See some examples of time-oriented goals.

For example, a long-term goal might be to become a Nursing Unit Manager. In order to meet this long-term goal, short-term goals might include the following:

• Earn a Bachelor of Nursing degree
• Obtain employment as a Registered Nurse
• Develop skills by attending two Professional Development workshops per year
• Develop positive relationships with colleagues, clients and supervisors by using emotional intelligence skills

Within all of our goals, there are shorter-term objectives. Objectives are the shorter-term goals you must achieve in order to accomplish your bigger goals. For example, possible objectives for two of the goals mentioned previously might be the following:

• Earn a Bachelor of Nursing degree:
• Study full-time to finish in three years
• Study at least eight hours per day to earn a high grade
• See my tutor once per term
• Allow one night per week for social time, but focus on studies the rest of the time

• Obtain employment as a Registered Nurse:
• Perform at my best during clinical placement
• Create a dynamic CV
• Maintain a high quality, up-to-date professional portfolio
• Obtain references from tutors and instructors

After identifying and setting your goals, begin by looking at how you can plan your time and make the best use of the 24 hours of each day!

Start planning

In order to manage your time, you need to start by looking at:

• what you need to do
• when you need to do it by
• how long it will take

You should then schedule these tasks on your timetable and allocate an estimated time of completion for each one.

Establish priorities

To be a successful planner, you need to establish priorities. To help with this, Covey’s Urgent/Important matrix is a tool for thinking about effective ways to manage time. It is divided into four sections:

The matrix enables you to consider how you could prioritise your tasks or activities. The purpose of each section is to classify an activity depending on its urgency and importance. Unimportant activities should be avoided or minimised. Important activities should be prioritised and given more focus. A matrix that relates specifically to a study context might look like this:

Planning for a year ahead

Now that you’ve established your priorities, you can start planning. Firstly, record your priorities for the year ahead. Use a year planner to record the dates of:

• Tests

• Exams

• Assignment due dates

• Social events and family time

• Paid work commitments

• Holidays

Display your year planner in your study area, your computer desktop or your mobile device. Update it and refer to it regularly. It gives you an important overview of everything that needs to be done and how it all fits together.

Once you’ve established your priorities for the year, you can work on weekly planning. Use a weekly planner to:

• Create a schedule that has all your commitments, including study time, household/family time, exercise and paid work.

• Total up the remaining time in the week.

• Allocate enough time for each subject, bearing in mind your ability level and the time required. Some subjects will need more time than others.

• Allow for break times and for leisure and exercise.

• Plan for rewards based on the assumption that you stick to your plans!

In the weekly planner you can:

• Add details about specifically what to do. For example, “Read Topic 6 for Leadership course”, “Do questions 4 and 5 in Business assignment”.

• Break tasks into small chunks, setting manageable tasks and goals.

• Allow time for checking and reviewing assignments before the due date.

Finally, you will also benefit from planning a day. As each new day approaches, review your week plan to make sure that it is up to date. Make a 'to do' list for each day if this will help focus your activities. 

• Use your day plan to add discipline to your working day

• Be active with your plan. Tick off completed tasks and keep a check on uncompleted activity

• Avoid overburdening your day plan–only set out to complete realistic tasks

Follow these tips and you will find yourself juggling all your balls with a smile on your face! Don’t believe it? Try it!

Why do we procrastinate?

It is common for people to procrastinate by occupying themselves with tasks unrelated to the object at hand. Here are some of the most common reasons for procrastinating:

• Feeling overwhelmed: A sudden onslaught of deadlines combined with poor time management can distort your sense of time, and without prioritising your work, it may feel impossible. This in turn may create feelings of anxiety and stress, which will hinder the work process.

• Task difficulty: You may be unsure how to start a task, or what is expected of you to complete it. This can be a common problem for students, as tertiary study involves mastering knowledge and concepts that may be new and challenging.

• Disliking the task: Many students procrastinate if they find their work boring or unpleasant.

• Perfectionism: Students can set unrealistically high standards for themselves. Fear of not meeting these standards can cause procrastination.

• Poor concentration: A work environment full of distractions can make it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

• Lack of motivation: All of the above can make students feel less motivated about completing their work.

What happens when we procrastinate?

• High levels of stress and anxiety when assignments are due

• Feelings of guilt

• Work that is not up to standard

• Failed assignments

• Relationship problems

• Health problems such as sleeplessness and tension headaches

• Failing to achieve things you want to do in life

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Your health and wellbeing

Managing your time as a student can sometimes be stressful. Here are a few tips for better health, better time management, and better grades:

• Do your most difficult work when you have the most energy. Think about the time of day you are most effective and have the most energy. Plan to do your most difficult work during these times.

• Know when to stop. Although some students may stay up until 4 a.m. studying, it’s not a healthy habit. Your mind is more efficient when you get enough quality sleep, so make sure to schedule enough time for rest.

• Reach out for help. If you feel you need assistance with your mental or physical health, talk to an OP counsellor or visit a doctor.