I often lose track of time. Especially when I procrastinate. However, I can also become absorbed in my work when I get into a flow. So much that even though I planned to have lunch at say 12 PM, I end up taking a break to make lunch at 2 PM instead.
A considerable amount of my time in University is self-study. Which means that there is a lot of flexibility regarding what I can do with my hours. This is simultaneously great and terrible. Building and sticking to my own schedule is the difficult part. I've always struggled with time management, but I find that certain habits help me be more productive.
Quote:
- Getting dressed before having breakfast.
By doing this I feel more mentally prepared for the day. Otherwise I'm tempted to just stay in my pyjamas, and I don't want to do much work when I'm in my pyjamas. So I become lazy and keep putting off getting changed. When I get changed into an outfit first thing, I can't prolong wasting time.
-Dressing up as if I'm going somewhere.
Even if I'm merely spending all my time in my room that day, I like to dress as if I plan to leave at any moment. So if I'm feeling fairly unmotivated I might wear one of my favourite jackets or t-shirts. It usually improves my mood and helps me get into a better mindset.
- Changing location.
When I try to work in my flat, I often find it tempting to crawl back into bed and scroll endlessly on my phone or to have a nap. So I bring my laptop to the library instead. That way it isn't an option. By checking in and out of the library at certain hours, I can stick to a more regular work schedule. Also, I am surrounded by people who are working which strangely makes me motivated to do so.
There are certain spots which I frequent that I'll walk to. I find them good for brainstorming new ideas or just thinking in peace generally. Sometimes I'll discover a new area for this.
When I meet with people, I'm usually either surprisingly early or disappointingly late. I remember back in school I was late meeting up with a friend one day because I got caught up in completing a jigsaw puzzle and forgot to keep an eye on the time.
I find that time often goes quickly (except summer break, that tends to drag on personally). So, it doesn't worry me. However, what does is when the days seem to blur into one. My sense of chronological order is lacking. What is particularly jarring is when something I thought happened two days ago actually happened three weeks ago. Or I'll think something happened the day before when it actually occurred on the same day.
My brain seems to mostly categorise events by associations. Similar occurrences are sometimes shoved together in my memory, until I realise that event A couldn't have happened shortly before event B because that doesn't make any sense. I'll walk into somewhere and something will trigger a sense of familiarity. Then I'll sift through a bunch of memories and find the most relevant one. Proceeding to patch the information together.
Certain stimuli can take me by surprise. For example, there is a perfume that was popular where I grew up. So when I do come across it, I wonder if the person wearing it knows that area because I so rarely come across it anywhere else. I can't describe the smell, but I know it when I pass it. Which might sound creepy, but I just have a heightened sense of smell. I don't go around intentionally smelling people if that's what you're thinking.
_________________
24. Possibly B.A.P.