I’ve discovered three simple steps to establish a time-management routine that will make your productivity skyrocket. No, this isn’t a joke.

Don’t worry, these are college student approved and easy changes to make!

I’m almost positive the idea of time management has been drilled into your head by either your parents or professors, especially if you are a freshman. Trust me, I’ve been there. However, I want to show you how to easily plan your life. Arranging your personal-timetable should be seen as stress-free process, not an annoyance.

Time management is basically recognizing the hours you have in any given day or week and developing self-promoting habits that you can complete daily. Overall, you’re concentration increases significantly in less time because you completely eliminated useless time-wasters. By freeing up an extra hour of productivity every day, you give yourself an extra 250 hours of productivity a year!

Effective planning can also boost confidence. With more time for self care, you will ultimately feel better about the “you” that you are presenting to the world. The presence of deadlines can be an immense a source of anxiety if not handled properly. However, if you have a doable schedule in place to complete your tasks, making deadlines will be easier, thus creating feelings of accomplishment. Remember: You can’t finish an entire project in a day; make sure your tasks can actually be done daily.

Meal Planning

Meal prepping is an undeniable trend right now. Every time I open my Instagram someone else is showing their meal plan for the week. Honestly, I am completely here for it.

I love looking for new ideas and shortcuts to make life a little easier throughout the week. However, I want to show you a different approach. Meal planning not only saves prep time, but it also saves time at the grocery store because you walk in with a specific list.

You also save money and make smarter food choices when you meal plan because you have what you need and are less likely to buy food for convenience. Less trips to the store and a money-saver? Count me in.

Here are some basic meal planning tips.

1. Don’t start from scratch; think about your go-to meals and go from there!

2. Check the refrigerator and see what ingredients you already have instead of spending more money each week.

3. Think of multiple uses for one ingredient. For example, tortillas one night for tacos can also be used for Asian salad wraps the next.

4. Plan a lazy night, weeks are hard so build in a night that doesn’t require cooking and order in with friends or go to a restaurant!

These four simple tips will have you well on your way to making your best meals and having fun while doing it!

Planning for the Week

We’ve already touched on the idea of avoiding the “Sunday Scaries,” and if you missed it you can find it here. To give you a short summary, your Sunday does not have to be something you dread. Instead, it can actually be productive and help carry you throughout the week. Today, I want to carry those similar principles beyond Sunday and mention ways to make you feel accomplished and not wonder where all your time has gone.

The first thing to do is complete your most important tasks in the morning. If you are like me, you are a morning person and thrive before noon. Your prime-time is the perfect opportunity to knock out your work. Always take advantage of your mornings or nights (if you are a night owl).

Eliminate “half work” and distractions. James Clear created the term “half-work” to describe the things that are splitting our attention between the task at hand and whatever society is overwhelming us with. Whether that be emails, texts, or social media scrolling while writing a paper, all of those things are distracting you from accomplishing the tasks at hand.

Finally, at the beginning or end of the day, write down the things you need to finish. This will eliminate the stress of trying to determine what to do next because you already have it in front of you.

Gratitude

This one is my absolute favorite. I know most people probably don’t consider gratitude as part of their time management routine, but let me enlighten you. Life today is constantly fast-paced and overwhelming. Studies have shown that taking the time to write down things you are grateful for will have an effect on your happiness and physical well-being. But how does this have an effect on time management? Practicing gratitude will provide a renewed motivator to accomplish your daily tasks. For example, if you are thankful for the ability to attend Auburn you might be inclined to study harder when you get into the “spring slump.” I encourage you to take an extra five minutes to simply write what you’re grateful for and see the impact it has on your day-to-day life.

Planning takes an immense amount of self-control, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be golden. Take baby steps and realize this is a process. You’ve got this; I believe in you. As Sean Patrick Flanery once said, “do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

Happy planning and…

Be well, Auburn 

Photography: Abbey C.