Writing this on Sunday night, I found it ironic that I was reflecting on organisation today. But here we are. The most useful definition I found find online of Organisation was “to arrange parts by creating a structure”.
During the summer, my screen time increased a lot. An abundance of time with little things to do left me always picking up my phone to get some stimulation. I decided to try and take back some of this time by deleting some of the Apps that hooked me in the most.
In doing so, I came across the process of time blocking. Cal Newport, a computer science professor, and author of Deep Work coined the term. He described it as “assigning set blocks of time to a specific activity”. This didn’t make me productive overnight, but it helped me to become more intentional with the time I had. I didn’t feel guilty about using my phone as much, as I had set times in which it was OK for me to do this, and in turn, my screen time gradually decreased.
I am not saying that this method has made me super-efficient, with no wasted time, but, it has definitely helped in other ways. For example, allowing more time for sleep, playing sports and time with my family.
Some people say that of all the time you spend with your parents 90% of it will be before you finish school. I hadn’t paid much attention to this before, but it definitely made me think. Organisation is a lot more than handing homework in on time, or planning to revise little-and-often before exams. It can help you to free up time for the things that really matter to you and that you enjoy, enabling you to spend quality time with those around you.
Focusing on set tasks, in set periods, leads to greater clarity in decision-making, improves concentration and builds a healthy habit. If you reduce the friction of starting a task, by planning to do it, you save time. This may or may not work for you, but being organised is a very subjective term. It can be as simple as a to-do list for some, or a calendar for others. As long as you have a structure that allows you to complete tasks efficiently before the deadline, then you are winning. Having excess time for things that you want to do can never be a bad thing.
I don’t know who coined the saying “time is money”, but they are completely right. Time is the most valuable resource you have; so, try to use it wisely.
Rishikesh Mistry
Senior Prefect