Now that the semester has started, time seems to be scarce. I have work, class, homework, projects, reading, and personal goals that must all be achieved in any given week. So this is what I have been attempting to doing to keep myself organized and on track making sure that I do everything I have to do:
1. Write a list of everything you need to do
So I have a list of everything I have to do whether it is due in the week or not; if it was something discussed in class or at work or something I want to do, it goes on my list. That being said this list will probably never go away because there are always things that need to get done or things that we want to do. The point of the list is to remind you of everything that needs to be done. This list can be overwhelming though, so that is why we must further organize it and figure out how we want to prioritize everything on the list.
2. Put that list in order of priority of when it needs to get done
The next step is to prioritize your list. Consider if you have projects or work due in the coming days and put that on top in order of due dates if there are any. For those things you just want to get done generally, you need to leave that at the bottom of your list for now, because no one but you are concerned with that. That is unless you have laundry to do and you are on your last pair of socks! The point is to make sure you know what needs to get done first over what you would like to do first.
3. Create a daily list (Consider your time)
Everything on that list cannot be done all in one day! Next you need to further organize that list to lessen the stress of a list as long as I assume everyone’s is. So now you must take the things on the top of your list and choose when they will get done. Let us say tomorrow you want to start on clearing some items off your list, you need to first figure out how much time you actually have to do anything tomorrow. Keep in mind if you have a job or class where you are using that time to be there and not to knock things off your list. Based off the time you have say tomorrow, you can choose what on your list you can get done starting with that which is on the top (your first priorities). Some things may take less time than others, so you might want to do things that take least amount of time first if you do not have the time on the day you decide to do those things. This will be your daily list which you know will go away after you complete that day. Remember not to place more than you can accomplish that day because if everything on your list is not cleared, you will be disappointed. Besides the point is to break things down to not get overwhelm yourself.
4. Repetitive tasks on your list
There are somethings that you do everyday or multiple times a week, for instance, if you exercise 3 or 4 times a week. If it happens to be a day you need to include that exercise time, you must keep in mind that it takes time away from other things on your list and that affects what you can or cannot do that day.
5. Get everything done on your daily list
So finally make sure you get everything done on your daily list because that is the only way to keep your stress level in check and not overwhelm yourself. After getting everything done on your list, you will feel accomplished and it will keep you motivated to continue working hard and show you that you can get everything done!
