I was both excited and unsure about presenting on time management.\u00a0You see, I\u2019ve never formally presented on the topic. That space has mostly been held by our brilliant Student Learning Support Service (SLSS)<\/a> (check out their time organisation guide here<\/a>).<\/p>\n Still, I\u2019ve been quietly collecting time-related resources and ideas for years, writing the occasional blog post, testing different strategies myself, and having lots of conversations with students and colleagues about how hard it can be to feel \u201con top\u201d of time.<\/p>\n Here are some of the time-related posts I\u2019ve shared along the way:<\/p>\n With the invitation to speak however, I needed to organise my thoughts better:<\/p>\n That question became the start of a bigger reflection, helped along by an extended back-and-forth with my silicon supervisor ChatGPT, in which we worked to organise the scattered tools, insights, and perspectives I\u2019d gathered over time.<\/p>\n What emerged was suitable for my presentation but also seemed relevant to share here.<\/p>\n Basically, you can look at time management through at least three different lenses, each of which is associated with practical actions you can take.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [note: these are by no means the only lenses through which to view time management, but they’re the major ones I’ve encountered thus far<\/em>]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your average modern study task (like writing an essay) involves a whole suite of steps: finding references, reading them, taking notes, organising those notes, drafting, editing, submitting. Each of these steps relies on tools and processes: library databases, Word docs, digital notebooks, reference managers, Canvas.<\/p>\n Running all these tools and processes takes time. And that\u2019s just one task. You\u2019re probably juggling several at once across different topics. Some of your systems might be humming along smoothly. Others might be clunky, outdated, or missing altogether.<\/p>\n This lens is about trialling, selecting, and refining the external processes and tools<\/strong> that help you get things done. It\u2019s the intellectual equivalent of a carpenter investing in better tools and updating their workflows with the aims of saving time, reducing friction, and improving quality.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not trying to change yourself here (although that might happen as a result). Instead the focus is on upgrading your workflows<\/strong>.<\/p>\n You\u2019re answering the question: Could I make the doing of my work smoother or smarter?<\/em><\/p>\n Study-related examples include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Creating a checklist for essay writing or lab report stages so you don\u2019t forget a step under pressure<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Using reference managers (like EndNote or Zotero) instead of manually formatting citations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Scheduling all key assignment dates from your topic outlines into your calendar at the start of semester<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Batching similar tasks (e.g. doing all your discussion posts in one sitting, or replying to all uni emails in a block)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Organising your notes by topic\/module instead of by week (if it helps you revise more effectively)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reducing tab overload and app-hopping by keeping a focused workspace<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Developing templates for recurring assignments (like weekly reflections or practical write-ups)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\n This lens turns inward. Here, the focus is on how you manage aspects of yourself <\/strong>such as your energy, attention, emotions, habits, and strengths.<\/p>\n This part of time management is more personal and sometimes more confronting, because it involves acknowledging areas where we might need to grow as a person. But it\u2019s also empowering as these are almost always skills you can learn and practise<\/strong>: focus, boundary-setting, emotion regulation, decision-making.<\/p>\n This lens also includes using your strengths strategically<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019re highly creative and full of ideas, keeping a running ideas log could make future brainstorming faster and more focused. The key question here is: What internal patterns are helping or hindering how I use my time and how might I work with them more intentionally?<\/em><\/p>\n Study-related examples include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Realising that you procrastinate most when starting large tasks, so you use the \u201cjust 10 minutes\u201d rule to get going<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Blocking out your best energy times for focus work (e.g. morning = readings; afternoon = emails or discussion posts)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Setting limits on how long you\u2019ll spend perfecting small tasks (e.g. \u201cI\u2019ll revise this paragraph for 20 minutes max\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Working on reducing task avoidance when you feel self-doubt (e.g. approaching a tutor instead of disappearing)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Practising saying no to social plans when an assignment is due\u2014but also saying no to guilt once it\u2019s submitted<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Turning your creative strengths into reusable assets (e.g. using mind maps or drawing flowcharts for study)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Noticing that you overcommit and actively checking \u201cdo I have capacity for this?\u201d before saying yes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes, no new tool or tactic will help because the problem isn\u2019t what you\u2019re doing, but how you\u2019re thinking<\/strong> about time in the first place.<\/p>\n This lens asks you to zoom out<\/strong>. To question some of your assumptions. To step back from the hustle and ask: What are the bigger forces shaping how I approach time?<\/em><\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n Maybe your to-do list feels impossible because it actually is – <\/em>and what you need is not another hack, but permission to let go of perfection.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Maybe you\u2019re stuck trying to \u201cget on top of things\u201d when what you need is to reframe what \u201cenough\u201d looks like.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Maybe you\u2019re frustrated that tasks keep piling up but recognising that institutions and workplaces are designed<\/em> to produce more work than you can finish might soften that frustration and prompt a prioritisation conversation instead.