How to Manage a Busy Schedule

Keeping yourself on track is difficult when you’re juggling a busy schedule and lots of obligations. When you’re dealing with a lot of things, it’s easy to become reactive and just handle issue after issue in the moment instead of planning ahead. When you are reactive, you aren’t in control of your time — time is in control of you — which can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. That cycle isn’t healthy, and it isn’t going to set you up for sustainable success.

Busyness is the amount of stuff you are doing, but productivity is about how well you tackle all of your tasks efficiently. When you can manage your time effectively, you can focus on being productive with the added bonus of feeling more in charge of your life.

Here’s how you can get started:

• Determine your priorities: You have a lot to do, but some things are more important than others. If you’re short on time, put the most effort into your most important priorities. Try making a list of all the things you need to do. Then, order the list from most important to least important item. When things get hectic, concentrate on doing the things that matter the most instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything. 
• Keep track of events: Staying organized is difficult when you have a busy schedule. When you’re trying to manage your time, using tools like a calendar to keep track of events and alarms to keep track of the time will help you stay on top of things. Taking the extra time to stay organized will actually save you time long-term. 
• Plan your day: Unexpected events will definitely pop up, but oftentimes we can plan our days out ahead of time. Make a habit of looking at your calendar or list of upcoming events every evening. Determine what you’ll need to do, where you’ll need to go and what time you’ll need to leave to get all these things done.
• Create a schedule: Try to take control of your day by creating a set schedule. This could include creating a specific time to wake up, eat meals or go to bed. Life will sometimes get in the way of your schedule, but your schedule will help you manage and take charge of your life. 

Questions

1. Do you feel like you are managing your time well?
2. How do you think planning ahead can save people time long-term?
3. How do you think you could schedule your time more effectively right now?

Resource: 

https://www.lifehack.org/837966/busy-schedule

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-manage-busy-schedule