Rochelle Almonte

People say I’m organized and that I do a lot of things despite the limited time I have. So, sometimes they ask me, how do you do it?

I honestly haven’t thought much before they asked me about it, but here is what I’ve been doing.

1. One thing at a time

When I have a lot of things to do and I think about the fact that I have so much to do, I stress out and I end up not doing anything. So, what I’ve learned is that I need to list down all of the things that I have to do and start with the one that is due soon. Once I am done with that task, I move on to the next.

You can always multitask. For example, work on one project for a few hours and then work on the other for the other task, but it all depends on what kind of work it is. Sometimes multitasking doesn’t work.

I’ll give you another example of why “one thing at a time” works for me. Lately, I’ve been in a reading slump. Why? Because I bought so many books. Last month, I was reading a lot because I didn’t start another book before finishing the one I was currently reading. Also, I did not buy more books. However, in the past 2 weeks, I bought more books and while I do want to read all of them, I just don’t know where to start and so I’ve been avoiding them.

2. Take the time to give yourself a reward

After a long week of teaching, correcting, and running after students to finish their work, I would buy myself food and tell myself “You deserve a treat”. Often, when we’re saving money, we don’t spend much on ourselves. We work so hard and the money just goes straight to our bank account. Sometimes, we spend on other people with no hesitations, but when it comes to us, we tend to say “Nah, I need to save”. Personally, I tend to spend more on others than myself when it’s supposed to be the complete opposite.

We work so hard, why don’t we get ourselves things that we want? We deserve it! Of course, I try not to overspend, but when I really want something and I had a long day or week, I just buy whatever I am craving. This is also motivating because you can buy the things you like because you’re working hard.

3. Eat when hungry

Yes, food again! haha. Food is motivating. I cannot function if I don’t eat for hours. For the past couple of years, I have really done my best to eat whenever I’m hungry. I do not starve myself or skip meals because when I’m starving, my mood gets affected and I am not productive at all. To add, I’m not fun to be around.

If you’re concerned about eating all the time and gaining weight, don’t worry, I have a tip for that.

4. Physical Activities

Now, don’t make the excuse of saying “you have no time”. You do, we all do, we just don’t prioritize it enough. If we really want to do something or we have to do something, we find a way to do it. So, make exercising something you HAVE to do every day; that way, you train your mind to think that it’s a necessity and you’ll find one way or another to fit it into your busy schedule.

5. Music

A lot of us like to work with music. However, what I mean by this is sometimes when I listen to upbeat music, it kind of makes me want to do something when I’m not doing anything.

Let’s say, for example, I’m just sitting down, relaxing and I’m listening to upbeat music. After a few minutes, I just want to get up either to exercise or just do something productive. This is actually pretty cool because you know when we get lazy, we just sit there doing nothing, but music can change that habit. You just listen to the right type of music that motivates you and you just want to move (work).

So, with that said, don’t wait until you’re starting your task before listening to music. When you’re feeling lazy, find songs that you like, start listening to them and you’ll see, you’ll end up doing work.

6. Change your workspace

After we renovated my house, I have my dream set up. I really like how my desk looks and what I have in front of my desk. I’m supposed to just want to work here all day. However, that is not the case. I get tired of this setup from time to time and so I find other areas in the house or outside and I work there.

Sometimes, you need a change of scenery to help with inspiration and motivation. So, if you feel like your workspace is not motivating you anymore, go somewhere else.

7. Manifestation

Last but not least is manifestation. This is more about how to NOT procrastinate. Now, I’m not an expert on this yet, because I just started my manifestation journey. Basically, you need to know what you want. You repeat it to yourself every day and you have to think deeply about it. That’s how you attract what you want. When you think about it all the time, it kind of makes you want to work on it. Hence, you will be more productive. Also, when you envision the end goal, it gets you excited to actually accomplish it, so manifest, manifest, manifest!

It’s easier to make your way if you get to choose your own soundtrack. – Fredrik Backman

That is it for my tips on time management. I hope you find some of these helpful. It’s been a while since I last posted. The end-of-the-school-year schedule is pretty hectic. Thank you for being patient.