self-management
noun
"management of or by oneself; the taking of responsibility for one's own behaviour and well-being."

Take responsibility - that can be an intimidating statement, however it can be fundamental to an efficient social and work life. People are generally happier when they have control over their own life and they tend to flourish when given more responsibility. Self-management gives you the opportunity to have more responsibility.

Here are 7 to keep yourself organized:

1) Color-coding    

Color-coding may seem silly, but boy is it a life saver! Colour coding your planner or calendar can help you know the category of a task and how urgent it may be. For example, a bright neon pink can mean “get this done now!” while blue means “I’ve got time” and green can be “relax time”.

2) Calendar 

Calendars are amazing. If you don’t already have one, get one now. A calendar is a great way to keep your life organized. Here you can colour-code tasks and meetings, you can keep track of due dates, you can also create a schedule of how to get a task done. Time-management leads to good self-management.

3) Know your strengths and weaknesses

Knowing what you are good and bad at will help you create a schedule that works best for you. On a task that is more difficult for you, allocate yourself more time to complete it.

4) Be accountable – accountability partner

When given tasks you need to stay loyal to them. Use your calendar or planner to prioritize and organize your time, and always try to get things done before their due date so you have time for edits, changes, and improvements.

5) Take a break

Breaks are equivalent to sanity. Even if you love to work and feel that a lunch break isn’t necessary, take it. Your brain needs a rest from all the work. If you’d prefer to not waste your time eating during a break, read a book, do some yoga, or even mindlessly watch some Netflix. Anything you give yourself a break from your daily work tasks.

6) Be open to improvement

Other people have other ways of getting things done. Keep an open mind to other people’s methods. Maybe you can learn something that will make your life a whole lot easier.

7) Work life balance

Work hard, play hard. One of the best statements ever made. Play could mean an awesome hiking adventure, travel, amusement park, or even sitting on the couch and watching tv all weekend. Either way balancing work with life is extremely important. How often do you hear a retired person say “I wish I worked more”. Not often.

Find out more content like this in our section Career Advice.