How to Improve Your Time Management

Neitya Pathania, The Young Vision Ambassador (Since Sep 2018, GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai

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Ugh! I’m so confused – so much work to do in so little time. Students have a huge workload, whether through academics, projects, extra-curricular activities, or expectations from parents, teachers, peers, etc.

But don’t worry; I have a solution! And that is this quote – “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” –Stephen R. Covey.

Now you must be wondering what I am talking about. Well, it is simple. I am talking about time management.

So, I present 8 tips for you to manage your time effectively so you can proudly use these tags: ‘#supereasy #awesome #uptodate #organised, and so you can take time out to chill and watch Netflix.

1. Prioritise your Work
This is simple; prepare a things-to-do list as soon as you wake up and segregate your work in terms of the most important to the least important tasks. This ensures you complete the most important task on time and with complete focus.

2. Schedule your Tasks
This tip and the first one go hand in hand. All you have to do is prioritise the task, focus on it and make sure that it is attainable too. To make things easier, you can divide your work into further lists, namely -work, home and personal.

3. Set up Deadlines
This one’s easy and obvious and something everyone advises: Stick to a realistic deadline!
Try setting to deadline a few days prior to the actual deadline of the task, this makes sure you have no last minute pressure and you smoothly finish the work. You can also reward yourself for meeting the deadline of a difficult challenge to keep yourself motivated.

4. Overcome Procrastination
You know, we often neglect or fail to see one of the biggest reasons for losing time: Procrastination. (For more info on Procrastination, go through the Sep-Oct edition 2019-pg. 14 & pg. 15)
Procrastination not only affects the productivity of a person, but also results in the waste of essential energy and time.

5. Deal with Stress Wisely
Stress of completing tasks is something that bothers me the most. But, no worries, we can overcome this stress by not overburdening ourselves with tasks that are more than our ability, and by dividing the task into small chucks of work, making the work more realistic and achievable.

6. Avoid Multitasking
Hold on, isn’t multitasking an efficient way of getting things done?
Well…the answer is no. When we concentrate and focus on a particular task we can give our best in it. Yes, it is true that multitasking improves productivity, but not in the best possible way. You can use other tips to help you stay focused and do your best.

7. Take Regular Breaks
Ahh! My favourite part – TAKE A BREAK!
Doing so much work can make anyone feel tired and stressed. In such a situation, taking a break for 10 to 15 minutes can relieve a lot of stress and pressure. And not only that – taking a break helps you relax and start again with fresh energy. Taking a break can be a walk, listening to music, exercising, sleeping or even spending quality time with family and friends.

8. Learn to Say ‘No’
If you think you are overburdened with work and can no more bear any other additional work, then learn to say ‘no’ politely.
Remember to glance through your things-to-do list before agreeing to any additional work.

That’s it! I hope these tips have helped you out in some or other. You can share your view on how this article has helped you at info@theyoungvision.com and for more related content you can visit www.theyoungvision.com
And last but not least, Happy 2020!