Becoming an Expert in Time Management

Everyone knows that life can get extremely busy, especially

when one is trying to balance work and school at the same

time. Although studying at Stevens-Henager in Logan will be

beneficial for your future academic and professional life,

the rigors of schoolwork can indeed be taxing.

Prioritizing

It can be difficult to determine how to prioritize each task, event, and assignment and all of the juggling

can quickly become exhausting and overwhelming. This is why it is important to become a master of

time management.

The goal is to get the most done in the most efficient manner in the quickest amount of time possible. It

is important to be gentle with yourself when first starting out really focusing on managing your time.

You won’t be perfect the first time around, and you’ll continue to make mistakes along the way. The

important thing is that you’re trying, and when you start trying, you will surely notice a difference in

your productivity levels.

Make a ’to do’ list

One of the first things to do to start managing your time better is to make a list of all the things you

need to get done. Having a long list of items that have still yet to be completed can be overwhelming for

some people, so you may need to only write down the ones that need

to be completed today in order to not make yourself unnecessarily

anxious.

Having a list in front of you will help you know just what it is that

needs to be done, rather than just having all of the tasks floating

around in your head. The next step is to prioritize the tasks based on

what needs to get done first.

Some of the tasks could need to be completed the day you make the

list, and some of them could need to be done within the week. Other

items could be even longer term goals, like tasks that need to be done

by the end of the month or even the end of the year.

When you are most productive

It is also important to realize during what times of the day you are most productive. Some people feel

refreshed and energized right when they wake up in the morning, and that’s when they can get the

most done.

Other people are night owls, and can cross off more things from their list in the evenings. The only

important thing here is to decide what part of the day you’re most productive, and then try to do the

tasks on the top of your list during that time of day.

Another important tip to remember when trying to manage time is to take breaks. This idea can seem

counterintuitive to some, but taking breaks has actually been proven to increase production.

Taking breaks gives your brain a chance to be rejuvenated and refreshed. During your break, you could

grab a bite to eat or watch TV for 10 or 20 minutes. The important thing with breaks is to discipline

yourself enough so you can know when to come back to your tasks from the break. This can be difficult,

but with practice and self-discipline, you can get it.

Photo Credit: Wenzday01, Tmray02