Are you a busy professional juggling work, family, and study commitments? Do you often feel overwhelmed and stressed? If so, you’re not alone. Many professionals face similar challenges. But with effective time management strategies, you can balance your commitments and achieve your goals.
Here are some tips to help you manage your time effectively:
- Prioritize Tasks
- Create a Realistic Schedule
- Time Blocking
- Learn to Say No
- Practice Self-Care
- Find a Study Partner
1. Prioritize Tasks
- Identify Important Tasks: Determine which tasks are most important and urgent.
- Use the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: Urgent and Important, Important but Not Urgent, Urgent but Not Important, and Neither Urgent nor Important.
- Focus on High-Priority Tasks: Prioritize tasks that align with your long-term goals.
2. Create a Realistic Schedule
- Set Realistic Goals: Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
- Use a Calendar or Planner: Schedule specific time slots for work, study, and personal activities. If you just want to track appointments and tasks with yourself or a few other people, we suggest going with Google Calendar and its many plugins (Notes, Tasks, Gmail, etc.) But if you’re looking to take notes, plan and organize all your certification journey in one place, Notion would be your go-to application! Consider downloading the Notion Calendar plugin too, and link it with your Google or Microsoft calendars for further clarity on your day to day tasks, meeting, and study sessions.
- Be Flexible: Be prepared to adjust your schedule as needed.
3. Time Blocking
- Allocate Specific Time Blocks: Dedicate specific time blocks for different activities.
- Minimize Distractions: Create a focused work environment by turning off notifications and finding a quiet space.
- Take Short Breaks: Short breaks can help you stay focused and productive.
4. Learn to Say No
Saying no is not necessarily a thing to do for entertainment activities or leisure time. Rather, saying no to anything that would divert you from your main objective.
Tired? Anxious? Can’t focus? Go the friends gathering, come back recharged, and make the best out of your remaining 1hour study session
Overwhelmed? Have a lot coming up? Your priorities are blurred? Say no to that friends gathering, set a timer for 25mins, cut-off all distractions, play your favorite music and get to planning or studying! With that, You are more likely to feel better by letting go of this grudge than by procrastinating with an ‘important’ friends’ gathering.
In other words, when you know your goal, and remind yourself of it day-in day-out, you’ll start making the right decision that would each time bring you a step closer to your goal.
Here are few other tips to learn how to “Say No”:
- Avoid Overcommitting: Decline additional responsibilities if you’re already overwhelmed, or discuss your weekly workload with your manager to ensure both of you are on the same page.
- Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work, study, and personal time. Funny enough, setting boundaries is like saying “NO” in advance for several other instances. Sorry not sorry🤷♀️
- Delegate Tasks: Delegate tasks to others whenever possible. Asking for help is a true deal-breaker. Be it a friend, an acquaintance, or an expert in the field! They might identify the solution you were blindly looking at for an entire hour.
5. Practice Self-Care
- Get Enough Sleep: Prioritize sleep to improve focus and productivity.
- Eat Healthy: Fuel your body with nutritious food.
- Exercise Regularly: Regular physical activity can reduce stress and boost energy levels.
- Take Breaks: Short breaks can help you recharge and avoid burnout. Try the Pomodoro technique!
By implementing these time management strategies, you can effectively balance your work, family, and study commitments. Remember, it’s important to be patient with yourself and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.
6. Find a Study Partner
A good strategy used by most studying professionals is the “Body Doubling” studying technique. In case you’re taking a self-study option, committing with a friend or colleague on fixed study sessions reduces the chance of procrastination and delays in the schedule, and makes you both accountable for each other’s time management approaches!
The problem, however, is that your study partner will most likely be as knowledgeable as you are. Finding a knowledgeable, expert in the field study partner would be a recommended investment for you to make. Morgan International is not only trusted by top universities, companies, and government entities but is an IMA platinum training provider, offering accounting and finance training programs for more than 25 years in over 28 locations worldwide. With over 150K+ trained candidates and alumni on board, Morgan International is your perfect study partner, offering you live online sessions with top-tier instructors, study material, and support.
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Do you have any specific time management tips or struggles you’d like to share? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
