A common problem I hear from students is that they’re too busy to be organized. They know that being organized can help them do their work more efficiently and give them more free time, but they feel too busy even to start! Being too busy means we often leave things in various states of chaos, never having enough time to organize, think ahead, or finish things.
So here is a tip: Consider setting a “reflection and planning” time each week.
No matter how busy you are, it’s usually possible to carve out a half an hour a week for reflection and planning. I used to do this with my kids when we were homeschooling each Sunday evening. It was one task we never skipped.
During this half an hour, here are a few specific suggestions of what to do:
1. Make sure you have your must-do items scheduled
Open the calendar and make sure that all your “must do” items are scheduled. So of course you’ll add all the classes and meetings, but also block out time for “finish English paper” or “study for math test”—tasks that you know you need to do this week.
2. Don’t devalue “leisure activities”
Reflect on what’s not on your calendar. Make sure to think of “optional” pleasant things like being outside, being with friends, playing a game. Research has shown that people who get too caught up in activities they view as “work” tend to be less happy and less focused than people who carve out time for pleasurable activities, especially outdoors time and unstructured time with other people.
3. Update your calendar to block out time for those optional activities
Put a few of these “optional” items on your calendar, even if it’s only for a half an hour. Having them on your calendar will help you remember to do them and shows that they are a priority just like your “must-do” items.
4. Consider adding an end-of-week “cleanup” time
Putting a “cleanup” time for your calendar, perhaps at the end of the week or before your weekly reflection time, will also help you feel less busy. In this short period of time, all you’d do is put stuff away and find things you thought you’d lost. Really basic stuff that can help us all feel more sane and less stressed.
It’s true that when we’re busy, we often feel too busy to do the things that, ironically, would help us relax and feel less busy. Try these four steps each week for a month and let me know if it helps!