[CHAT] I'm out of time, all the time!
Ever heard the saying; "Time flies when you're having fun!" but find yourself out of time anyway!?
Everyone struggles to fit things into their schedule so if you are looking for some tips to stay productive and get on top of time management or want to find out if there really are enough hours in the day, this is the chat for you!
Join us on Monday 31st October at 8:00pm (AEDT) as we discuss time management, organization and productivity in our everyday lives or click "reply" to start the chat now!
What helps you to keep using time-management devices such as diaries, apps or calendars
I definitely rely on my phone's calander and apps to keep me on track with everything. In terms of helping myself to actually remember what I put in them, I just make sure I have notifications turned on that come up on my lock screen - this seems to be the best way for me to remember everything as it comes! and now I am so used to looking at what is coming up next on my calander. So I definitely recommened turning on notifcations for any type of time-management apps if you haven't already 
I always keep my diary somewhere that I can see it and it's really handy to grab, as I definitely am one to not look in my physical diary, I will just go straight to my phone. But I find it I write stuff down I tend to remember that more as well. So even setting a reminder on my phone to check my diary can be useful 😛
@Randomness ah I like the quotes idea! I used to do the same thing when I was about 16 - might be good to try it again and build up some motivation 😛
I also heard somewhere that when you do something for 21 days, it will become a habit. I don't know how true it is but I always think, if I do this for just 3 weeks it will become easier!
@Chloee I've heard the 21 days thing too. I definitely think it becomes easier to do things once they're a habit - and it doesn't take that long to create one 🙂
I then really love my past self for having thought of that. 😛
@Randomness, haha I really gotta work on estimating how much time it takes to do things -a lot of the time, things take longer than I expected and then there's much stressing out as the deadline gets closer
Why does time 'fly by' when I have so much to do?
I guess the feeling of being overwhelmed with all the things to do, and not having much time to do each one. It feels sort of rushed and also for me, a lot of the time gets spent worrying about if I can get everything done -feeling overwhelmed and not being productive.
Gee it feels like time is flying by tonight! 😛 Time for another question
What do you do to stay organised at school, uni, work or in your personal life?
Is planning a neccesity for good time management? Why/why not?
I think planning helps make things more efficient because otherwise you might go into the task not being sure of what to do, wasting time doing bits that are unnecessary and that will get 'deleted' later on. Planning from the start helps me focus on what has to be done and then I can go and try to complete those things one at a time, knowing that I'm making progress towards the end goal.
How do you make the most of your time?
I think trying to get into a focused state of mind so that I'm ready to do the task. Also, a sense of urgency (e.g. the deadline coming up very soon) can really get me focused quickly! But that's pretty stressful and in the end the stress itself might be even more distracting
Looking forward to hearing about everyone's tips because I feel like I haven't been very productive lately!
Hey @cupcakes_032 🙂 There's nothing like a deadline to induce a sense of panic to finish things 😛 that's true though that the stress can also backfire and cause us to become less productive
What is productivity?
I think it's using your time well and spending an appropriate amount of time on things eg. doing something but not being really harsh on ourselves like some of us perfectionists are! I think productivity does include self care etc. as that is essential and it helps us have a clearer head to do everything else we need to do!
Is planning a neccesity for good time management? Why/why not?
Not sure about necessity but I think it really helps. Planning ahead can help you know what you need to do, when you need to do it and how much time you have to put to each thing. I think also good time management is a skill and rhythm you develop over time through practice.
Is planning a neccesity for good time management? Why/why not?
I think my answer is going to echo everyone elses. In short: absolutely! Our brains are great at trying to distract us with trivial things so it's important that we have a plan so we can stay on track. It also helps to prevent us becoming super overwhelmed at the last second because we've been procrastinating the whole time 😛 I also think there's such a thing as over-planning though - having a super regimented schedule that has no room for flexibility doesn't tend to end well either.
@Alison5 can definitely relate to spending more time making to-do lists than actually doing the things on the to-do list 😛
Hiya 🙂
What does 'productivity' mean to you?
For me, productivity is completing tasks and being in 'flow', like feeling good when making progress on something
How do I make the most of my time?
I have recently become obsessed with 'to do' lists and have found then very helpful. I used to become very stressed whenever I made a list because it always seemed to be never-ending. However, I have been able to recognise the effort put into each activity which gets me past this.
I sometimes worry I spend too much time on the list than actually doing the activities.
I really approach life with a 'don't waste time' attitude. This is still quite new to me but I find i'm much more satisfied with my efforts over the course of a day.
Rewards are also a great incentive to get things done, especially the boring or unpleasant activities like assignments and housework.
Is planning a neccesity for good time management? Why/why not?
I think an aspect of planning is necessary for effective time management, but as I said above, when it gets to the point of taking over the time you could be doing the activity, it is more detrimental than helpful.
Planning reduces mistakes in the future and helps set out what you need to do, clearly in your head or on paper.
Sorry, I've mucked the order of the questions.
So first we should answer (if you haven't already) Is planning a neccesity for good time management? Why/why not?
Then we can get to our own tips and how we manage our time.
How do you make the most of your time?
I don't Being focused and productive is a very good way to use your time. And also using it to take care of yourself is good.
Is planning a neccesity for good time management? Why/why not?
It tells you what you should be or want to be doing and at what time but it's your job to actually carry that plan out so I'd actually say no. I feel like sometimes it's fine to have goals to be completed on a day that just get done as the day goes on and things just flow.
It also reminds me of that joke where a mother is listening to a song, and the daughter asks, "Well, did he?!" And the mother is confused, "Did who what, dear?" And the daughter quickly replies, "Did Parsley save Rosemary in time??"
On a more related note, I'm looking forward to this GR!!
I'm actually so pumped!
I've been waiting all week!
Can't wait to hear everyone's ideas and tips too! 🙂
