Time Strategies

At this point, I am convinced that procrastination is a genetic factor. Both of my parents are procrastinators, and I am extremely guilty of it. I have a bad habit of eating my frogs all at once, at 3 in the morning!

"Procrastination: A plot to put off things til the last minute". Source: Flickr

All jokes aside, time management is a skill I continually have to work on. It's really important not just because we're college students, but also as, in the grander scheme of things, we all want to make the most of our time in life. I prefer working late at night, especially if it's writing. Thus, for me this is even more of a reason to start early and manage my time better. One of the articles I picked was "The Psychology of Checklists", by Lauren Marchese. One of the organisations I'm a part of uses Trello so it was interesting to see her perspective on time management, coming out of using the Trello app. I also use checklists as a strategy for time management, and I completely agree that it is really rewarding to make those little steps towards a larger goal. The second article I enjoyed reading was by Thomas Oppong on frog eating first thing in the morning. The title really caught my attention, but I really want to become better at doing the hard things first or as Oppong said, procrastinating in a more effective way (active and creative procrastination). Not doing the most challenging or tedious projects tends to be a way to procrastinate as I'll find a million tiny tasks to do before I tackle the frog. I liked that he also pointed out that it's sometimes alright to say no to things that aren't a priority or that you have a feeling you won't be able to carry out. It's a proactive strategy to time management, because then you find yourself with less things taking up your time in the first place.