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n This lens is about confronting the existential truths of time <\/strong>– that we only have so much of it, that we can\u2019t do it all, and that trying to do it all<\/em> often gets in the way of doing what matters most.<\/p>\n It\u2019s uncomfortable at first. But it\u2019s also liberating. The guiding question here might be: What expectations or beliefs about time are no longer serving me?<\/em><\/p>\n Study-related examples include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Letting go of the idea that you have to read everything<\/em>\u2014and choosing what will give you the best return<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Accepting that your study week may never feel fully \u201cdone\u201d\u2014and celebrating progress over perfection<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Recognising that comparing yourself to other students (who seem \u201cahead\u201d) isn\u2019t helping your focus<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Having conversations with your supervisor or topic coordinator when you need to re-negotiate deadlines<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Accepting that sometimes, you\u2019ll need to prioritise rest over productivity\u2014and that\u2019s not laziness<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Understanding that doing uni part-time or at your own pace is a valid and strong choice<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reframing uni as not just about academic achievement, but also personal growth and resilience<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\n Since starting in this job in 2017, I’ve become more mindful of my time management and productivity strategies. The strategies I use today pull from all three lenses. They help me stay focused, make peace with limits, and work in ways that feel sustainable. Here are some of the main ones:<\/p>\n Daily goals + Outlook (calendar + to-dos):<\/strong> This helps me keep track of tasks, estimate how long things will take, and make clearer decisions about what\u2019s most important at any given time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Accepting that I\u2019ll never get to everything I want to do:<\/strong> I\u2019ve had to make peace with the fact that many good ideas and projects won\u2019t get developed. That acceptance makes it easier to focus on what I can<\/em> progress.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reminding myself that time stress is systemic, not just personal:<\/strong> I work within a system that has its own structures, goals, and expectations. That system inevitably shapes how I spend my time. Recognising that helps me feel less personally responsible for every constraint I experience.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Protecting my energy through lifestyle habits:<\/strong> I try to maintain a decent level of physical and mental health so that when I sit down to do work, I have enough fuel in the tank.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Working with my rhythms (I\u2019m a morning person):<\/strong> I schedule deep or creative work in the mornings when I have more focus, and push administrative or social tasks to later in the day.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Prioritising collaborative and social projects:<\/strong> I\u2019ve found that the work that brings me the most satisfaction usually involves other people. So I tend to give more weight to collaborative projects when planning out my time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Having a personal work strategy or mission:<\/strong> I\u2019ve written a short strategy that helps me align my efforts with both what the organisation needs from me and what I find meaningful. It acts like a compass, helping me focus on the activities that matter most. I\u2019ve made it public in case others want to see how I\u2019ve approached it: Like many people, I haven\u2019t found a single system that works forever. My time management practices shift as my workload, responsibilities, and energy levels shift. That\u2019s not failure, that’s adaptation (at least that is what I tell myself late at night during an existential crisis).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s tough to say in advance which time management strategies or lenses will be the right fit for any one person. They\u2019re highly context-specific<\/strong>. What works during one semester might not work the next. What works for your friend might feel awkward or useless for you.<\/p>\n So the best advice I can offer is this:<\/p>\n Try a few things and maintain an experimental mindset<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Keep an open mind<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Check in with yourself regularly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Adjust as needed<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n It\u2019s an ongoing process of experimentation<\/strong>. There\u2019s no gold standard, just gradual learning about how you<\/em> best use your time in the context of your<\/em> life.<\/p>\n I wish the advice could be more precise than that. But if you treat time management as a conversation (not a test), as a practice (not a performance), you\u2019re much more likely to find something that works.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed or stuck, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out for support.<\/p>\n You can connect with SLSS (for academic challenges)<\/a> or speak to someone at Flinders Counselling for more personal stuff<\/a>.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to figure it all out on your own.<\/p>\n An honest look at time management through three practical lenses – systems, skills, and story – with examples, reflections, and permission to keep evolving your approach. 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\ud83d\udccd The Three Lenses of Time Management<\/h2>\n
\ud83d\udcc2 1. Build Better Systems for Processing Tasks<\/h3>\n
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<\/h3>\n
\ud83e\udde0 2. Develop Internal Skills and Habits<\/h3>\n
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Or maybe you\u2019re a natural collaborator, blocking time with others could help you stay accountable and energised.<\/p>\n\n
<\/h3>\n
\ud83d\udd0d 3. Reframe the Story<\/h3>\n
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This is the lens where we trade anxiety for clarity, and where we begin to let go of the impossible standards<\/strong> we\u2019ve absorbed from our surroundings.<\/p>\n\n
<\/h2>\n
\ud83d\udcca What I\u2019m Currently Using<\/h2>\n
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\ud83d\udc49 My Work Strategy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/h2>\n
\ud83d\udee0\ufe0f Trial and Error (and a Bit of Grace)<\/h2>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2025\/07\/time-management-footer-1.png\")
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