use the "focus" feature on my device to block out the distractions. You can also try to download apps that work pretty much the same way. Watch out for time gobblers y'all!

Geshna.B❤

If you learn, or reinforce, even one nugget of wisdom from this blog, then it is definitely worth your precious time.😊Consider subscribing to my blog!

And also, I would love to know your time management tips. Do not forget to share it down in the comment section below👇 Thank you!❤