There’s nothing wrong with wanting to manage and achieve more every day. Here, time is one of the most valuable resources, and a messy attitude can ruin many plans. However, when approached right, time can always be on your team — the key is to keep it organized. The moment all tasks, errands, and assignments have a place and priority in your life; it will be easier to make the most out of every day and track your progress as a student. But where to start? Here are some time management habits that will improve your productivity and help you do more.
1 Don’t be shy to delegate
The most important thing about time management and management, in general, is that a person should not do everything on their own — they actually should find the most efficient way to get the task done. Essentially, the more one delegates, the more time they eventually have for themselves. Today, the internet can come in handy on any errand, be it finding a person to walk your dog or a college paper writer through walking you through an assignment that takes too much time. Therefore, it’s essential to pinpoint what you can delegate and release the schedule from clutter.
2 Drop the perfectionism
One of the most paralyzing things in our daily lives is perfectionism. It can feel like a lot of pressure, along with zero motivation or energy. It all comes from the genuine intention to complete an assignment perfectly — so much so that one doesn’t know where to start. To avoid the perfectionist paralysis, approach the task as soon as possible and do not demand any supernatural results from the first trial. Instead, start by showing up to the challenge and improving the initial outcomes along the way. Nobody is perfect, so it is best not to overpressure yourself with nearly unattainable goals.
3 Learn to prioritize
Most of the confusion about time management comes from the belief that all tasks are equally important and unavoidable. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the attitude to responsibilities is subjective, and the healthiest way to build the right priority system is by applying your judgment. For example, if an essay is due tomorrow and the lion’s share of your grade depends on it, it is more important than making an opinion post on social media at the moment. However, everyone’s priorities are different. Just point out what’s the most important at the moment or throughout the week, and stick to it.
4 Keep yourself booked
No, it’s not about planning a million new things every day. Instead, it is about dedicating a part of the day to a specific task that needs attention and probably effort. If a simple list of errands for the day doesn’t work, use a calendar to book the time for it. Make a meeting with yourself and name the task you plan to dedicate your time to. When done daily, booking time in the calendar will become a powerful habit, as you will get used to consulting a calendar app a the beginning of the day. Start with marking the deadlines for academic assignments in the calendar — at least it will visualize your goals.
5 Use smart apps
As we are on the topic of apps, a wide variety of software helps plan and manage more. Pay attention to apps for taking notes, listing reminders, and planning — the last one is a calendar. With all the diversity of time management apps out there, your objective is not installing ten of them and forgetting all; instead, testing several applications and figuring out which one is the most convenient. Some people prefer taking a seemingly chaotic bulk of notes; some nail it when they have a line to cross out, and for others, a calendar is a king. Just try to make your combination work.
6 Remove distractions
It’s barely possible to get anything done without concentration involved, especially when it comes to studying. The fewer distractions a person has, the less time any assignment takes. Nowadays, it can be challenging not to get distracted, as many things grab our attention without warning. So the simplest thing to start with is turning off notifications on the phone or set them right so only the crucial ones come through.
7 Forget about multitasking
The ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously or do several extra things while studying sounds fantastic! Yet, in reality, it can get messy. Trying to focus on two or more different things prevents a person from focusing correctly on any of them and overloads your nervous system. As a result, it will only cause more incomplete tasks and additional anxiety about them. So it’s best to choose one task, concentrate (see #6), and catch the flow in it.
8 Save time to rest
Planning all the duties is essential, but one thing not to forget about while planning a day, a week, or a month is your capacity. Sometimes, attempts to manage everything in little time or to stuff the calendar with essential plans works just like multitasking does — it gets messy and leaves you exhausted. To mitigate the effect of a rough schedule, treat the time for yourself just as any other tasks on your calendar. First, it will release the tension from the rest of the functions. Second, it will teach you to differentiate your free time from the busy time.
Being able to be smart with your time is a skill for life. It gives the ease of feeling in control without extra effort. The tips above are the essentials one needs to adapt to their habits or circumstances. All it takes is intention and attention to how you use your resources. Take one tip at a time, and see if it works for your particular lifestyle. Of course, the combination of approaches will later turn into a whole management style, but it’s best to start small.
