Hello my fellow steemians! Time been time, we are crossing path once again base on this amazing contest topic set by @mainuna which goes by title Hot News Time Master Contest 2025""

Should you be curious to contribute your quota of idea... Check the link below 👇
https://steemit.com/hive-111300/@mainuna/hot-news-time-master-contest-2025

Now, check out my own quota of idea👇👇

Clock In A Nightjar Structure

What rule do you follow the most in time management every day and why?

Personally, the one rule I follow almost every day is “Do the most important task first” because, I’ve come to realize that if I don’t tackle the major task of the day early, I end up dragging it or even skipping it altogether. For example, if I have to write a report or wash my clothes, I try to start with that first thing in the morning just right after I wake up because that’s when my mind is still fresh and not yet scattered with other distractions like seeing movie and having fun with friends at the expense of doing my major task.

This rule has helped me avoid that guilty feeling that comes when the day ends and I haven’t achieved anything meaningful and It gives me a small win early in the day which motivates me to stay productive throughout the day but my very self been human, It doesn’t always go perfectly but I’ve noticed a big difference on the days I apply this rule versus when I don’t.

When do you feel like you waste the most time? Why?

To be frank, I waste the most time when I’m on my phone late at night, that is, after I'm done for the day and retire to bed and next I would do is telling myself, I just want to check a few messages or scroll for 10 minutes but next thing I know, it’s been over an hour. I think the main reason is that by the end of the day, I feel tired and just want to relax but instead of sleeping or doing something more restful, I fall into that trap of mindless scrolling social media and seeing movies.

All that sum up to affects my sleep and also messes up the next morning because I end up waking up tired and sometimes even late and I’ve tried to cut it down by keeping my phone away from my bed and using a book to wind down instead. It’s not easy but I’m working on it because I know how much time I lose that way.

Do you have any effective time management tools or apps that you use?

After all the time I thought to mismanaged, I had to come up with time management tool, though helpful for somedays while other days, I just have to be human and do has I wish. First off, I use Google Calendar and a simple to-do list app called TickTick. The role this two tools help me with is: Google Calendar helps me plan out my week so I can see when I have free time and when I’m busy I give color to code my tasks, blue for personal, red for deadlines, green for appointments. so it's easy to glance at.

TickTick is where I dump all the little tasks I need to do every day because It has reminders, so I don’t forget important stuff which I might consider less important and what I like about it, is that it’s not complicated and it feels like a paper list but smarter. These two tools keep me organized, especially when I’m juggling schoolwork and other responsibilities.

What is your most effective strategy for balancing study/work and personal life?

For me, the best strategy is time blocking and I will tell you what I do with that. I divide my day into chunks of time and assign each block to a specific type of task like studying, chores or rest. For example, I might study from 10 AM to 12 PM, take a one-hour break then work on something else later in the afternoon.

What makes this work is that I also include breaks and personal time in my plan time to watch a show, talk to a friend or even take a walk and it helps me avoid to be burnout and makes me feel like I still have a life outside school. I don’t always follow it perfectly, but when I do, I feel more balanced and in control of my day.

What changes do you want to make in time management in the next 1 month?

About that, one good big change I want to make is to wake up one hour earlier every day because I’ve noticed that the days I wake up early are more productive and I feel calmer throughout the day but lately, I’ve been sleeping late and waking up just in time for the next activity, which makes me feel rushed.

So, my plan is to start sleeping earlier, maybe by 10:30 PM, and setting my alarm for 4 AM. I’ll use that early morning time to plan my day or do a short workout or just sit quietly with no noise. I believe this change can help me become more focused and hopefully, I’ll stop feeling like time is running away from me lolz.

Thank you for reading.

I invite on @edu-chemist @bossj23 @basil20 to participate in the contest.

Best Regards@berda01