How Self-Awareness Play an Important Role in Time Management

Have you ever tried searching the keyword, “Time Management” on your favourite search engine? I can guarantee you over a million results. Almost each and every one of these articles would strongly communicate the value of time and some will even share remarkable strategies on how one should optimize their respective time to make the most of it. Some of the strategies which are widely discussed are organizing time using a calendar, prioritizing health and learning to say “no,” following the 80/20 rule, cancelling out external distractions, maintaining a good eating habit, sleeping on time and whatnot. We have all been there, reading about these hacks and going through them all the time. 

But let me ask you this particular question. How many of you have actually taken the step to implement them? Even if you’ve then for how long have you been successful in carrying it on forward. 

When it comes to time management, the problem isn’t whether you’ve strategized yourself correctly or not but the fact that whether you’ve addressed and mentally prepared yourself to make the implementation. In case, you haven’t, then you’re not self-aware. My current post is all about how one should identify whether they are self-aware about time management. And if they are then how should they organize themselves so they don’t forget that time management is a crucial step in their lives. 

Are you up for takes? Let’s get down to business. 

Maintain a Journal

What if I tell you that maintaining a journal can help you organize your time and keep you on the right track. If you haven’t given a thought to keeping a journal on you, now might just be the time. When you carry a journal with you, it allows you to pen down all the ideas that come to your mind on paper. Also, it stretches your IQ, boosts creativity, sparks imagination, boosts memory and improve self-discipline. 

But is that just about everything that a journal can do for you? 

Not really. One of the leading benefits of carrying a journal is that it can be your task scheduler. If you’re not a tech-savvy individual or even if you are, an old traditional method of creating plans isn’t going to hurt your self-respect. But, in return, it can offer you a whole lot more to boost productivity. 

Timestamp your tasks and jot them down in your journal so just in case, if you ever feel lazy… you can always go back to your journal and track your tasks from the manual task scheduler. Believe it or not, but when you write something with your own hands, it has a greater chance of storing in your memory than information which is automatically created on a software platform. A well-maintained journal will help you stay on track and at the same time, will always try to remind you about the things to achieve. 

Practice Mindfulness for Time Management

How many times have you felt that you’ve completely zoned out? Here are times when your brain stops being active and you feel dull and lethargic. A task that could’ve been completed in less than an hour now takes three hours to complete because your will of paying attention in the present moment is wavering off. Don’t worry! There are times when every one of us goes through a similar phase.

The art of paying attention to your own feelings and at the present moment is called mindfulness. We often try so hard to harness our own thoughts that we often forget that our own mind needs to vent. 

Take some time off in your day and let your mind wander freely for some time. Let it think about all the unusual thoughts it wants, take a seat, sit back & relax. Observe your own thoughts while it flows on. While doing so, you can label them silently as which of them are positive/negative/concerning/non-concerning. It will help you get your mind off things and eventually keep you on the right track. When you let your mind take the wheel, let’s just say for at least a good 15-20 minutes, it vents out and give you enough time to accomplish your tasks freely without hassle. 

Find a Motivation Buddy

If you can’t follow your own routine and happen to observe a lack of motivation in following a time schedule, how about you find yourself a motivation buddy. Motivation buddies can be someone such as your colleague who can help motivate you to stay on the right track. Encourage them to use a time-scheduler just as you so you both can stay self-aware of the fact that you want to manage time. 

At times, you can run out of ideas on how to effectively manage your time. You can always ask your motivation buddy to tell you what is the best way and voila! Before you know it, you’re all good to go. 

Having a motivation buddy is not a bad thing, especially when you’re in a professional setting. It only takes half of your efforts to stay up on the motivation scale, as the other half is fulfilled by them. 

So here are some of the ways how you can stay self-aware and be on the right track. 

Are you struggling with managing your time? The problem isn’t the strategy, it’s how self-aware you’re.