SCS32-W3 || Real Life Problem Solving Challenge: Time Management

We've all been there , at the end of the day we are exhausted, tired, phones are hot and we're about to go to bed.
But when you ask yourself, "what have I really achieved today". Silence cribs in.

The illusion of being busy vs being productive hits you.
You've been busy doing nothing. How pathetic....🤧
This happens when a person cannot manage his or her time properly.

But today, I will share with you how to overcome this through the various methods I've been using since secondary school.
And by doing so, you too should be able to manage your time properly.

01	How do you organize your daily schedule?

Back in secondary school, I use to struggle trying to manage my time during school hours and after school hours.
But I later discovered one of my class mates use to write a little to-do-list and slide it into his pocket before coming to school. He made sure he completed everything on the list before going home.
I decided to use the same method, listing out things that needed urgent attention with prior to thier level of importance.

These activities were drafted into the free periods and break times on our class time table.
Things like finishing up a classwork, completing notes, talking to friends and reading in the library. All these were part of my small to-do-list, and it helped me achieve a lot as at then.

For the before school and after school hours, I had a reading timetable at home, which included everything I do in a day while at home. Things like eating, taking a nap, playing or chatting outside with friends ( not everyday), doing dishes, etc.

This was drafted for me by my aunt. But as I grew up, I was able to modify and change some things on it to suite my schedule.
Every other extra duties that jumped in were taken care of effectively without disrupting my initial plans and target for the day.

_{An illustration of my typical to-do-list}

Till date , which I'm now a university student and also in my internship period, I still use the same method.
Only that work takes more of my time than any other thing.

02	What is the most important activity in your day that takes up the most of your time and is also essential? With original images.

The most important activity in my day is my professional work.
I'm an Electrical and Electronics Engineering student, and currently interning at Ubec Universal Technical Ventures, learning industrial Electrical installation.
We go to construction sites 6 days in a week, excluding Sundays.
But as an IT student, I don't go on Saturdays.

Why the work is essential is because;

It bridges theory and reality

In class, I've learnt how to calculate voltage drop, cable sizing, load balancing on paper. On site, I see why a 2.5mm² cable overheats, why earthing fails, or why a perfect circuit diagram still trips the breaker. I've learnt what textbooks only assumes.

Skills employers actually pay for

Companies hiring EEE grads want people who can read wiring diagrams, use a multimeter/clamp meter properly, troubleshoot faults, coordinate with electricians/civil teams. Installation internships has given me that hands-on proof. I wired a 3-phase distribution board.

I've discovered what I actually like

Electrical installation has let me test the experience early before committing to the career path.
I love PCB designs and climbing ladders which is sometimes scary 🥲. But with the experience have gathered over the two months, I'm confident of the career choice.

03	What is the technique that saves you time?

Doing things without procrastinating has always been the best technique.
There's a song that goes like this" if you have anything to do, do it quick".
I don't procrastinate , so that an unfinished task does not take up the time meant for another task.
I set time limits for each task. And if I can't finish after its time elapses, I move over to the next one. Then when I'm done with everyother task, I can go back to the unfinished ones.

04	Have you ever struggled with poor time management? How have you improved it?

Yes......
I have once struggled with poor time management.
When I started interning, the work was taking much of time than every other things going on in my life.
I used to wake up early, do house chores, and prepare to leave for work. And when I get back, I just shower ,eat , pick my phone and scroll till maybe 2 am or so, then I go to bed without achieving something big outside of work for myself.

How I've improved

With the to-do-list and the Eisenhower matrix method, I've been able to manage my time properly, giving more priority to important things.
I use the Eisenhower Matrix to navigate my to-do-list.

The Eisenhower Matrix= a 2x2 box, is a box used to decide what to do first when everything feels urgent or unimportant.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the US president + general, used it with the quote: “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”

Here’s the 4 boxes:

•	Urgent	Not Urgent
Important	1. Do First Crises, deadlines, emergencies. Do it now. Example; reading for tomorrow's exam, leaking pipe, etc	2. Schedule Goals, planning, relationships. No deadline but matters long-term. Example; Studying weekly, gym, calling mom, etc.
Not Important	3. Delegate Interruptions, some emails, requests from others. Urgent to them, not to you. Example; Some meetings, errands that others can do	4. Delete Time wasters, distractions. Neither urgent nor important. Example: Endless scrolling, gossip, random notifications
-	-	-

How I use it in 3 steps:
This doesn't need to be drafted out, just a simple calculation in the mind.

Firstly, I sort.
I look at my to-do list and ask "Is this important to my goals/values?" and "Does this need to be done now?

Secondly, I place each task in 1 of the 4 boxes

Lastly, I do box 1 now, schedule box 2 for later, delegate box 3, delete box 4

The point is that, most people live in box 1 all day and burn out. High-performers spend more time in box 2 where growth actually happens.

05	What advice would you give to others to manage their time better?

Being busy is different from being productive.
Being busy is motion without direction. It's replying every Dms, endless scrolling, staying on one task almost a whole day, staying up late, etc. You're active but, only on low value task.
It feels productive because your brain produces dopamine which make you feel like you've achieved a lot. But those things didn't change your life.

• Everyday, pick only three or four most important things and complete them. Do not try to finish up everything on your to-do-list. If you finish the things with high importance , everything else is bonus.

• Cut out low value task that steals your sleep, study or the time you spend with friends and family .
If a task won't matter in six months, it probably won't matter today. So dump it.

Thanks for reading through
US-ANDREW 😜

Cc;@ahsansharif

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I'll like to invite @imohmitch @emma-uttermost and @sampson01 to join the contest.