Time management for me:
Alarm goes off at 6 AM. Meditate for 15 minutes. Get ready for the day ahead. Make coffee and eat breakfast. Feed the cats. Leave my apartment by 8:45 AM. Class at 9, 10, and 11 AM. Hustle to work by 1 PM. Get off work at 5 PM. Come home to make and eat dinner. Class or meeting at 6 PM. Back home by 8 or 9 PM. Do homework for the next day. Sleep.
My time management means filling my schedule from start to finish so that every hour of each day has a purpose.
However, not giving myself breathing room in-between work, school, and all else has become more of a challenge than a reward. I get my work done and I’m always on time, but I am constantly complaining that I need more hours in the day to be more productive. This is a problem. If you ever find yourself asking for more time in the day, chances are that you’ve taken on too much at once. Or, you’re like me and you can’t say ‘no’ to someone who needs your help or you’re volunteering for something you don’t have time to give 100% of your attention too.
I’m re-evaluating what is significant and what deserves my attention right now in my life. For example, I realized that when I said I was going to come to a particular event or volunteer for something, I only said ‘yes’ so that people around me don’t get mad at me or think less of me. I wanted to be the girl that could ‘do it all,’ even though that is extremely unrealistic. As tough as it is to say ‘no,’ you should never feel guilty about taking a time to put yourself first in your time management schedule. You should feel proud for being honest with yourself and the people around you will appreciate that too.
Prioritizing your schedule is more important than filling your schedule with things to do. Saying ‘no’ to someone is better than not giving them your 100% attention.
Now, I challenge you to ask yourself, “What does my time management look like?”
It’s okay if you’re like me and your time management is still a work in progress.
Melisa Pilipovic
Senior Accounting Major at UMW
Student Steering Committee Member, Leadership Colloquium @ UMW
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