Dear humans,
I know we can all relate to struggling with time management at some point. As we pile more things on to our schedule and try to achieve our goals we may feel like there is just not enough hours in the day. Managing my time is something I like to believe I am relatively good at. It is key to acknowledge what is important to you and make an effort to prioritise.
Why is time management important?
We all know that it is good to be organised but time management is not everyones strong point.
Organising your time effectively can bring ease to your life in many ways. We all have a lot of demanding factors that require our time, for example work, spending time with loves ones, leisure/hobbies. Not managing our time well can leave to us rushing around, feeling overwhelmed, stressed and losing focus on the important things. Adding balance to our daily routine encourages us to feel more relaxed, calm and grounded.
Why should we priorities?
Some tasks are more important or urgent than others and it is important to work out which ones these are. With this being said it can easier to focus on the unchallenging ones or the ones that require less from us. Prioritising and choosing to just do it instead of dwelling on the fact that we aren’t in the mood allows us to accomplish all of our tasks. I practise this by doing everything that is crucial first, everything that I do not want to do next and doing everything else in my own time.
Making time for people
It makes me sad when people claim that they do not have enough time to see family or friends. I truly believe that we all make time for what is important to us. This is where time management comes in to play. Just like you can make time for work commitments you can make time to see family. This does not have to be often, but a few hours an evening or saving a weekend to do something special can automatically lift your spirit and mean a lot to your those who mean most. Making time for down time is just as important as everything else on your schedule.
Saying no
As human beings we can occasionally bite off more than we can chew. This can be by doing favours for people, doing too much at work or simply saying yes when you really do not have the time. When you get to this stage it is necessary to only agree to those things you truly care about and have a substantial amount of time for. This will automatically give you more time to spend on the things you need, want and love. Do not be afraid to say no, we cannot please everyone.
Getting enough sleep
Some people think a great way to things done is to stay up until crazy hours of the morning with a coffee. Trying to complete tasks that need your attention when you haven't had enough sleep will only result in you taking longer to get them to a high standard. Typically we all need about 7-8 hours sleep and after achieving this we can focus on tasks and get them done faster than we would at 3am. Sleeping long enough at a good time will also mean we can have an early start and have enough time in the evening for a hobby or family time.
Importance of a time limit
While at University I would often leave things to the last minute and fully complete them on the day of the deadline. Truly believing that I needed that amount of time to complete the assignment, which isn't true. If the deadline had been 3 days earlier I would have finished the assignment to the same standard 3 days before truly believing that I needed that amount of time to do it. Giving yourself a fair deadline means you can finish tasks by certain time, manage your time well and not have to feel like you do not have enough hours in a day. When we don’t have a deadline we naturally take longer, knowing we have all of the time in the world. If you have a work deadline, try to do it a day or a few hours before the final deadline so you are not in a rush.
I hope this post helped you in some kind of way on how to prioritise and handle your time better. Much love and remember if you care about it, you will make the time.
With Love, Shay RS x
