3 Ways: Balancing Time Through Scheduling

It is very important to figure out how to balance you time as you gain aspects to your life. During school, I have to balance my academic work, my dorm job, my social life, my personal time and my ability to keep a reasonable outlook on the future. This past summer, I was balancing an internship, tutoring, family time, and my own personal time while I tried to figure out where I want to go after graduating from MIT.

I will share a few tips for balancing your time.

• Keep a monthly and daily calendar

Keeping track of your upcoming events can give you a great sense of pacing so that you don't end up transitioning from lazy empty days to a frantic crush.

A daily calendar is very useful for finding time to reflect. I try to make sure that I wake up and go to sleep at the same time, allotting time before I sleep to reflect on the day and to set goals for the next. This time of reflection has totally changed how I view my days: I see what I have been successful at and what I should alter in order to improve.

You can read about and look at my old planner here

• Start the day with a To Do list

When you start off with a To Do list you are beginning your day with a promise to get certain things done. It keeps you accountable and helps to break up the large monthly projects into smaller pieces that you can tackle.

There are plenty of ways to keep a To Do list. My planner is where I keep my daily list; on lazier days I will keep a list on my blog. Other people prefer to use apps on their phone or laptop. It really doesn't matter how you keep this list so long as you do. Similarly whatever style or format is just a way to keep you focused.

• Plan enjoyable activities in advance

I don't mean that you need to have a schedule for your next netflix binge. Rather, know that there are going to be days where you want to just sit around the house. Plan a day for that the same way you plan a day to go out for tea with friends you haven't talked to in a while.

When you make sure you have enjoyable things to do, you make sure that you don't burn out. It's often after an aimless walk around time that I have the best ideas so I plan to walk before I study.