My Journey with Time Management

On a cozy Sunday evening, I was lazing on the couch with a bowl of chips and my favourite show playing on TV when it suddenly hit me — I had two whole worksheets due the next day. I had two choices: either show up to class empty-handed or pull an all-nighter. Obviously, I went with the second option… but failed miserably. I fell asleep right on top of my worksheet, pen still in hand. The next morning, after a good earful from my teacher, I realised something had to change. This last-minute business wasn’t working anymore.

That’s when I turned to my mentor from my society for advice, and she shared some amazing time management tips with me.

The Eisenhower Matrix

The first was the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s basically a grid that helps you figure out how important and urgent tasks are. Urgent and important ones are your top priority. Important but not urgent tasks get scheduled for later. This matrix completely changed the way I saw my to-do list and helped me stop wasting time on less important things.

Credit - Asana

Planning my day the night before

Another strategy that really helped me was planning my day the night before. I’d take 10–15 minutes before bed to sit quietly with my planner, and list down every task that needed to be done the next day, and then arrange them in order of importance. I also made sure to include breaks, so my timetable didn't overwhelm me. This ensured I didn't have to worry about what task needed to be done, as the planning was done the night before, therefore taking a lot of stress out of the tasks

Setting SMART goals

Finally, my mentor taught me about SMART goals — goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. With SMART goals, I learned to break big tasks into smaller, digestible steps. For example, instead of saying “revise for my test,” I’d write “complete two chapters of Biology by 6 pm.” This made my goals more focused and easier to track. By ensuring my goals met all five SMART criteria, I felt less pressure and more motivation, because I could see exactly what I had to do and by when. Over time, this approach built my confidence and helped me achieve much more than I thought possible.

Since I’ve started applying these techniques, I’ve been more productive, less stressed, and (most importantly) no longer falling asleep on unfinished worksheets!

I asked my facilitator, Aarya Ma’am, about the importance of time management, and she said, “Time management helps you sort things out, and it reduces stress levels. It ensures one can be more productive, and it is a skill that one has to develop." Then I asked my friend about a time management technique that has helped her, and she said, ''The pomodoro technique has helped me a lot —  now, I'm able to balance work and fun stuff. It has helped me in making better decisions, which has helped me achieve my goals and therefore, reduced my stress.”

Time management really does change lives, and I hope you pick up some tips from here and implement it in your own life!

By Avani Singh, Grade 11