The man who does is the man who thinks he can… this is a time-tested fact. You will always find positive people very sure of themselves and their abilities. They always think everything is possible. This is because of their confidence and positive thinking. People with vision have a decided bent of mind towards original thinking. They are able to look at things differently and can predict trends for the future. They are able to pick up future scenarios by looking at the present and past picture. It is this vision that foresees changes and eventually influences them. As a student, there are dreams galore and ambitions unlimited. There is a desire to be successful and famous. If this desire is laced with a positive thinking and appropriate action then nothing is hard to achieve. But all is easier said and done. The pressure to perform and achieve is so immense that young students get so caught up in everyday activities and lose track of their actual goals. Therefore effective time management and organization skills could be the best way to handle the hectic pace of life.
The Pickle-Jar theory of time management gives a very thoughtful insight into the need for time management. Here one picks up a pickle jar and puts rocks of all shapes and sizes in it till it is full. Then one keeps filling it up with sand till there is no more room for it. Finally one adds water to it when everything gets mixed up. The implication is that the rocks are big and small priorities of our life, sand is the additional priorities that we have. Adding water indicates our inability to sort out these priorities and making a mess of our lives. ( Wright, 2002).
The classic time management theory gives many wise lessons. With minor modifications here and there, time management skills might just fall into place. A student needs to chalk out a schedule with innate flexibility. It does not take rocket science to estimate the average time a project or assignment would take to compile. Consequently a student should work on it on a regular basis dividing the work over a period of time rather than crumbling under pressure just before the deadline. This would not only make the project work interesting, but also make the person develop a comprehensive outlook on the subject as there was no hurry to just finish it off. And of course he/she would not even miss out on the basketball game of that day!
Another smart time management tip is to identify the time-wasting factors (including people) in your environment. Try giving them no place in your daily schedules. Courtesy demands might not let you completely avoid them but there are sure shot alternatives of keeping them at bay. Ask such people to join you in a cleaning exercise or contribute in an academic assignment whenever they come. They would for sure not want to be a part of your routine the next time! People can be tamed but habits are difficult to tame. Your own attitude of procrastination needs to be set right by fitting the important ingredient of prioritization in your daily schedule. Once you know what tops your agenda, you would have no choice but to complete it.
Effective time management is incomplete if a student cannot combine it with efficient organization skills. If you are trying to wrap up two things at a time mostly there is something inherently wrong with how you function. One commonly hears a phrase, work smart not hard. Most students take on a tangent to its real meaning. The phrase in no way undermines the importance of hard work. It simply conveys that a student should both slog and reap the benefits of it. If one can do away with the cynicism of perfectionism all the time, it won’t be long before the real adventure of working and getting results becomes enjoyable.
Creating your own to-do-list is not a bad idea. In fact it combines the core messages of time management and organization skills at their best. Student life is a time when there is pressure from all around- your institute, family as well as peers. A student’s activities are not structured but flow beyond the classroom and elsewhere. It is during this time that a right balance between work and leisure would be the decisive factor in shaping ones future course of life. Setting a goal and then moving toward would not be arduous if a student just puts his/her focus right. Just try being a little more organized and you would find time for everything. The most important thing is to keep your goals as well as the means to achieve them very realistic.
References
Wright, Jeremy, 2002, Time management: The Pickle Jar Theory, Published in Project Management and Overflow, 2008. Web.
High School Study skills, 2008, Web.