”Those who complain of time’s shortness.”

”Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.”

Jean de la Bruyere

Some of us are in school life, some in home and some in business life… But no matter where we are, we all need a time management. A reproach that most of us are used to, ”If I had a little more time for it, I could have managed it.’’

The definition of time; “maximizing efficiency even in a tiny period of time“. Is it important here to use time efficiently, or is it to fit so much things as much as possible in the relevant time?

How can we extend or shorten this time when we have 24 hours a day? Or how can we feel this particular time in different dimensions? Conscious time management.

Although there are different techniques of this issue, they may change for each person, let me tell you how I live these 24 hours as a Sagittarius who is fond of freedom and lives without planning.

Yes, as a woman who is too messy and unplanned, the responsibilities of living alone at home and of my little puppy, my own job as a German and English teacher, and as a personnel in this company, -if I add my personal life and my hobbies to this denominator-, I really have so much to do in a day. It was difficult for me to divide a day’s time into these denominators at first. What drove me to this planned time thing was the pressure I felt from the outside and the conflict of things I wanted to achieve and do in my own private life. I think not only me but almost everyone in the world feels this. That is why I will share with you a few methods that I have learned by experience and have benefited from.

• The first thing I would tell you would be to take note of what you did in a day. We do not know the numerical value of what we spend time during the day, as we do not write it and see it in writing. Yes, we know what we are doing but not how much time we spent. When I kept a report of my day, I realized that I was spending more than half of my day by idling around, except for what I had to do. If you ask me, it was not like that at all. I could only have been sitting on the sofa for an hour or two a day. I also noticed that I was participating in a lot of unnecessary things and going somewhere, doing hours of research on the internet for things I did not need.

• This advice to you especially if you are a working person… You can put down your goals of that day on a nice piece of paper of a planner that you will keep while sipping your morning coffee or having breakfast. We keep most things in our minds, but in so much turmoil, even important things can be forgotten- it is only human nature-. I am not saying put your whole life on one page but keeping a note of what you will actually do really makes your mind more relaxed. Another suggestion is to list the goals noted in order of importance. If it is not urgent, I do not recommend starting from tasks that require more time. The things that look small but outnumbered scare us because of the crowd it creates. What you should not forget here is to divide tasks, that are of great importance and will last long, into workable parts. Do not try to get this kind of thing done all at once. Including the extra daily surprise missions in this list according to their importance level will not make you lose anything.

• It is a proven fact that we are more productive in the morning and our minds are more active. Trying to solve complex structures and boring things during these hours allows us to achieve even things we normally cannot do. Although it may seem like crazy nonsense, I’ve experienced it too much. I usually leave things that I cannot do or think I can’t solve, unless they are very urgent, until the morning of the next day. My empty and not yet burdened mind allows me to look at things from a different perspective.

• Do not deal with more than one thing at the same time. Research has proven that human beings are not living beings belonging to the concept of multi-tasking. This phenomenon, which does more harm than good, allows us to divide our minds and lose our focus. In short, we divide our maximum focus we can show for a situation into multiple parts.

• Always keep this thought with you. ‘’I can also make mistakes. I may not succeed’’. There is no rule that everything will be perfect. The important thing is to learn from our failure and be prepared for the next. Although it seems very easy or cliché, adopting this mindset is a nice approach in terms of adopting positive thinking.

• You must take breaks for every of 90 minutes, at most, in your long-term action, especially those that require focus. When we focus, we cannot perceive how the clock is ticking. And even though this also seems focused, the efficiency of the work done by our brain is getting less and less. If you cannot calculate this, many applications you download to your phone may remind you to take a break. Thanks to a watch on my left arm, there is an application that will alert me when I sit too long. In this way, it is easier for me to take these breaks with an external driving force.

• Try to make use of the space in waiting situations caused by necessity, such as when you go early to the dentist before your appointment or while waiting for a train to arrive. Instead of waiting without doing anything, you can read user reviews on the internet to research on the market for an object you ask to buy. If you are one of those who cannot read a book while traveling, or are nauseated when looking at the phone, just watch outside. Although it may seem like nothing, choose to see the view rather than just looking. You can find a lot to learn there too.

• Although it may seem like personal development rather than time management, be sure to be interested in either an instrument or a sport. I mean, get a hobby. ‘‘I don’t have extra time for this”. You might say that. But when you deal with something extra, you will find that you actually have plenty of time for it. When you are interested in doing something the opposite of the tasks you have to do, it will help you find different solutions to the problems you face or change your point of view, as it works your brain in an unfamiliar way.
• Learn to say ‘‘No! ‘‘. The time is yours; life is yours. For situations that you do not need, that will not work for you. If you do not have duty of loyalty, choose to say NO.

It is up to you to fill the gaps in your life. Whether you work hard or sit in an armchair for hours, never ever forget to learn from something.