Time Management

‘Do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.’ - Benjamin Franklin

The term ‘time management’ sounds pretty adult and grown-up, doesn’t it? Something that adults have to do to juggle all their responsibilities. Why would you want or need to ‘manage’ your time when you are young?! Shouldn’t you just be enjoying yourself? Well, fun is obviously very important, but time management skills are what you need in order to successfully work towards and achieve your goals. Learning these skills while you’re young is actually a great idea, as they really will support you to succeed throughout your life at whatever you want to do!

In this blog post, we are going to explore:

  • why you would want to learn how to manage your time

  • identifying values, goals and priorities

  • how to a create time management system that works for you

  • how to schedule and plan

  • asking for support with time management

Look out for our next time management blog on managing study time, study techniques and avoiding procrastination.

‘You will never ‘find’ time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.’ - Charles Buxton

Why would you want to learn how to manage your time?

The main reason for time management is simply to make sure you have time to do the things you want and need to do. It can become very stressful to always feel like there is too much to do, and not enough time to do it. By being more focused and intentional about what it is you want and need to get done each day, you will feel calmer and more satisfied with yourself and your life.

Students and young people often have a lot going on. For example: studying, jobs, household chores, caring responsibilities, hobbies, activities and social lives. If you are not aware of what you are spending your time on, then you may be wasting opportunities to work towards a goal that is important to you, as well as opportunities to relax and enjoy yourself.

While you might be able to get by with patchy time management skills when you are younger, it’s much more difficult as you get older and life gets more complicated. It’s not so easy to pull an all-nighter to get an essay finished when you have children to look after, and your boss may not be as understanding as a teacher when you submit your work late. So, this is the ideal time to learn how to manage your own time wisely and confidently!

‘Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’ from ‘The Summer Day’ by Mary Oliver

Identify your values, goals and priorities

Values

What you value is what you consider to be important and worthwhile. Some examples of values are:

  • Honesty

  • Wisdom

  • Respect

  • Integrity

  • Courage

If your life is aligned with your values, you are more likely to feel at ease within yourself, and satisfied with your life. You can choose how to spend your time to make sure your life is aligning with your values. For example, if charity or service is one of your values, then you may feel very good about spending some time each month volunteering with a local charity.

If you’re struggling to figure out what values are most important to you, then have a look at this handy list. Think about what you currently spend your time on, and how that makes you feel. Talk it over with a trusted friend or family member, or write down your thoughts in a notebook. Identify anything you are drawn to but not currently doing.

Goals

In our blog on Atomic Habits, we talked about building systems to achieve goals. Time management fits perfectly with this. The goal is the longer-term aim, while managing time is part of the system. For example:

  • ‘My goal is to pass my exams in May’ - I will need to manage my workload and study time.

  • ‘My goal is to learn how to play the piano to a level where I can perform in front of my friends and family’ - I will spend time practising the piano and attending lessons

  • ‘My goal is to be able to do the splits’ - I will spend time stretching and practising the splits

  • ‘My goal is to earn enough money this summer to pay for my mobile phone next academic year’ - I will spend time working and managing my money

Once you are clear on your goals, you can then ensure that how you spend your time takes you closer to achieving them.

Prioritise

We all have things that we have to do as well as things we want to do. In addition to working towards your goals, you may also have a part-time job, household chores or other tasks that must be done every week. How do you fit everything in? What comes first? The first step is to make a list of ALL the tasks for the week: school/study-related, home-related, social and any activities you want to do. Then rate each one by how urgent it is, and how important it is.

For example:

List of things to deal with

  • History essay due by Friday (late from last week, this is the last chance to submit)

  • Dog walking every day to help Mum

  • Keep up with social media

  • Watch new series of Heartstopper on Netflix

  • Make friend a birthday card and gift for party at weekend

  • Study for Maths test on Thursday

  • Respond to smartphone notifications

  • Research for ongoing art project - need to take photos!

