3 Simple Steps to Time Management

Time management is absolutely crucial to success in high school, as well as the post academic world. These three simple steps will have you getting more work done than you ever thought possible!

1. Prioritize. Write down a list of things you need to get done now, things you'd like to get done soon, and things you want to do or try. What I like to do is set up my to-do list in three distinct brackets. The first bracket is full of the things you need to do NOW. For me, school work is something I need to do, so homework and studying come first.
   The second bracket is the group of things that don't necessarily need to get done NOW, but you would like to have them finished by the end of the day, the end of the week, or some other period of time. This blog, for example, is in the second bracket for me.
   The third and final bracket that I like to use is full of the things I WANT to do or start. These are the things I have always had a slight interest in, such as writing HTML code or blogging.
   Apply all of these brackets to yourself and your everyday life and you'll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.


2. Set out time blocks. Schedule a time every day to get your bracket complete. Once you have your specific time block set, start to divvy up the time according to the brackets we discussed earlier. For example, set out two hours for homework, one hour for blog writing (or whatever else you'd like to get done), then 30-45 minutes of possibly surfing the internet looking for new, interesting things to try. The more important things come first, with the things that you want to do finishing off. This works well because by the time you have all the work finished that you need done, looking into new things you are considering will seem very relaxing and easy.
   
   Tip: As you start trying new things that you'd like to do, you may realize that you need to move them up to the first or second bracket. Re-evaluate your priorities every now and then just to keep things in perspective.
   
   Tip: Take breaks! Schedule in a couple of 5-10 minute breaks in your brackets. Take a walk, get a snack, do anything, really! This will help keep you fresh, energized, and focused. Taking breaks also gives you a little incentive and helps me to motivate myself to work a little harder for the next ten minutes or so because I have a break coming up.



3. DO THE WORK! The hardest part about starting anything new is actually finding the motivation to do it, once you get up and start working, you'll find that it's easier than you feared and you may enjoy doing it! Don't skip out on your time management brackets. Doing this will cause you to drop the habit you've worked so hard to develop! Don't put off your brackets until you absolutely must do them. This causes inconsistency, lack of motivation, and poor work quality.

Following these three simple steps will allow you to manage your time properly and will allow you to accomplish things you never dreamed possible! Time management is as important as any other aspect of success, and can help you determine what you'd like to accomplish in a timely manner, which is very important.