Hello everyone!
This is V.L., a new SSL at the ICC.
As I have started my ICC staff journey and started graduate school this semester, I had to practice better time management.
One thing I have learned is to improve by using Google Calendar as my main time management tool.
I am not sponsored or anything, just here to share my recent findings.
Sound interesting? Let’s get right into it!
Google Calendar Usage Tips:
First, don’t be afraid of the functions or the fact that you will need a calendar. All you need to know is as follows:
1. How to create events that will fit your schedule
2. How to add new work shifts, assignments, meetings whenever you get them
3. How to use color-coding to make everything easy to distinguish
Again, for easy access to your Google Calendar whenever needed, make sure to pin it to your web browser! That way you get access without searching or tapping “Google Calendar” each time.
I like using Google Calendar as it is user-friendly and helps me to instantly visualize the weeks ahead, without worrying about forgetting anything. (I trust my notes more than my brain sometimes.)
Here is a quick shot of what a week of mine looks like (Oct.19~23).
Again, I did not come up with this color code from the beginning but learned from what a friend was doing. Feel free to find the way that will fit you the best!
As you may have noticed, I tend to create time blocks within time blocks, for me to know precisely what I will be doing during that day. It also helps me to practice new time management skills, such as estimating the time needed for various tasks.
What tends to be forgotten is to also create time blocks for “deadtime” (such as public transport), as it is time where your use is limited. After implementing this method, I have naturally come to read or listen to podcasts on the train, as I don’t want to waste these two hours per day.
Knowing how your time is spent is a skill easily acquired
Getting busier this semester was a great opportunity for me to practice better time management. As I turned 22 this year, I am aware of the value and freedom of my time as a student. How to use it is a skill I am still learning, and I hope I will be able to utilize it for the rest of my life.
Perhaps you have always wanted a tool to rely on for better time management, and here is my secret weapon for you. Give it a try for a week or two and write down in the comments how it has affected you. I will start by simply saying that I feel less stress, as I am sure (almost) all the time that I am not forgetting any plan involving other people and myself.
Below is a recent comment I got from my colleague, R.K., who also started to implement Google Calendar with the same methods:
“It is life-changing!”
We all have more time than usual right now, so let’s make a good use of it.
Have a nice day!
-V.L.
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