Depending on your values and goals, your week’s priorities could be categorised like this:

Now you try with your own tasks! Identifying what needs to get done and why is the first main step in time management.

‘Time management is all about distinguishing between what is important for you and what simply lures you into useless activities.’ - Dr Prem Jagyasi

Create your own time management system

Now we are moving from the ‘why’ and ‘what’ to the ‘how’. Let’s look at how to create a time management system that is simple, clearly defined and comfortable to use. By putting in place a good system that works for you, you can make real progress working towards your goals and meeting your commitments. There are three main options:

  • Paper-based - using a paper calendar, daily planner or diary, plus blank pages for notes

  • Digital system - all your devices synced together: calendar, task app or to do lists and notes

  • Hybrid - whatever combination is simplest and easiest for you to use, for example digital synced calendar and task app plus a plain notebook for making lists, notes, ideas, mind maps etc.

Tools for time management

  • Calendar - it’s best to keep just ONE calendar up-to-date with what’s happening, either paper or digital but easily accessible and with you most of the time. Get into the habit of checking this every day, so you can keep track of what’s on and what’s coming up.

  • Action item list - this is a list of all the things you have to do! It’s a way to keep track of all your tasks. Again, experiment with what works for you - a handwritten list that you can tick off, a digital list that you can change colours/delete items when they are done - there’s no right or wrong. This can be broken down into sub-lists for different projects too.

  • Reminders - to be effective, reminders must catch your attention! You can use notification reminders on your devices, or go low-tech and use coloured sticky notes wherever you are most likely to notice them. Experiment and see what works for you. Some people even schedule email reminders to themselves!

  • Note-taking - if you’re someone who has a lot of thoughts and ideas throughout the day, you may like to try noting them down somewhere. A blank notebook or sketchbook is ideal, or use the notes function on your phone or tablet. Making notes can help you capture valuable ideas, and prevent you from getting sidetracked from what you are currently doing. Make the note, return to what you are doing, then review your notes later on.

‘The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.’

- Stephen R. Covey

How to schedule and plan

Now that you’ve identified your values, goals and priorities, created a time management system, and you have your action item list - how do you go about making all this happen?

Things won’t ‘just happen’. You have to make time for what you want and need to get done. Let’s take the above example a step further:

Your priorities at the moment are spending time with family and friends, getting back on track with your school work, and looking after your wellbeing by limiting screen time and getting enough rest and sleep.

You might decide to do the following:

  • Switch off non-urgent notifications on your phone and decide which times of the day you are going to check your messages, email and socials. That way you are in charge, not your phone!

  • Adhere to agreed time limits for screen time, to help you focus on what really matters.

  • Go to to bed by about 10 pm on school nights, a little later on Friday and Saturday nights.

And plan out your week in your calendar:

Monday

7.30am - walk dog before school

8.30-3.35pm - at school

3.35-4.45pm - walk home with a friend, have a break

4.45-6.00pm - work on history essay

6.00-7.00pm - dinner with family, dishes

7.00-8.30pm - study for Maths test

8.30-9.30pm - watch an episode of Heartstopper

Tuesday

7.30am - walk dog before school. Take some photos for art project on walk.

8.30am-3.30pm - at school

3.30-5.00pm - netball

5.00-7.00pm - walk home, shower, dinner with family, help clean up kitchen

7.00-9.00pm - finish writing history essay/if time more maths revision

9.00-9.30pm - think about birthday card and gift - do you have the supplies you need?

Wednesday

7.30am - walk dog before school. Take more photos for art project.

8.30am-3.30pm - at school

3.30-4.45pm - walk home with a friend, have a break

4.45-6.00pm - review/finalise history essay

6.00-7.00pm - dinner with family, dishes

7.00-8.30pm - study for maths test tomorrow

Get a good night’s sleep!

Thursday

7.30am - walk dog before school.

8.30am-3.30pm - at school. Do Maths test. Hand in history essay.

