Time Management Boot Camp
- Feb 9, 2017
- 3 min read
ATTENTION!
HOLY CRAP LOOK AT THOSE QUADS!
Okay, but really -- time management. I know what you're thinking...there is not enough time in the day to even worry about managing it. I am here to tell you, I have been where you have been and I would like to think of myself as a pro for a minute when it comes to time management.
I say this with confidence because I have gotten more shit done in the last couple of years than I ever thought I would. From small things (like making time for exercise every day), to REALLY BIG THINGS (like getting my first degree!!! -- let's pause for a moment and give me a round of applause... thank you, thank you!)
Let me start out by saying, this is going to suck the first couple of weeks and even the first couple of months, but in the end (when you have the degree in your hand - or whatever it is) it will all be WORTH IT. I know we have all heard the saying, multiple times even, that they never said it was going to be easy, but they said it would be worth it. Well, it's true.
The easiest way that I have found to start managing your time is to take out a piece of lined notebook paper. get your favorite pen and off to the left side of the paper, write the days of the week. Allow enough spaces between each day to add what your time allow. Something like this:
Do this for a couple weeks until you get comfortable writing it down. By doing this, it allows you to see where you have time to put in other things. you can even add what time you wake you, what time you want to go to bed, breakfast, lunch, walking breaks, etc.
Once you have mastered this step, the next step will be getting a planner and/or using a calendar. It sounds tedious, but I actually use both. Research suggests that when you write something down, you are more likely to recall it in the future. With that being said, I write my schedule down in my planner and I put it in Google Calendars (my life saver) because it syncs to my iPhone. And we all know how well iPhones like to sync all your shit (it tells me when I should be leaving and basically says I am late to everything >:])
There are so many planners out there, it is really hard to chose just one... CONFESSION: there was a year that I bought a new planner for each month.... I had a slight addiction....... Oh, and now I can give accurate feedback on which planners worked best for me and so on.
My all time favorite is from DayDesigner. With this planner, you have to-do lists (my favorite), time slots for the whole day (well most of the day), an inspirational quote, and lots of other things that can be useful if you are into that stuff.
Another one that works well if you are not that detail-oriented is from Ban.do and has plenty of space for you to add what you like for your day. And I am in love with this one because it clearly says on the front, "I AM VERY BUSY." I also have the coffee cup to match. You can purchase it, here.
Of course, there are simpler ones you can find at Walmart or Target and you may be like me and buy a ton before you realize what works. Understand that is okay.
Like I mentioned before, I write things in my planner as well as put them as events in my Google Calendar. If you do not use Google, you are seriously missing out. AHHHHH-MAZING. Good job Google!
I am a very colorful person when it comes to organization. I use different colored pens and highlighters to mark different things on my calendar (and in Google). Research suggests that if you use different colors when making notes, it allows your brain to recall it much faster. Just a suggestion for all my fellow undergrad and grad students out there.
That sums up how I became so OCD with my time. I hope this is helpful for you. If you have any other ideas or comments you would like to share, please leave them below!
As always, do what works for you.
XO,
Stace
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