By Nadia Zulhasni, MSc International Management
When I first came to the University of Sheffield, I told myself that I only get one shot at this – I wanted to achieve my goals. Ten months on and here I am; juggling my company project, a paid pla cement with a charity organisation under the Postgraduate Advantage Scheme (PAS) and assisting the Management School as a Postgraduate Ambassador while aiming for a Distinction in my Master’s course. I am also maintaining my social life by travelling around at every opportunity I get!
Life can get overwhelming, but I love constantly being on the go. Here are some tips that I’d like to share in terms of time management: –
- Work out exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals. At this stage of your life, you don’t need to have everything figured out, but it’s crucial to know what you want so you can aim clearly.
- Set a time frame based on deadlines and then develop smaller sub-goals for each month, week and day. If necessary, split days into hours allocated for each goal.
- Make lists for each objective to be completed and crossed off as you go. You can do this with Microsoft Excel or a project management app which will mean you can visually see how much time you have left for each particular task. In my case, I like to go old school and carry a small organiser wherever I go.
- Always review your progress and motivate yourself in order to keep your momentum going towards your goals.
It’s important to note that you should multitask only when you HAVE TO. Doing two things or multiple things at once, like singing while cooking, is not the same as texting someone while writing a research report. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can multitask jobs effectively, especially important tasks that require your full attention. When you multitask, you’re shifting your attention back and forth between the activities quickly and mindlessly. Thus, your work tends to suffer AND takes a longer time to complete, as switching tasks means that your brain will need time to get
into a new train of thought. To overcome this, prioritise your tasks. I personally think that it’s better to focus on doing one thing really well than multitasking inefficiently.
While working towards your goals, don’t forget to have fun, explore the world through travel and forge bonds with people around you. Always add a little spice to your life no matter how busy you get.
Good luck and have fun in your journey towards your goals!