Being stuck at home made it harder for everyone to manage time properly. Distractions are everywhere since almost everyone is required to work and study at home. With a lot going around, it’s almost impossible to focus on one thing. Unlike before the pandemic where there is a designated place to work and study, nowadays we must do almost everything in one place. But managing time is still possible as long as you follow the following tips:
Plan Ahead
Planning could save you a lot of time from thinking about what to do next. One of the reasons it’s hard to manage time is because we spend most of our time thinking instead of doing something. You can set Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely Goals for a year, month, and per week. With this, you can already set your expectation and have an overview of what’s going to happen. Just make sure that when you set your goals, you consider external factors that could directly affect you.
In doing this, you can apply a technique from a book written by John Maxwell titled Your Roadmap for Success. Here, he discussed how you can help yourself to be committed to your growth by building a Growth Plan. In this Growth Plan, you will be scheduling an hour per day and five days a week dedicated to doing something that you want to achieve or grow yourself into. This will depend on your personal goals or areas that you desire to grow. You can start by asking yourself what are the areas that you want to become better. After that, look at and identify materials that can be useful to you to achieve these goals. You can use books, podcasts, YouTube vids, or anything as long as it will be helpful to you. Next, schedule a specific time for yourself to do this to help you in being consistent. Lastly, do it daily! This is important so that you can challenge yourself to be committed to your Growth Plan.
Remember that you can apply this Growth Plan also if you are studying or working. Instead of making it personal, you can also use this to improve for example in a class that you are having a hard time studying or in a line of work that you want to improve on.
Create a To-do List for a day
After setting your goals for a year, month, and week. You can now set a daily task that is required for you to accomplish within a day. It would be helpful if you set a certain time in the morning before you start the day and list all the tasks that are due for today. This is also the best time to check your calendar and email to avoid missing out on anything. In this way, you can help yourself to easily identify what needs to prioritize and set your to-dos in order. In managing your time, it is also important to apply Priority Management. You can identify the task that should be done first according to its urgency and importance. This method will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed and end up doing nothing.
If you are always using your phones, you can also use an app to list all your task for the day. One app is DoingDoing, it is a digital diary that allows you to list your tasks for a day where you can feel like you are writing in a notepad. You can also label it as completed, in progress, migrated, or canceled. Another app that you can use is Microsoft OneNote, where you can create a notebook per day and list all your to-dos. This is helpful since you can easily backtrack what you have finished for a certain day. These types of apps are not only helpful in accomplishing your daily task, but it also allows yourself to realize how much progress you are making.
Time blocking
Another important tip that could help you manage your time is Time Blocking. This is a method where you dedicate a certain time in a day for a specific task you want to accomplish. Whenever you create a to-do list or you are planning, you can also incorporate this method and time blocked for a specific routinary task that you usually do every day. If you are using Google Calendar, you can already block a time and schedule it for the next months. This is very effective especially if you easily get lost or overwhelm with your to-dos.
This will also allow you to have time constraints that will help you to be more focused and productive. When you take time to schedule ahead of time, you get a sense of potential problems that may arise and it also allows you to stop doing the unnecessary task that could practically prevent you from finishing your task at the right time.
Avoid Distractions
One of the most common distractions especially when you are working or studying at home is using your phones for social media. When you start scrolling, sometimes you don’t notice the time and instead of finishing a task, you end up doing nothing. This could lead you to procrastination and stress since you will have to make up for the time lost. To avoid this from happening, you can set a limit on your phone. There are available apps online that could help you focus more. If you are an Apple user, you could try setting a Focus for your work wherein you can set receiving notifications only from specific apps related to work.
There are a lot of distractions especially when you are at home. You could also set a place for yourself to set a mood for work or study. This is one of the benefits of condo living, you can have a condo design that is specific to your need as a student or working professional.
Reward yourself a break
Doing work or studying could be pretty draining. In order for you to keep going and stay motivated, you should always allow yourself to pause and breathe. You could consider walking, reading a book, catching up with friends, napping, doing things that you like like growing plants, or simply meditating. In this way, you will let yourself have time for yourself and avoid stress before finishing your work. This also lets your brain relax and regulate well to remain productive within the day.
Working or studying from home is really different from the normal setup we all had before the pandemic. But this doesn’t stop you from having a productive life but also remember that rest is also essential. It is important for you to be in an environment that will allow you to grow. Especially if you are a young professional, having your own space will allow you to grow better as a person. If you are looking for a place, you can start investing in a rent-to-own condo and look for a place ready for occupancy.
If you are looking for a new home and condo, Vista Residences is the best option for you! Vista Residences is the condominium arm of the country’s largest homebuilder, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. that offers rent-to-own, ready for occupancy and pre-selling condominium projects in Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Ortigas, Baguio, Cebu, and CDO that are strategically located within major cities, in close proximity to premium universities, transit-oriented locations, and developed business districts.
For more information on Vista Residences, email [email protected], follow @VistaResidencesOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, or call the Marketing Office at 0999 886 4262 / 0917 582 5167.
