Blog Post #4- Time Management and Procrastination

I have struggled a lot with time management since a young age, mainly because I would think that if I could do the assignment in one night, why not do it last minute? Clearly, that is a wrong way to handle things, but I have gotten better about trying to manage multiple tasks since being in college. Especially since having 2-3 projects due while preparing for the admittance review to enter into the Graphic Design program at Northern Kentucky University. I would say that having a planner helps me stay on track with tasks, and let me know what is important. I would not have survived college this long without one. Bullet Journals are something I do because writing my feelings down or just having a drawing journal or just a calendar feels like a waste to have it all separate. Below is a link to fully explain Bullet Journaling, if anyone is curious.

I have another organization planner as a strictly school related calendar to keep track of everything, as I use my bullet journal more so out of school. My bullet journal is somewhat like a scrap book of doodles and things I like, while this planner just gets the job done. I got this journal at Walmart for $9ish dollars if anyone likes the format, that is the only reason I bought it. Since being in college I’ve had to budget a lot more, and the section for budgeting helps me out by seeing what exactly my paychecks go towards.

Focusing is not as big of an issue for me, unless I am tired. My favorite way to waste time is through surfing the internet or watching YouTube videos. I can fall into a rabbit hole of certain niche genres of videos, like ARG videos, where I can spend hours at a time researching. Wikipedia also is a big time suck, especially while researching something important for school. My cat, Shinji, has gotten better about not distracting me during important tasks, but sometimes he still bats pencils out of my hands. Kinda hard to argue with a cat’s logic.

My ideal working environment would in a studio by myself, with a big desk and a reference library, while The Fragrance of Dark Coffee plays on in the background. I am so glad that Lo-Fi/ Hip Hop studying music exists, because without it, I would have been forced to listen to classical music. Nothings’s wrong with classical music, but it does little to inspire new ideas for me. Very relaxing, soothing environments help elevate my productivity rather than louder spaces, which I think a lot of people are like that. Often I do like listening to podcast on various subjects and learn about things from other’s perspectives, and often that helps with my creative process, too.

Tips for time management and coping with procrastination is have very pushy friends. Friends who wish to see you succeed are the best friends you could ever ask for, which goes without saying, but pushy friends who are aggressively positive and uplifting are important. Also, equally important that you be there for your friends in the same way.

Self control and looking into one’s own psyche to understand why there might be an issue can also help. A large portion of people in college experience depression due to the stressors, new and old. A good portion of the people I have met in college dealt with heavy depression for a long time, some are only seasonal, some all the time. Even those who do not think they need therapy or even an advisor might benefit from talking to someone who is outside their social circle for advice and time to reflect out loud their feelings. Journals, spa days, breaking plates, yelling into pillows, drawing, creating, driving, ect. help with taking out some frustrations, but what makes you feel better is unique to you, and only you can discover that by reflecting on who you are and what you feel. Below is an article that might prove helpful to those who want to learn more about depression and some tips on how to handle it.

https://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/tips-beat-depression-college/