Master Your Time: Focus Now
Do you feel like you’re wasting your time or don’t have enough of it? It would be a good great choice to start managing your time.
Do you feel like you’re wasting your time or don’t have enough of it? It would be a good great choice to start managing your time.
Today’s society doesn’t seem to care about our limited time here on earth. They think “Oh, time? Yeah I have plenty of that, why should I care now?”. The reason would be that an average person lives about, let’s say 80 years. Do they ever take into account how much they spend sleeping? Or eating, showering, brushing their teeth, skincare. It may seem that they spend just a tiny bit of their day. But throughout the year those numbers add up, multiply…. I hope that made think for a bit.
Time passes, they get old, start blaming dumb school systems for wasting so much of their time or blah blah blah…But do they ever stop and think while continuing their 2-hour Tik-Tok ritual? Every. Single. Day. Maybe it is the real reason behind why they have so little time?
The basics
Okay, it is mandatory to sleep for 8 hours, right? That’s 16 hours left. If you have teeth, a body to shower and a 4-step skincare routine, that’s another 30 minutes( morning and night). 15 hours. A 9-5 job equals 8 hours of work - 7 hours. how do we get to work? Car, bus, train, any transportation really. Does it take time? Yes. Do we eat? Yes. Does it take time to munch it down and even make it in the first place? Yes. Quick breakfast or dinner can take up to 30 minutes to make.
So, if I took another 2 hours off would you be mad or would you just do the basic math?
5 hours. Now, let’s say you take care of yourself and you exercise. Another hour or two (changing, workout, changing back, driving)
Yayyy 3 hours of free time, let me scroll on social media!
On the weekends we get more free time. Often we spend it doing necessary things, like household chores. We hang out with friends or family.
How to manage
Great, now that you’ve read through my rage about how most people waste their time, you’re probably wondering how you can manage it?
Firstly, observe how and where you spend your time. From waking point to settling down for a good night’s sleep.
Then, write down your routine. Notice where you have free time and fill it in with things from your to-do list.
Make a to-do list. Write down what you need to get done that day. If you see that getting something done is not possible - prioritise.
Get everything done.
Celebrate your victory.
It may seem difficult at first, but as time passes, you’ll catch yourself prioritising stuff on the spot. Thinking of the fastest and best routes to get something done.
An example
I’m going to pull out Bob.
Bob every morning writes down a to-do list.
[ ] Pick up groceries
[ ] Pick up a package
He has his daily routine:
6:00-6:05 am - wake up
6:05-6:30 am - shower, skincare, teeth
6:30-7:00 am- breakfast
7:40-8:00 am - get ready
8:00-8:30 am - check and respond to emails
8:30-9:00 am - leave to work
12:00-1:00 pm - lunch-break
5:00-5:20 pm - go to the gym
6:30-7:00 pm - go home
7:00-8:00 pm - leisure time
8:00-9:00 pm - make and eat dinner
9:00-10:00 pm - read a book and go to sleep
How could Bob incorporate his to-do list into his routine?
One way would be after eating his lunch (let’s say he does that for 30 minutes, so he has 30 minutes to spare) going to pick up his package.
Another one could be picking it up on his way to the gym or to home.
This is just an example. Your life and routines could and will be different from his. The point is to prioritise and organise your time and tasks.
Why it’s important to manage
By doing so, you’ll achieve bigger goals, you’ll feel less overwhelmed, reduce procrastination, better your focus and increase productivity.
If instead of scrolling you’ll choose something more important to you like studying, the negative consequences of social media will not be a problem no more. The less time you spend on it, the less insecurities and unrealistic standards you’ll have.
Do not get me wrong, social media is a great tool for expressing yourself. But if it’s used to pass time, it won’t serve its purpose.
In the end
Time management is one of the things most of us forget. When we learn to prioritise our tasks, goals are easier to reach.
Think about it, how many times have you felt hopeless lying in your bed or got those random bursts of motivation to clean? Have that motivation everyday by cultivating discipline.
So, what can you start doing right now to improve how you spend your time?
Remember, the only mistakes you should regret are the ones you haven’t made.
“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”―Carl Sandburg
