I have a habit of going through different phases of activity whether that's exercising, cramming for an exam, sleeping early/late, etc. I focus on the one thing that I’m most concerned about at the time and that's usually the one with the closest deadline or goal. I am a horrible multitasker and I wish I could put all my efforts toward completing one task well at a time, but as you all know, that's not how life works. It has been a struggle to juggle all my different responsibilities and I have found that often times I get caught in the cycle of playing catch up to make up for neglecting one of my priorities.
A mentor of mine showed me a version of the illustration below that can be translated into how we use our time. I always complain that there aren’t enough hours in a day, but really there are so many minutes that I spend on my phone or distracted that add up. Essentially, this illustration is meant to show that a certain amount of material (analogous to our to do lists) can fit into a jar when the stones are placed from largest to smallest. But when you try to fill the jar with same amount starting with your random tasks (the fine sand), there’s no way you can fit everything in especially your larger priorities. I think this is a classic example of the importance of prioritization. Sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to get everything done in the time we have, but it’s all a battle of balance and reordering your tasks.
I'm a visual learner which is why I have used a planner religiously and even if I don’t have it on me I jot down what comes to mind in my phone to transfer over later. I will never know how some people keep a mental checklist and stay on top of all that they have to do. If you’re a stationery and planning enthusiast, I have a few recommendations that I think can change the way you plan. If you’re mental note taker, maybe I can convince you to enter the world of planners.
1) The Passion Planner
This planner changed the way I saw planning. There are great standard planners that are priced reasonably and get the job done, but the passion planner has an element of purpose and goal setting that your average planners don’t have. This was my intermediate step to bullet journaling which I will talk about next. But it has space for any notes you need to jot down, blank pages for creative spreads and is very customizable. I really liked how this planner had all the hours marked down for each day so you could really visually see how you were using your time. And at the end of every month, there is a reflection page for you to write down who you were thankful for, what the highlight of the month was and what you need to improve on. Some people use this planner as a journal to keep all their thoughts in as well. I highly recommend you check this planner out if you’re looking for an in between where the layout is all ready for you to enjoy.
2) Bullet Journaling
I never really thought I would get into this, because it looked too time consuming. But this year I decided I wanted to try something different. I had been gifted the passion planner last year, so I was deciding whether I wanted to buy another one or not. There’s no going back to standard planners after you try the passion planner. I feel like I could have been sponsored by them by the way I am hyping them up, but I really loved it. I decided to give bullet journaling a shot, because I wanted the freedom to make my own spreads only full of things I knew I would use. Here are a couple pictures of my January spreads in my Dingbats notebook.
The thing I like about bullet journaling is that you have the power to include what you want. After becoming aware of what you need to improve on and remember, you can include trackers, reminders or a thankful column like me. This might be too extra for many of you, but I think using any form of a planner can really make a difference in dividing up your time. Starting last year, I started incorporating my mental health awareness trackers into these planners, and looking back it helps me know how I was in the past month. Balancing all your priorities involves being aware of all your tasks, responsibilities and goals, and to effectively do that you need to be aware of your needs, health and abilities. I see everything as interconnected. How you are doing in your personal life can have an impact on your work. That’s also why I am such a big advocate for planners, because I now see them as something more than a checklist. Even if it’s not for you, find a system that can allow you to keep your priorities in order, so that you can get everything accomplished that you set out to do.
"Don't be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to the ultimate goal becomes a mini goal in itself." -Denis Waitley
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