Hello there, Yay! I'm back with a new blog. Most people struggle with it, whether they are professionals or students. You should be able to better manage your important time after reading this blog, I hope. So let's begin right away.

What are the causes of time management issues in people?

Time management appears to be an easy topic to grasp. There is a task you need to complete and a deadline for doing so. You may easily fulfil the deadline if you manage your time well. Time management is still a challenging skill to learn, though. Students and others from many walks of life still struggle with it.

Not knowing your priorities or what to prioritise is one of the major challenges. One easy tip is to complete the work that is unquestionably a must-do if you have ten items listed. Knowing which tasks are critical is essential, as is understanding which tasks are not. Deciding what to do is as important as deciding what not to do.

How to figure out what is not important to do?

It's a horrible habit for unimportant activities to consume more time than they should. By way of illustration, let's say you just started a full-time job or internship that requires an additional time commitment from you in addition to your side jobs and volunteer activities. Thus, your internship will take precedence here, after which you will decide which of your side projects or community service is more important. A task must be considered important if it adds more value and must be finished right away.

How to prioritize things?

Eisenhower Method

To increase efficiency, different jobs can be categorised according to their urgency and importance using the Eisenhower Matrix. Tasks that are urgent require immediate attention and may have instant implications and repercussions. Important jobs frequently don't have immediate effects or consequences, yet they nonetheless help achieve goals. Contrary to popular opinion, this matrix demonstrates that not all urgent tasks are important, and not all-important jobs are urgent.

Important and Urgent: These responsibilities include urgent situations, last-minute requests, and work assignments with deadlines. Most of us spend the majority of our time in this area. So, for instance, you might be building a feature when you get stuck and read StackOverflow. Although this gives you the opportunity to put off your work, you shouldn't do so because you now have the context necessary to finish it. Instead of just putting off the activity and leaving it on your backlog, you can end up spending a maximum of 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Important but Not Urgent: These activities usually entail play, flow, exercise, self-care or relaxation, as well as personal goals. Although they are not urgent, finishing them could be beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing.

Urgent but Not Important: These chores include frantic work like returning phone calls and emails. Most of the time, you can assign these responsibilities to another person to free up your time from more critical tasks.

Delegation is a skill that people should develop to offload some tasks. Always ask yourself if anything is vital, or urgent, and if not, if you can delegate it to someone who is eager to assist. The art of delegating is just as crucial, or just as much a part of learning to recognise priorities and how to effectively manage your time.

Not Urgent and Not Important: These are ad hoc activities that frequently reduce productivity, like excessive usage of social media and television. Even if it's vital to take breaks from work and other obligations, try not to devote too much of your time to these activities.

Tools for time management practice

To avoid using digital tools because you spend the majority of your time using them, the best solution is to create calendars; one might be for your side projects, one for business, and one for personal use. And you block that particular period by adding blockers like your lunch break, focus time, workout, etc.

Is it rude to say NO?

People undervalue the power of refusal. Some people frequently meet requests from others for small favours or to organise events, and they wonder if it would be impolite to refuse.

Quick response: No

Because it's your time, it's absolutely acceptable to say no. Additionally, this is something that neither a college education nor a traditional education emphasise. They only tell what to do, and not what not to do. One of the negatives that are ingrained in our thoughts is that if we don't say yes, we will fall behind when we start a career or go to college because we are constantly overburdened.

It's better if you recognise it sooner. Returning to the original question, you don't have to be impolite; you can still be sympathetic and still answer, "Sorry, I'm not available." Again, you are under no need to explain your decision; it is entirely up to you. It is advised to consider your time, the requirement of the moment, how much time you have, and the reasons behind your yes or no decisions.

How to deal with procrastination?

People sometimes put off doing their work because they are aware of how much work it will take to finish it or because they know it will be difficult.

Some ways to get over it :

1. Try to finish everything that can be done immediately at that time only.
2. You should also divide up larger chores into smaller ones.
3. You can get rid of your delaying habits by altering your perspective, praising yourself for accomplishments, and letting go of perfectionism.
4. Quit over-dramatizing - One of the main reasons individuals put off doing anything is that they catastrophize, or make a big deal out of it.
5. Keep your "why" in mind - Consider concentrating on the purpose of the task: What are the advantages of finishing it? If you've been putting off cleaning out a closet, consider how good it will feel to enter the closet once it has been cleared of clutter.

How to balance college studies and other work?

A routine is helpful. Also, speak up; the main distinction between successful and unsuccessful people is between those who speak up and those who don't. Nothing can't be resolved by being silent, though. For instance, if something is too overwhelming, like, let's say, an internship, speak up, tell your mentors why this internship is difficult, and perhaps they can help. People will approach you to offer advice and offer to assist you, possibly by splitting the task. The key is to communicate effectively and to be completely honest. Speak up.

So yes, there concludes the blog. I really hope you learned a lot of useful information. I appreciate your time. Stay tuned.

A fascinating dialogue between Kunal Kushwaha and Princiya led to the creation of this blog.

On Twitter, you can follow me at @AakanshaPriya_. I publish articles on javascript, front-end technology, and other topics.