Between balancing homework, essays, tests, and big projects with a packed schedule of sports practices, part-time jobs, and club meetings, teens have a lot on their plates! How do you find the time to do everything you need to?
In a survey, 86% of high school students said they procrastinate on their homework. Procrastination may feel like the easier choice in the moment, but it often leads to unnecessary stress and late nights scrambling to finish assignments.
To help you avoid these stressful all-nighters, accomplish your goals, and achieve success, we put together a teen’s guide to time management:
Define your goals
First, determine what you need to accomplish. Defining your goals gives you direction and helps you stay focused. Whether you handwrite your tasks in a notebook or use a digital calendar like Asana or Habitica, having clear goals helps ensure you don’t forget anything.
Once you know what you need to do, you can start to make a plan. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, consider your top priorities. Many people use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize. According to the Eisenhower Matrix, there are 4 categories of tasks:
- Urgent and important. These are tasks you should complete first, such as homework due the next day.
- Important but not urgent. These are tasks you can organize and plan for, such as a research paper due in a month.
- Urgent but not important. These are tasks that might feel critical, such as responding to a friend’s text message, but they don’t contribute to your goals. Try rescheduling these tasks or keeping them simple, such as sending a quick response to your friend to let them know you’re busy.
- Not urgent and not important. These are distractions that don’t need to be done, such as scrolling through social media. Try to minimize these as much as possible.
Break down larger tasks
Now that you know which tasks you need to work on, you have the challenge of tackling them. We often procrastinate on what we need to do because our assignments feel too overwhelming. If you have a big project, where do you even start? Make your tasks easier by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
For example, if you have to write a research paper, you can break the assignment into the following steps:
- Choose a topic.
- Research your topic.
- Create an outline.
- Write one section at a time.
- Proofread and edit.
Sometimes your first step can be as simple as starting. If math homework feels daunting, you can begin by completing the first problem. Once you get the momentum going, the rest of the task may feel more manageable, and you won’t be starting with a blank page.
Limit distractions
Distractions such as social media, notifications, or a noisy environment can derail your productivity. Set up a dedicated work space free from interruptions. Try keeping your phone on silent and putting it on the other side of the room. Let other people in your house know you need time to work.
A great way to help yourself stay focused on your assignments is to use the Pomodoro Technique. Using this method, you set a timer and focus only on your work for that period (typically 25 minutes). When the timer goes off, take a short break (5-10 minutes). After four intervals, you can take a longer break (20-30 minutes).
You may not be able to completely eliminate the distractions in your life, especially if your mind is prone to wandering, but the Pomodoro Technique allows you to work in short intervals and take breaks to avoid burnout.
Celebrate your wins
It’s important to recognize your achievements and reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished. When you celebrate completing a task, you start to associate finishing work with positive feelings and rewards. Over time, this builds a stronger sense of satisfaction and reinforces the habit of seeing tasks through to the end.
When you finish an assignment, do something you enjoy. When you complete a big project, treat yourself to a fun activity. Celebrating your wins keeps you motivated and reinforces positive routines, making it easier to stay on track in the future.
Learning to manage your time is one of the most valuable skills you can learn. Effective time management allows you to stay ahead of deadlines, reduce stress, and make time for what you enjoy doing. With consistent effort and the right techniques, you’ll build habits that set you up for success in school and in life. You got this!
