By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail – Benjamin Franklin
We’ve all heard this quote before and probably scoffed, thinking to ourselves that we work best when the pressure is on. But how many times have we turned around only to find ourselves scatter brained and running around from place to place, rushing to get tasks completed with only seconds left to spare on the clock.
The importance of time management is one that I learned during university as a full-time student and full-time varsity athlete. Between a full course load, schoolwork, practices four days a week, plus games and road trips, there wasn’t much time for anything. On multiple occasions I found myself staying up all hours of the night to finish papers or study for exams and the worst part was that I did well.
“But Taylor, how is doing well a bad thing?”
Great questions. Let me tell you. The act of staying up late, working under strict time constraints, and getting positive feedback solidified this unhealthy habit into how I operated on a daily basis which left me feeling burnt out and mentally distressed in the long run.
It wasn’t until my final two years of undergrad when I felt so run down and exhausted – both mentally and physically – that I decided to ask for help. This is where I learned the power of time management. An academic counsellor showed me various ways to set up my week in advance so I could see where I had the time to commit to completing my schoolwork.
This meant that every Sunday I would sit down and carve out in my schedule (by the hour) where my time commitments already were taken for practices, classes, and volunteer work. This allowed me to look at hours left in my week and strategically schedule in time for the priorities of that week. As a result, I found myself more focused going into the week and prepared for each day as I left the house.
To this day, I still sit down every Sunday and prepare for the week by writing out what appointments I have and what tasks are priority so I that can stay on top of my game and successfully own the week.
– Coach Taylor
