Adulting in the Real World: Time Management

A deadline is looming. You only have a few hours left until you need to submit the final version of a project. You know how important it is, your heart beats fast, your knees bounce…but you continue to click, “Next Episode” on Netflix.

Don’t worry, we have all been there!

When we were younger, our parents or guardians seemed to be in control of our schedule and time management for us and enforcing appropriate times for school, sleep, appointments, and recreation.  

All of a sudden, it is like adulthood hits full force, and we have to start planning our days, weeks, and months. We have to start prioritizing, or potentially pushing things aside to get the “more important” tasks done. It’s difficult! How do we create that work-life balance? How can we possibly find the time to see our friends? Well, the answer to those questions is to simply learn the proper time-management tools.

Time management is one of those issues we all face, but (ironically) feel like we don’t have the time to address. You don’t have to cancel your plans with friends in order to get that last-minute work project done, or skip the gym because you had to fit in your errands. You just have to prioritize your time and create some organization in your life! 

Here is a 6 step time management checklist to help you get started:

1. Solidify your goals
2.  Build a to do list based on your goals, these are the specific action steps you are taking
3. Create a way to keep track of your to do list and goals 
4. Consider how you operate and create a schedule accordingly (i.e do you need more rigidity or flexibility)
5. Track action step and goal completion
6. Having all this in writing is super important!

Goal completion and scheduling is not static, it constantly changes as things evolve. Be mindful of how things progress and what that means for your goals and action steps. 

Take your first action step today and start building a solid time management plan!

As reflected in the checklist, the first step to time management is about making your available time help serve your goals. Having clear goals makes it much easier to manage your time effectively!

Right now, take a few minutes and think about what goals you may have. When thinking about goals, think both in the short-term and long-term. Once you have a clear picture of your goals you can start creating a more effective time-management plan, leading to more ease in accomplishing all that you want to. 

Remember, a lot of people can relate to feeling like there is not enough time in the day to get tasks done. Just know that you’re not alone, and there are many people who understand what you’re going through. It can be helpful to get support for solidarity and understanding. 

Knowledge is power! A huge way to manage your time as an adult is to learn how to adult in the real world. They don’t teach you these things in school and that leaves you lost and confused. When you have the information and can then create a plan of action and the stress of feeling like there is not enough time in the day will soon slip away! 

One of the biggest struggles of young adulthood is understanding how to manage money. For some tips and strategies to help navigate this struggle, grab a copy of my FREE budgeting checklist. Learn how to make the seemingly unmanageable stress of money become less scary and unmanageable make your money work for YOU!