3.30-5.30pm - netball match - friends and family watching

5.30-7.00pm - walk home with family, shower, dinner, dishes

7.00-8.30pm - review photos for art project - any more needed? Plan and schedule what happens next

8.30pm-9.30pm - watch an episode of Heartstopper, possibly while making birthday card and gift

Friday

8.30am-12.30pm - at school

12.30-1.30pm - walk home, lunch.

1.30-4.00pm - take dog out for long walk, with a friend

4.00-6.00pm - finish making birthday card and gift

6.00-7.00pm - dinner with family, dishes

7.00-8.00pm - play a game with siblings

8.00-10.00pm - watch two episodes of Heartstopper

You can see that this schedule fits everything in while still allowing some ‘space’. For example, dinner might not take so long and you may get a 20-min window to be online before you start studying in the evening. If you didn’t manage to finish the history essay by Thursday, you could still have a bit of time on Thursday evening as Friday is the absolute deadline.

Top tips for effective scheduling and planning:

  • Make sure your calendar is kept up-to-date with events, work shifts and appointments etc.

  • Be realistic about how long it takes to do things. If you don’t know, time yourself and keep a record for next time. For example, you may put off tidying and cleaning your room because it’s a boring job that feels like it takes hours. Time yourself while you do the task, and you may find it doesn’t take as long as you think. If you put on music or an audiobook you like, it might even become an easier task! Next time, you will remember ‘oh, it only takes an hour to properly sort my room out’ and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

  • For study assignments and essays, overestimate how much time you will need. Then, if it takes less time, you will feel pleased with yourself and have some free time to enjoy!

  • Look at bigger goals/projects and break them down into smaller chunks/items which can then be scheduled into your calendar. Over the days/weeks/months/year you will make it happen!

  • Think about what kind of tasks are easier for you at different times in the day. For example, do you study most effectively in the early morning? Are you more creative in the evenings? If you can schedule your time - as far as you are able - to suit your own natural rhythms, life will feel a lot easier.

  • Remember to make time to play, relax and have fun - find a good balance of work and play that suits your life.

‘Either you run the day, or the day runs you.’ - Jim Rohn

Ask for support with time management stuff

If you find managing your time difficult, you are definitely not alone! For lots of people, this is not a life skill that comes easy. When it feels like things are not getting done, or deadlines are getting missed, a lot of stress can be created. But with perseverance, you can learn and improve these skills. It’s ok to ask for help. Perhaps you might discuss the issue with trusted adult - you can talk to them about:

  • everything you have going on at the moment/this year

  • how you are managing things at the moment

  • how you are feeling about it - for example, you may be feeling overwhelmed or confused, or forgetting things you want to remember

  • discuss possible ways to manage this situation - for example, putting reminders in your phone; or buying a paper planner and using coloured sticky notes.

You might ask the people you live with to check in with you at agreed times about how you are getting on. You could put a copy of your schedule in the shared living space, or ask those around you to provide specific reminders. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to do this. Experiment and find what works for you.

‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.’ - Steve Jobs

Our challenge to you

For the next week, be curious about how you currently spend your time. You might use a notebook or make a note on your phone of what things you are actually doing each day, and how long you are spending on things. You can look at the activity statistics on your devices to find out how long you are really spending online, and what you are doing - you might be surprised! Reflect on whether this matches up with your values, goals and priorities - are you spending enough time on what really matters to you? What could you do differently next week? Schedule some time for the things that you really want to do. Be kind to yourself. Remember, you’re in the process of learning very important life skills - nobody is born knowing how to manage their time!

‘No one has ever lived in the past or the future - only the now.’ - Thich Nhat Hanh

Look out for our next time management blog on managing study time, study techniques and avoiding procrastination.

Further resources:

https://studentden.com/how-to-teach-time-management-skills-to-teens/

https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/8-time-management-tips-for-students/

Time Management Tips for Teens

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers by Sean Covey

Getting Things Done for Teens by David Allen, Mike Williams & Mark Wallace