Free Essay Example on Learning to Balance Work-Life, School & Family: Overcoming Time Management Obstacles

Introduction

Satisfactorily balancing work/life, school and family has proven to be a hard nut to crack on my side. Lately, I realized that I have limited time to comfortably execute all my daily chores without realizing that I am strained to the core, or I fail to balance or fulfill them. It is imperative that I put some things for me to achieve the desired balance between work-life, family, school, and the rest of my responsibilities. Moreover, the biggest obstacle has been proper time management, which is critical in seeing to it that I plan out all the activities within the available time and to ensure that there is a systematic order in which I handle all of them without straining. As a student, there are several things that I must put in place at the beginning of my day. Before going to school, since I have no house help, I must clean my room and ensure that it is in order, properly arrange my books and files in my study, press and neatly arrange my clothes before I grab something to eat.

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Morning Calls

Additionally, I have to call my parents and my fiancée every morning, and this takes some quality time. There is a small yard in my neighborhood that I have to pass by and check that all things are as they should be. This includes checking the current stock, ordering for what might not be available, and replacing any breakages or items lost in the previous day. The workers in the yard sometimes lack the proper skills to manage it as their own, and this requires that I check on them daily. More so, visiting the city public library has become part of me, and I cannot just miss a moment at the library to either read some newspaper or flip through a magazine or some eye-catching article.

Internet

Factually, I, at times, spend much time surfing the internet at the library to market my yard and to learn new ways in which I can ensure that it has the latest times that the market demands at any given time. Nonetheless, I also have around three classes at the campus every day. Conversely, I get there when I am tired already, and my concentration span has radically reduced. The ambiance and serenity at the city park keep inviting me over to have a siesta every afternoon after class. Furthermore, I would join friends at the home pub to share a drink, and some chit chat with them before technically rolling out to check on my construction site where workers are toiling to construct a four-bedroom apartment for me, and some basketball court in the same compound. All these activities consume all my time daily and leave me strained and fatigued. It is time to sleep, but I realize that I have not attended to my vegetables in the garden; I also have not had time to visit the market for some groceries, cereals and other foodstuffs.

Steps to Achieve Work/Life Balance

Having a planning system is critical in managing my time and getting everything done. Acquiring a paper planner and recording all that I am supposed to do will save me much of the hassle and tussle. Now that I have a Smartphone, I can opt for a digital planner so that I access it anytime. Being a student is a job that needs much time dedicated to it. I must schedule fun events and free-time into my calendar as part of my school work.

For fear of burnout, I will dedicate some time to my digital planner for fun. From my busy schedule, there will be at least an hour for relaxation. I will ensure that I incorporate process analysis on my planner to ensure that I establish the reasons behind the systematic daily delays in my schedule. Failure to do this will make me lack time for basics like showering, eating, working out, and preparing for the busy day. Secondly, I will forge the appropriate way of carrying out the process to save much time that I waste trying on options that do not bear fruits. With the pressure associated with paying for school, coursework, and trying to enjoy my college experience, it sometimes feels somehow overwhelming.

Balanced Schedule

Creating a balanced schedule might require that I figure out where the process is operating at full potential capacity. Keeping an updated schedule is the first step towards a proper balance and time management. I should take the time to add my class schedule for the entire semester and any other due dates for any assignments. I will have specific times in the week for laundry, homework, and workout. The second step is getting enough night sleep. It will heal any form of fatigue and make me remain alert for the rest of the day to balance out all the chores and activities on schedule. Getting more sleep will also help me maintain a strong immune system to improve my daily moods. Nonetheless, I always lack the time for enough rest at night after a long day at school, work, and outings. The workload I always have keeps denying me adequate sleep, which consequently affects my performance t work and school during the day. The third step is prioritizing my work and organizing it in an evocative way based on coursework due, house chores, gym, and other events due.

Conclusion

Recurring events like schoolwork and homework are easier to plan ahead of time. I will also make sure that I check on the syllabus to see the weight that different assignments and courses carry. This will critically enhance my plan for adequate study time for them and will allow me to focus on those significant aspects first, and then work on other assignments afterward. That feeling that I have completed a major assignment will boost my morale to handle all other duties within the limited time without much pressure. Finally, I will check whether the entire process needs any form of re-engineering or improvement for a more balanced school and work/life.