Am I alone in thinking that there just isn’t enough time in a day? That we all could use a few more hours? No, I think not. If you’re anything like me, you wish that you could save minutes like you do money. Instead of having a lazy Saturday, you could take that time and put it in your account, using it when you want an extra day to spend with your man. Rather than watching a stupid movie, you’d be able to deposit two hours to use on a future research paper or biology project. It’d be nice to have a debit card when you’re in need of a few extra minutes; all you’d have to do is swipe.
Unfortunately, this type of card doesn’t exist. And even worse, I don’t think it ever will. But it is possible to pocket your minutes and turn back the clock, if only in a metaphorical sense.
Before I give you the details, let me just pause for a moment and defend the advice I’m about to dish out. Once upon a time, I was perhaps the worse time manager of all. I did all of the work and finished the projects, but always last minute and never very well. Some of you may be going, Sounds fine to me. Doesn’t have to be perfect or anything as long as you meet the deadline. And no, it doesn’t have to be perfect. However, in a world where employers are looking for not just good but great work, each of us needs to realize that most success isn’t obtained arbitrarily. With all of that, I myself soon came to realize this poor time management skill was only setting me up to fail. And frankly, I don’t like to be a failure.
Problems, classes, and everything in-between started to build up as the years went by, and I had an increasingly hard time trying to do it all (Juggling had never been a strong point of mine, literally and metaphorically this time!). On top of everything else, I also got a job and a boyfriend, both more work then I’d anticipated. Finally, when it had gone on for absurdly too long, I reached a breaking point and nearly lost everything I’d worked for.
At that moment, my mother came to me. She was fed up with seeing me struggle and juggle without success. And as with most parents, she was full of advice that I’ve come to realize as true: “You need to prioritize.”
A simple sentence, yet full to the brim. As ambitious college students and grads, each of us is looking for a way to be Superwomen: do the work, date the guy, get the job, win the Nobel Peace prize, etc. However, despite how incredible and able each of us thinks we are, there’s one small fact in the way: we’re human. We can’t do it all. And that’s perhaps the first fact to realize for some of you; I know it was for me.
So, when we get down to it, the most important thing is to prioritize your time. The Webster dictionary’s definition of prioritize is as follows: to list or rate (as projects or goals) in order of priority. However, we must look at priority not as preference but necessity. What needs to get done and what can wait? Who needs you more: your boyfriend who wants a date to the movies or your best friend asking for help passing her history exam? Sure, if you’re like me, I’d much rather see a bloody horror flick with a cute guy then wade through the history of Russian Tsars and revolution. But surely your man can go without you for one day, right?
Anyways, prioritizing might not be fun, but it’ll get the job done in the end. Trust me when I say you’ll be happy with the results. So, make a list of everything you want to do each day, from homework and paper writing to doing Zumba and watching a chick flick with your roommate. Jot down pros and cons for each: what can wait and what can’t be rescheduled. Personally, I like to take five minutes before I hit the hay at night to go over the plan for tomorrow. I make a rough outline in my head, creating goals of what I want to get done the next day, so I know what needs to be accomplished.
Also, note at the bottom of the physical or mental page to leave room for spontaneity. Get those things done and realize what else you’d like to do, but don’t ever just stick to a rigid plan. If you do, you’ll fail as well. Finding the balance is key.
Now, about the problem of wasting time. There are two different scenarios: breaks and I-have-nothing-to-do moments. Sometimes when studying, our brains begin to starve. In order to recharge, we hop on Facebook or StumbleUpon, saying, “Just five minutes. I deserve it.” However, before we know it, an hour has gone by. After that, there’s mayhem as we try to gain back the time we’ve lost.
How do we prevent these occurrences? For one, when you say five minutes, mean it! Set a timer on your iPod or phone. Or, do what I do and set limits: check just your notifications and be done, read five DearBlankPleaseBlanks and go back to work, look at your email and then do another ten problems. All you have to do is gain the discipline.
And what about those times when you really do have nothing to do? You’ve finished reading your History textbook, the research paper is as done as it ever will be, and you’ve filled out so many scholarships you’d scream if you looked at even one more. Some of you are going, When does that ever happen?! I feel like I always have something to do! I know what you mean.
However, when it does come around, try to find something you enjoy doing and that is productive. Don’t watch TV and be bored. Pick up a book you want to read, maybe even a classic like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Learn how to knit, like some of the girls on my floor. They find it relaxing as well as perfect for making birthday gifts. In the end, they kill two birds with one stone: they chill out and are productive. There’s something like that for everyone.
After everything is said and done, I have a good feeling you’ll be happier. Your life will still be hectic, that can be guaranteed. However, in the end, you’ll be able to meet deadlines for that new job and juggle classes you never thought you could, all the while being not just good, but great. So this new year, let’s set a resolution together: each of us will prioritize and will prioritize right. And I promise, doing so and managing it all will become as easy as breathing. All it takes is five minutes of thinking ahead of time.