Task09: Time Strategies

Time - such an elusive concept. One moment you're tapping your foot, checking your phone every few seconds as you wonder when the lecture's over. Another moment you're sweating as you pull an all-nighter hoping you can submit the assignment you just started  before the deadline. Either way, it's always a battle against time. No? Maybe it's different for you. But for as long as I've remembered, I've always struggled with time management. 

In this post I will list out a few ideas on how I'm planning to approach assignments for this and other modules - featuring some tips that were introduced to us. 

Ideally, as per the timetable given to us, I'd prefer working on one module a day depending on whichever module was assigned to us on any given day. Of course, that is easier said than done - especially if you're working part-time. There will be much larger assignments that need to be broken down and completed over a period of time. Here's where the next point may come in handy. 

Checklists

This is something that for the most part, I already do and I recommend doing. It doesn't have to be super -detailed. Even writing down the assignments/task you're given and the due dates can save you confusion and time checking the moodle course page every 4-5 times because you weren't sure when the deadline was coming up. It does bring some relief and satisfaction when you know you've checked it from the list and you don't have to worry about it any longer. 

If you want to expand checklists, especially for bigger projects that need to be turned into bite-sized daily/weekly goals, then here's some tools to help with that. 

Pen & Paper

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Classic but personally, I think this is the best way to make checklists. We already use a lot of on-screen tools as it is. It can be difficult to keep track of them all. Having a pen and notebook at your side can make life a little easier. Although I understand this may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Habitica - Gamify your life

The video is 5 years old but it still explains how Habitica works.

Habitica is an online task management and habit-building tool which can also be installed on iOS or android. The tasks you complete or habits you build have the same functionality of a checklist with many classic RPG aspects to it. You start off as a warrior. Habitica  treats your tasks as a game, and by completing them alongside quests, you earn experience to level up. When you reach level 10 you get to choose one of the10 classes available e.g Rogue, Mage, Healer and more. One of the great things about Habitica is that you can team up with others to complete quests (by doing your tasks) so you don't have to do it alone if you don't want to.

 When you complete your tasks you earn rewards and coins which you can use to spend on a treat (you can make up a treat yourself e.g Watch Netflix or buy something for you character in the shop). It's really up to you to what extent you want to use Habitica - whether it's just for your studies or planning your entire day.   

Trello

Image by Caylakwiki

Trello is another visual planner where you use cards to add digital checklists. Different cards can represent different activities or projects and they're all displayed on a board and you can use more than one board for different aspects of your life. Each time you check something form your list it adds to a % on the progress bar until it's completed. I remember using this a few years ago. I'm considering trying out again for this semester. 

If you want to read more about checklists then here's a link to an article that talks about The Psychology of Checklists by Lauren Marchese featuring Trello. 

Another article which I found useful was 3 Steps to Recapture Time by Joynicole Martinez. This article is more about reflecting on what's holding you back and adopting a mindset of letting that stuff go. These may be things that we already know about but a lot of us do not take action on. It emphasizes on spending the first 15 minutes planning out your tasks for the day. Rather than diving straight in the work, it's a good idea to have a plan, so we don't diverge from it as the day goes by. I feel like it also brings a sense of accomplishment when you know you've done the work that you had to do that day. 

Another point I found useful is the art of saying 'no'. It's definitely not the first time I've heard of it, but it's something I sometimes struggle with. Sometimes it's hard to turn down an offer to hang out with a friend, especially when  you feel like you could use a break. But it's one of the reasons that I may be falling behind and it's something to work on. 

I may update this post when I come around to discovering other time-management and/or study techniques. For now, this a goodbye!