Time Management · Gaming Journey

Time Management

Most of you have already seen it, this is one of my best posts, and I posted it in Geometry Smash originally, then I reposted it in Top Chess Gang, and now I'm gonna post it here.

Have you ever found yourself running out of time despite feeling like you’ve been working all day? Time management isn't just about managing a schedule—it's about mastering your focus and energy. This guide will show you how to prioritize, organize, and stay sharp no matter how busy your day gets.

This guide will cover:

What is Time Management
What tasks to prioritize over others
The Eisenhower Matrix
Schedules
Focusing

Part 1: What is Time Management?

Time management is effectively using your time to do different things. It's more than just a to-do list: it's splitting your time so that you can get everything finished, while also saving some time to do personal hobbies and entertainment. This is very important but very difficult. Almost as difficult as me being good at gaming — now THAT'S saying something.

Part 2: What tasks to prioritize over others

Prioritization of tasks can be difficult sometimes. Here's how I do it:

You usually want to do the hardest task first, so the tasks get easier and easier and you stay motivated to do them.

If there's a task that will take <2 minutes, do it right when you can, so that you don't get overwhelmed with tons of small tasks.

If you have a very long assignment, but isn't due for, say, a week, just do a bit at a time after you finished all your remaining work. Oh yeah and if it isn't due in a week and it's due tomorrow, it's either

a) you have a teacher stricter than my 1st grade teacher(impossible) or

b) you are a procrastinator. Procrastination is like a credit card: it feels great in the moment, but the interest rates are outrageous when you finally pay the price, leaving you want to sue the person who made you do it. But you were the one who did it...

Part 3: The Eisenhower Matrix(that's harder to spell than Mississippi in kindergarten holy)

The Eisenhower Matrix is a tool that you can use to effectively see what you need to do first. It's a square, divided horizontally and vertically. The horizontal divisions are urgent, they are due soon. Veritcal divisions are important, they contribute to your goals.

Quadrant I: Urgent and Important(Do these)

This is where they both intersect. You need to do these: they are due soon and they are important. Try to prioritize this in your schedule.

Quadrant II: Not Urgent but Important(Plan them)

These tasks are not due soon, but they contribute to your goals(or your grades) that much. So you should do these *after* you finish the Quadrant I stuff.

Quadrant III: Urgent but Unimportant(Delegate them)

These tasks are due soon, but they aren't important to you, so you should give them to someone else - *delegate* them.

Quadrant IV: Not urgent and Unimportant(Minimize them)

These are not important to you and there is plenty of time to finish them. These are distractions. You should minimize these as much as you minimize touching grass, which, knowing you're a gamer, is a lot.

Part 4: Scheduling

For time management, a schedule can be incredibly useful. A well-structured schedule helps you keep track of your tasks and ensures that you make time for both work and relaxation.

One great tool for scheduling is Google Calendar. You can add events like tests, homework deadlines, and meetings, along with personal time like hobbies or breaks. Here’s how you can get started:

Color-Code Events: Use different colors for different categories. For example, use blue for school-related events, green for personal time, and yellow for work-related tasks. This helps you easily spot what’s coming up next.
Allocate Time for Tasks: Instead of just adding events, block out specific times to work on them. For example, "Study from 2-4 PM" or "Play games from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM." Time-blocking helps you stay focused and ensures you're balancing work and personal activities.
Use Reminders: Set reminders for tasks, so you’re notified when it’s time to start or finish something.

One important tip: while scheduling is essential, it’s just as important to stay flexible. Life happens, and sometimes things take longer than expected. Don’t stress if your schedule needs to shift—just adjust and keep moving forward.

Part 5: Focusing

Now you need to learn how to focus, so you can actually do the tasks. There are a few good techniques:

The Pomodoro Technique. Work for about 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break. After doing this 3 - 4 times, take a longer break.
Blurting. Write down as much as you can remember about a topic. Then, with another color, mark everything you were missing.
Eliminating distractions. Ask your sibling or someone else to hide your phone, and just have someone watch over you so you don't lose focus. It's ok to take some breaks though.

Welp, that's all!

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