Time Strategies

 Time Strategies

I've always had an interesting relationship with time management strategies. I'll do them and be productive, but then neglect other aspects of my life. I read the "The Myth of 'Too Busy'" and that article gave me a really nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach. As someone who, in my sophomore year of college, would be at school from 8:30am to 10:00pm or later on some days, this was frustrating. Because while I was certainly productive, I was incredibly unhappy, which in turn made me feel worse overall. This whole "grind culture" is toxic. It's almost like a necessary evil to be deemed "successful" in this world. Particularly in America, we have a nasty habit of equating self-worth with our productivity output. That's a harmful mindset. I understand the ability to manage your time and its importance but I think that it's also good to watch out for yourself. 

I've done enough time management with lots of coursework, leadership positions, etc. My busiest semester (Spring 2018), I was working part time, in 21 credit hours, and on exec for several organizations. I know I can make it through hairy patches if need be. 

Most of my time management strategies are specifically directed towards practicing (as that's basically what I'm doing until I can make a career out of playing and teaching). But one method I've found useful is the Pomodoro method (25 mins on, 5 mins off). 

I don't think I'll have time challenges this semester, especially compared to other semesters, but we'll see. 

    (image: clock - link Open Clipart-Vectors)