Keeping Myself on Track

In my life day in and day out I would say I have proficient time management skills. In middle school, as well as the beginning of high school, I had poor time management skills. I procrastinated, didn't do my work as well as I could, and was really taken over by the social aspect of my life. In sophomore year I kicked myself into gear and was extremely motivated to be the best student I could be. Junior year really shaped me to become very skilled at balancing my school and social life. That was the best year of high school so far and I know if I keep up my good habits I can make senior year even greater. I really like to get my tasks done and not have the extra weight on my shoulders. I start assignments as soon as I can once they are given to me. If I don't start them right away it will constantly be on my mind and ruin my free time. I enjoy my time with friends and family much more if I don't have other priorities to worry about. A planner is one of the key items that helps me keep me life organized so I can't forget anything and end up having to rush to finish it. Whenever I have free time I have made it instinct to get my homework done so then when I want to do something fun I won't have it to keep me from time with my friends. The calendar on my phone is also something I use constantly to set reminders. That way I can set a reminder right before the time the task needs to be done. If I remind myself right before the event or task needs to be done I am much more likely to remember. For example, If I remind myself a week in advance to bring my friend's sweatshirt she left at my house I'll forget and leave it at my house. However, If i remind myself with a phone reminder right before I leave then there's a much slimmer chance of me leaving it behind. I have to remind myself in the moment with certain tasks that are smaller like that. During the school year I am very good about cutting out time spent on my phone, except sometimes when I'm laying in bed drained after a long, strenuous day. Once you give up the social media sites it becomes very easy to not need to see them constantly. When you are on them all the time and constantly keeping up with the latest news then you are more likely to want to pick up your phone to see it again. At night I am guilty of trying to catch up on all my news feeds and seeing what went on during the day. I mean we all need some time to lay and relax right? Most of the time I'm so tired I end up skipping most of it, but I am still trying to cut out those nights that I waste a little to much time. When I have school, work, and go to the gym all in one day my body is in need of a good night's rest. It's important that I get to bed early because I also have an A period and the latest I can wake up is 6:30. Getting my tasks done efficiently and thoroughly helps me feel good while letting me have more free time. In addition, having free time keeps me happy and motivated to keep on top of my work. It's a flowing cycle that works for me and I plan on keeping it.