Defne YucesoyPeople always ask me “How do you manage everything?” and honestly for a long long time I didn’t have an idea of it too. Some may call it discipline, some may call it motivation but I call it balance. Everyone wants to go out, meet their friends, try new things and do fun activities but we all have responsibilities and goals in life. From the outside what I “manage” looks like a lot. Such as school, writing, projects, and still having time to go out, see friends, and actually enjoy life.
But the truth is, it’s not about doing everything at once.
It’s about managing your time with intention.
Here is what I do. These tricks are simple but incredibly effective 🙂
- I plan my week, not just my day.
Instead of trying to control every hour, minute and get stressed about it I like to see the big picture and zoom out a little bit. At the start of each week I write down what i have to get done (assignments,exams etc.) , what I want to get done ( blog posts, projects, new ideas) and when do I want to see my friends. This builds structure without trapping me in a set schedule. ı do’t react to my schedule, I design it in a way that doesn’t suffocate me.
2. I Separate “Focus Time” and “Everything Else”
One thing that shifted things for me was the realization that I don’t necessarily need to be productive all day (Of course this changes from week to week such as exam weeks or weeks where I have to get school projects done). I need a few hours of real focus time. So this means whenever I study or work I do it properly.
-No distractions
-No multitasking
-Fully focused
That way, I finish faster, better and I am much more efficient. I don’t feel guilty when I’m out with friends later.
3-My projects are what I love to do anything
My blog, MUN, the newspaper…these are all things I want to do in my free time like meeting with friends, going to a cafe or shopping. I like to do these things and doing what you love makes you good at it in the long run. So my tip would definitely be don’t do something you find “boring” just because it looks good on your resume. Participate in projects that you would want to do in your free time , that maximizes your utility!
4. I Don’t Let School Expand Forever
Schoolwork can take your whole day…if you let it.
Set your boundaries. Know when you have to work. Roughly think about how much time something should take , focus during that time and move on. You should work efficiently an dnot endlessly.
In order to work efficiently I focus on depth. This means fully understanding the material in a focused period of time rather than stretching tasks unnecessarily.
This allows me to maintain strong academic performance while still making space for other commitments.
What Balance Is For Me
Balance isn’t about doing everything equally for me. It’s:
-staying on top of school without letting it consume me
-consistently working on things I care about
– still having time to live my life and relax
It’s being productive and present.
And once you figure out how to manage your time instead of letting it manage you,
you realize something:
You don’t need more time. You just need to manage it better 🙂
