by Grace Chua (Grade 11)
What I consider as life’s greatest curse is our vulnerability. Our strengths are limited and more often than not, it is difficult to find even the thinnest strand of motivation to go on and be productive because apart from getting high grades, everything we are doing seems kind of dull and meaningless. As a senior high school student, I am expected to start planning for college, and just the thought of that new chapter in my life is nerve-wracking; not to mention the countless other tasks I have as a grade 11 student. My schedule can get pretty hectic and I don’t usually have the luxury of having free time. So how do I balance everything I’ve got on my plate? There is this technique that I’ve come across a while back called the “Eisenhower Matrix” and it has been saving my life. It is a decision-making tool that helps you distinguish and prioritize your tasks from the most urgent to the least urgent, making it so you are able to accomplish your most important tasks without being stuck and wasting your time on those that have a later deadline or are simply not as urgent. To do this technique, all you have to do is to arrange your assignments into four boxes.
1. Those you need to do. (Important and urgent)
2. Those that you can schedule to do later on. (Important but not urgent)
3. Those that you delegate. (Urgent but not important)
4. Those that you delete. (Not important and not urgent)
The Eisenhower Matrix is especially helpful to me since I often procrastinate and run around putting out fires all day, rather than focusing on tasks that I need to complete. This technique will simply help you make progress on long-term goals and create a greater impact on your work.
Another study/ work technique that I find to be effective is the Pomodoro technique. It basically teaches you proper time management. This method asks you to create a 25-minute timer wherein you are to focus on accomplishing one task. After the timer rings, you are given a 5-minute break to do what you want before going back doing it all again until you have accomplished all your tasks. When you use the Pomodoro technique, you have a clear measurement of your finite time and your efforts, allowing you to reflect and plan your days more accurately and efficiently.
Life, school, family, and leisure all come with different challenges but it is important to try your best to stay motivated and optimistic. Create goals for yourself throughout the day. They can be as simple as finishing your chores or even just making your bed. I find that these small accomplishments give me a sense of motivation throughout the day. As students and adolescents, we are given countless tasks every day in order for us to teach ourselves the proper skills that we may need in the future. Take it one step at a time, that way you will be able to get things done not only effectively, but efficiently. As Albert Einstein once said,
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
Graphics by Theone Tiu (Grade 10 – Rizal)