For a long time, I fought very hard to balance myself; my academics, my spiritual life, and my social life suffered one way or the other. Twenty-four hours every day seemed very insufficient because most times without even realizing it, I spent my time on entirely different things than I should have.
Every day, I wake up tired because of the previous day’s work, I come back late after school without achieving half of what I was supposed to. It was very overwhelming for me. I had zero time for myself; my classmates were always hailing me, calling me ‘book’ all the time because I always had eye bags. Little did they know that it was not because I was reading overnight but because of my inability to effectively manage the time I had.
What does it mean to manage one’s time?
Time management is the process of organizing and planning your time between the tasks you have to complete. These tasks could be assignments, studies or personal projects. Managing one’s time involves making some choices, overcoming some habits and prioritizing what you should do as opposed to the many other things you could do.
The importance of proper time management can never be over-emphasized. For me, learning or should I say acquiring this skill was a game changer, It helped me achieve tasks with minimal effort and I realized that being busy did not necessarily mean being effective.
Time management has many benefits which include:
- It reduces stress and gives you time to relax.
- It helps you achieve your goals faster.
- It helps you get more things done
- It boosts your confidence.
What are some steps you can take to manage your time effectively?
- Set smart goals
Set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely (SMART). This is important because when the goals you set are not smart then you probably won’t be able to achieve them. You can set goals weekly or monthly or even yearly by making a list of the things you want to achieve within a specific time.
- Prioritize
Make a list of all the things you are to do and arrange them in order of importance. This way you can achieve the more important tasks before the others.
- Set a time limit for all the tasks you have to complete
After making a list of all the tasks, assign deadlines for all these tasks. This way you are more focused, efficient and you become aware of possible problems even before they arise.
- Organize yourself
Set up alarms and reminders to remind you of all the upcoming tasks so you don’t forget about them. Set up calendars and assign specific days to each task.
Also, always plan. At the end of each day, make it a priority to write out to-do lists for the next day so that you are prepared for the following day.
- Make out time to rest.
How can you effectively carry out the tasks you are supposed to if your body is weak. Rest is as crucial as much as the task is.
- Finally and most importantly, make sure your schedule is practical. Plan your time accordingly and don’t copy others, remember each person is unique.
