Tools for Better Time Management

You’ve got two weeks to finish an essay. That should be plenty of time to write it, but you’ve also got assignments for your other classes, an essay for a different class, and a test in two days. Maybe all that work was assigned a week ago, but you haven’t started any of it yet. Yes, it’s a lot of work to manage, and maybe it’s a tad bit unfair, but your plight is also the result of poor time management. No worries—here are seven key steps to mastering time management and some accompanying online tools to help you succeed.

1. Make a to-do list. Before you do anything, you have to know what you need to do! Writing a to-do list helps you remember all of your duties and allows you to organize your must-dos. Maybe you feel more comfortable finishing the smaller tasks before tackling the more arduous ones, maybe you’d rather prioritize the harder ones so you can cool down with easier duties, or maybe you like to mix it up and be more dynamic—whatever the case, writing it down and ordering the tasks will visibly structure your work and keep you on track, both in time and efficiency. If you’d rather have it on your screen, try a tool like Todoist or Wunderlist.

2. Schedule, schedule, schedule. Now that you know what you need to do—and perhaps even in what order—it’s time to decide when! Use Google Calendar or a simple schedule maker and plan out blocks of time to work on specific tasks. Micromanaging isn’t necessary; all you need is an overview of when you plan to work on certain tasks and for how long. Work around your existing responsibilities, like chores or extracurriculars, and take specific deadlines into account. With this general timetable prepared, you’ll have a target schedule that you can hold yourself to, knowing full well that following it means you’ll finish your work at a steady pace!

3. Tell your goals to a friend or family member. It’s pretty easy to make excuses for yourself and postpone your work into an unending procrastination limbo. It’s much harder to slack off and waste precious time when someone else knows what you should be doing instead and is fully willing to judge you for it. Telling your responsibilities and plans to someone close to you will mean you’ll be held accountable to your work from an outside source, making you more likely to finish it.

4. Get rid of potential distractions. Maybe your pet is vying for your attention, maybe there’s a weird YouTube video that’s caught your eye, or maybe you’ve been meaning to bake that special cake. We get it—it’s easy to get distracted from your work, especially when you’re typing up a paper or researching online, when diversion is just a click and a new tab away. With so many distractions available, you can bet you’ll be tempted to stray away at every chance, so make sure they’re out of reach! StayFocusd prohibits you from opening distracting websites, while TabZolo keeps you locked into only one tab, leaving you free to work. And even if it makes you feel guilty, you might want to lock your playful pup out of your room.

5. Keep yourself motivated. Often what drags down your productivity and prevents you from working at all is a weariness caused by a lack of motivation. After all, it’s hard to bring yourself to finish any of your assignments and duties if you have nothing to look forward to at the end of it. 

Remind yourself of the progress and benefits waiting for you, not only at the completion of your entire workload, but also at the completion of each small step. Yes, writing that essay will keep your grade safe, and you can cross that task off your to-do list, but you can also enjoy a snack for a job well done! 

Writing that body paragraph means you’re another fifth closer to finishing, and you can reward yourself with a walk around the block. Of course, when you’ve tackled your whole to-do list for the day, give yourself the jackpot: watch an episode of your favorite TV show or play a game with your sibling. Knowing that breaks and rewards are ahead of you will keep you motivated to work and finish, thus shrinking time wasted. Some neat reward systems to keep you motivated are the RPG-styled apps Habitica and EpicWin.

6. Give yourself a (controlled) break. You’ve probably heard this age-old advice many times. You might have even enabled your own procrastination and extended your homework breaks from ten-minutes to thirty-minutes or even an hour. Still, there’s only so long you can stay focused on a task, and even for those with a strong work ethic, there’s only so much concentration you can maintain before you burn yourself out. 

But how can you make sure you’re taking efficient breaks without getting carried away? One productive way  lies in the Pomodoro Technique, which facilitates a focused work environment by requiring short five-minute breaks between 25-minute intervals. After the fourth 25-minute interval, you’ll be further rewarded with a fifteen-minute break, which also does wonders for motivation! Whether or not you use this particular technique, make sure you set a timer for your breaks so that you don’t unintentionally go overtime. Some tools that utilize the Pomodoro Technique are Strict Workflow and Marinara Timer.

7. Eat and sleep. Skipping a meal or pulling an all-nighter might seem tempting to the desperate student, but even if it may seem like you’re saving a ton of time passing on your physical needs, your body and your mind suffer for it. Don’t neglect your needs! Remember, among many other benefits, eating gives you the energy to work in the first place, and sleeping refreshes you and keeps your mind sharp. Consider them personal responsibilities, or at the very least, necessary breaks. For quick meals, try these 10-minute recipes. For ambient noise to help you study or sleep, try this mixer with pre-prepared tracks. 

Time management is tough, but every time you follow these tips, you’ll develop good work habits and be one step closer to mastering steady productivity. With some practice, you’ll be handling and finishing your workload with minimal stress and maximum efficiency, without exhausting yourself.