Time Management, a crucial topic that is ever so elusive. Recently, I wrote a post about juggling between work and studies. Coincidentally, January had also been my busiest month since starting work. Therefore, I will be sharing a bit of my experience in time management in January.
What happened this month?
This month (or rather since late December), I received a special assignment direct from the company CEO, to work on a Branding Strategy Project. This was a rare opportunity for me as a newly minted graduate in the workforce, so I definitely had to say yes!
In the meantime, I had myself enrolled into a Branding Class at NTU as part of my MiniMasters programme, and had to commit to classes in order to attain the certification. Furthermore, I did not want to disappoint on the blog, which I have committed to posting once a week.
Effective Calendar Planning
My first steps to tackle the month was to have a calendar planned out. I started with planning out blocks which I know have a fixed time, for instance my zoom live lectures. These are the times which I cannot schedule any meeting, work through the weekends, or schedule my self-paced online learning.
Next, I came up with a list of the number of hours I needed on each of my tasks, and did a tentative block on my calendar, to demarcate the time for those tasks, while still keeping the schedule open for meetings.
It seemed all too straightforward, but things can still go wrong, first check-in, second check-in, third check-in, and so forth… In the end, I ended up losing entire weekends working on the project.
To tackle effective calendar planning, I figured that moving forward, having gaps is necessary to be able to react to any potential situation which happens.
Not so much Time Management, but Energy Management
Halfway through the month, after my schedule was nice and packed effectively, I realised that I experienced a decrease in productivity on some days. Then, I recalled about the article on Harvard Business Review, to manage my energy and not my time. Right then, I realised I was spending too much time just working and neglecting the importance of leisure.
To react to the situation, I ensured that I ran minimally once a week. After the change, I felt a lot more refreshed and able to concentrate on what I was doing more effectively.
Moving forward, I intend to add a mix to my exercise routine, maybe the gym or a swim, to allow me to recharge after a fine day at work. How about you? How do you intend to manage your energy? Do leave your comments down below!
Next Month: Proper Planning and Pacing
In the month of February, I intend to plan for proper breaks within and outside my work day, as well as control the pace I complete what I intend to complete. After all, life is a marathon and not a race. A sprint at the start may result in massive burnout and damaging health, which decreases productivity and quality of life.
Either way, I’m glad that January has ended! I have successfully completed my branding course, and would be embarking on my digital marketing course next month. With our pre-read submitted, we are left with preparing for a presentation, before welcoming my next assignment at work!
As a plus, I managed to post for 5 weeks consecutive this year. If time permits, I intend to do a massive rebranding of the site over the next few months, to put my branding class knowledge to the test.
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