The average person keeps many plates spinning. Work, family, participation in activities, or at least an attempt to maintain some social life. If you can’t stay on top of things. Life quickly becomes chaotic. 

Time management is key! To help with that, we’ve brought together seven, terrific time management tips.

1. Apps Can be a Time Management Life-Saver

Sometimes, your phone may seem like it contributes to your time management struggles. It’s easy to see why. There are plenty of games, social media apps, and messaging utilities that can distract you from any task at hand. That said, your phone may also be the most useful tool you own in your quest to manage your time better. You’ll just need a bit of self-discipline.

Your phone can be your one stop resource for scheduling help, to do lists, check lists, and note taking assistance. Most have a built in calendar, and the ability to set reminders. Use your phone’s built in utilities. Then, add apps such as Evernote and Trello to keep things organized and moving forward.

Finally, remember that you can block or temporarily disable any app that you believe is causing too much distraction. This will help you stay on task and get things done.

2. Stay on Top of Your Health And Well Being

There may not seem to be a direct relationship between self-care and time management, but the connection is truly there. It won’t matter how well you schedule and plan, if you feel like crud. That’s why maintaining your physical and mental health is so important.

Start with your sleep schedule. It should be adequate and consistent. Plan for getting sleep just like you plan time to study. Then, add in a bit of physical exercise. Even a 20-minute walk is better than nothing. Add in some decent meals each week, and take it easy on the booze. Finally, don’t let problems get out of hand before you address them. Regularly visit a doctor and dentist. And watch your mental health needs.

3. Use Checklists

There’s nothing worse than getting to a daily stand-up, and realizing that you completely spaced out on something. If this happens to you frequently, consider using checklists. These not only help you remember everything you need to do, you get the satisfaction of checking things off the list.

Here are some helpful tips for making checklists work for you:

• Use different colors to differentiate different subjects, monthly/daily/weekly tasks, or high vs. low priority tasks.

• Download an app to ensure your checklists are always on hand.

• Plan a small reward for completing a checklist.

• Put the most important items at the top of your list.

4. Write it Down

It’s no problem! I don’t need to write it down. Of course, I’ll remember it later! How many people have said this, only to forget everything later on? The result is late-night panicking as you struggle to get things done.

Never assume you will simply remember things. Instead, commit yourself to write it all down. You will never regret writing a task down that you remember anyway. You will always regret forgetting something that you should have written down.

This isn’t just advice for daily coursework either. Before school starts for the term, gather all of your schedules and course syllabi. Record all major due dates, lectures, special assignments, etc. This way, you don’t no-show for something important.

5. Routines Are Your Friend

Many people enjoy being spontaneous. That’s understandable, and the occasional  impromptu party or night on the town is fine. Still, the best way to stay on top of things is to create a schedule that gives you plenty of time to get things done. This routine should include a regular time to wake up and go to sleep. Of course, you need to create plenty of room in your schedule for work and hobbies too.

Do this, and you will almost always have plenty of time to get things done. You may even find that you have more leisure time by sticking with a schedule.

6. Don’t Get Disorganized

When you keep your notes organized, it’s so much easier to find what you need. You’ll also find that things don’t get lost in the shuffle nearly so often. The trick is finding an organizational method that works for you.

Some find that keeping a folder and notebook for each area of life works for them. Others prefer to keep a single folder for work, and another for personal notes. There are also multiple systems for keeping things in order. Here are some other tips that might work for you:

• Go digital when you can to avoid paperwork clutter.

• Use whiteboards to write things down and keep them in view.

• Pin things onto corkboard if you don’t need to carry them all of the time.

• Build time in your schedule to go through things and purge.

• Keep your workspaces organized as well.

7. It’s Not All About Work!

You won’t be a successful person if you never allow yourself to have fun. It’s important to maintain balance. Don’t give up your social life entirely. Your mental health is important, and isolation doesn’t help.  Also, don’t forget that your friends and family want to be supportive of you. If you need help, or simply a kind ear, let them know.

At times, you may realize that you are simply overwhelmed. In that case, there’s no shame in asking for help to stay on top of your tasks. If things are particularly difficult, you might even consider reducing your workload or giving up an activity.

Final Thoughts

If you think about it, time-management skills give you the gifts of free time and less stress. Stay on top of your busy schedule, and you will be better able to maximize and enjoy your downtime.