Simple tips to follow a timetable strictly
This article explains simple tips to stick to the timetable. Some of the ways are not to procrastinate but prioritize tasks. One has to have undivided attention but not over-exert oneself to cause a dip in energy level.
Introduction
It is necessary to get things done. It is more important to get things done within the time frame. Whether it is in school or the workplace, it is necessary to meet deadlines. Even bills have to be paid on time to avoid unnecessary charges. If some repair work is to be done, efforts need to be made to get it done at the earliest before more damage takes place. Even daily household chores should be done on time. Breakfast cannot be made during lunch hours, and lunch cannot be procrastinated till late evening hours. If we do not stick to our timetable and follow a routine, we lose track of time and fail to meet the deadlines. It is essential to meet deadlines because it is a sense of responsibility that cannot be neglected. It is necessary to prepare a timetable. It literally need not be written down on paper. It can be a mental timetable, a reminder or an alarm set on the clock or mobile to remind us to finish our work. It is easy to prepare a timetable because it hardly requires any effort. However, it is difficult to stick to it. This article explains various simple, and effective tips that will help follow the timetable.Simple tips to follow a timetable
These simple yet effective tips mentioned below will help to effectively stick to the timetable-
As described earlier, we can easily create a timetable for ourselves. Write down all the tasks that need to be done, and write down the time frame within which they need to be done. We feel that our work here is finished. However, this is where we fail the most. Preparing a realistic timetable is necessary. It is the same as setting realistic goals. We all know how much capable we are. Keeping that into consideration, we need to allot time or deadlines for the work we need to accomplish. If we know that certain work cannot be completed on weekdays and yet, somehow we have tried to jimmy that up with other tasks thinking that we can do it, then it is where we go wrong. If it requires our attention and free time on the weekend, then it has to be written down as a weekend task, and not a weekday task. When we create a realistic timetable, we stick to it. We have enough time to complete every task without rushing ourselves or jumping from one to another without having time to catch a break. There is no point in completing them ineffectively or leaving them half-done.
Preparing a timetable does not mean writing down the entire tasks one below another. It means to write down all those tasks first that need our attention more and that need to be completed first. Certain bills have to be paid first, and others can wait. Certain tasks need to be completed first and others can wait. It is important to know what needs to be completed first and what can be completed without much hurry. The objective is to complete everything, but the correct method is to complete them in the right order. Now, the right order is to prioritize them based on the deadlines and how important they are.
No one can work nonstop. Everyone needs time to relax and recharge before starting another task. Thus, there should be a window to do this. Over-exerting can slow down the speed. If we keep finishing one task after another, it is very likely to happen that within a short duration, we will run out of energy and we will slow down in the later part of our day due to a dip in energy. The purpose should be to finish the last task of the day with as much enthusiasm and effectiveness as the first task of that day. Also, sometimes tasks may not finish within the time duration that we allotted them. Some tasks may take up some extra time. Thus, there should be some gap left between the two tasks. Due to any reason, if we are not able to finish a particular task in the given time frame, we can use that window of extra time to accomplish it before beginning our next task.
Why do most of us fail to follow a timetable? It is because we do not concentrate fully when accomplishing our tasks. We may distract ourselves through various things and that is what the major concern is. We have to have our undivided attention. If the focus is 100%, our working efficiency will be best, we may end up finishing that task way earlier than the time that we allotted it to get finished. Thus, we will have more time to relax before beginning the next one. However, when we distract ourselves in various ways, we delay the tasks. Distractions such as receiving phone calls, browsing the internet, watching videos, daydreaming, and having unnecessary interactions with others are all ways to distract ourselves.
Sometimes we cannot stick to our timetable because we procrastinate it. We may complete a few tasks and leave the rest thinking that they are not that necessary. There is sufficient time to finish those tasks, and thus, because of our procrastination, these tasks pile up and all this put us in a stressful situation. When we had time to finish something, we chose not to finish and when all of them pile up with their deadlines nearing, we find ourselves in a no-way-out situation. Thus, it is better to stick to the timetable and finish all the tasks assigned for any given day on that particular day itself. If we feel like procrastinating, we need to remind ourselves that it is an unnecessary behaviour and a habit that could be gotten rid of. When we do not listen to our minds today and stop procrastination, we will strengthen our willpower. Soon, we will find it easier to stop procrastinating and sticking to our timetable.
Not all tasks require the same effort and time. Some require more time, and others hardly any. Some demand more effort and others can be finished without putting in much. Thus, all the tasks cannot be evaluated on the same basis. Now, what we have to do is to understand which tasks demand a lot of effort and energy and which are easy to accomplish. Those which are tricky need to be completed when our anxiety levels are low and energy levels are high. For example, early morning hours are best to accomplish such tasks. On the other hand, easy ones can be finished in the late hours or before bedtime. Though we are tired and sleepy, the easy ones are such that they don't require more time or effort, and thus, make sure to finish them in the last. Certain tasks require a quiet environment and make sure to finish them in the time when we are alone, and the distraction is less.Why do people fail to stick to their timetable?
There are a variety of reasons why people fail to stick to their timetable. Some of us don't have a habit of preparing a timetable. We just keep on finishing our work randomly as and when we remember them. Not preparing a timetable is not a big deal for such people. Some of us prepare it but very few of us can stick to it. First of all, a timetable that is prepared should be based on a person's capability and efficiency. One person's timetable may be difficult for another person to follow. It is because when it comes to working it out, they both have different energy levels and working efficiency. One may find it easy and the other may find it very difficult to finish. Thus, the key is to prepare a proper timetable. When we fail to do so and randomly scribble down some tasks and allot some time in front of them, we fail to stick to them because we did not put much thought before planning out.
Some of us keep procrastinating. Our habit does not allow us to stick to our timetable. Easygoing is another thing, and simply pushing the tasks for future completion can only cause more stress. Many of us get distracted easily. When we have undivided attention or focus, only then we can give our 100% to what we are doing. If we distract ourselves with random thoughts, receive phone calls, read emails, watch videos or indulge ourselves in chit-chats, we are distracting ourselves. Thus, there will be delays in finishing tasks and we will not be able to stick to our timetable. While preparing a timetable we may prepare an unrealistic one or not prioritize our tasks in the list. If we randomly write down the tasks without considering which of them require more attention and which of them need to be completed first, we will fail to stick to our timetable.
