Introduction to how to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
“Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
The world is now saturated with online education classes, virtual courses, virtual classes, virtual learning, and virtual schools. We are all up to our eyeballs in tech, spending more and more time in the virtual world scrolling mindlessly through social media, liking, and disliking and sharing and subscribing and ultimately being bombarded by information, disinformation, advertising, propaganda, and a smattering of truth from time to time.
To be honest, I don´t think it is sustainable. I think that we have invested too much into social media and the online experience and we need to tone it down before it has adverse effects on our physical and mental health.
Toning it down involves time management skills and this short article will give you five ideas on making your online education classes, virtual courses, virtual classes, virtual learning, and virtual school experience a healthier more rewarding one.
How to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
Try the Pomodoro Method to improve time management skills
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate your mind in the present moment.” -The Buddha
The Pomodoro method helps users to stay productive, efficient, and organized. The basic premise is to organize your work or study session into twenty-five-minute blocks. Work uninterrupted for twenty-five minutes and then take a five-minute break. In your five-minute break you can check emails, social media, grab a drink, take a stroll, hug your mom, pat the dog, feed the fish, or do whatever you like.
BUT, when the five minutes is up it`s back to your stint of uninterrupted focus and concentration for another solid twenty-five minutes. When you have finished four twenty-five-minute work sessions and three five-minute breaks you can take a fifteen-minute break. I like this idea, but I think personally I might stretch the twenty- five-minute sessions to thirty-five or forty and I would ensure not to overfeed the fish or hug your mom to death. Do whatever works for you to maintain control and passion in your online classes, virtual classes, and virtual courses. The most important thing is to find a time management system that works for you and then stick to it rigidly as if your life depended on it.
I have read a lot of studies about forming habits and how to create beneficial routines. Many studies suggest that it only takes 2 or 3 weeks of routine to develop new habits. The first few weeks are the hardest and as soon as a routine is formed it is easier to maintain and manage. Again, develop a system that works for you. Tweak it and think about it and importantly too, don´t beat yourself up if you miss a day or life gets in the way. Life will get in the way. I can promise you that!
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
How to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
Avoid Multitasking while in virtual courses and virtual classes.
Contrary to popular belief, multitasking can decrease your output and productivity levels. William Shakespeare didn´t write Romeo and Juliet while scrolling through Facebook and Instagram. In fact, he didn´t even have a ballpoint pen, a computer, or the internet. He knew what a mouse was, but it was of no use to his artistic endeavors. Prioritize tasks and complete them in order of importance giving more attention to the more important tasks. You´d be surprised how much better a focused bout of work can achieve.
Turn your phone and devices off and focus on the task at hand. Concentrate on getting done what needs to be done in a logical manner and try to stay on top of things. If you don`t agree with this advice, try it out, experiment, analyze and try different techniques until you find what is the most productive approach to study and work. You will get more out of your online education classes, virtual courses, virtual classes, virtual learning, and virtual school experience. If you develop the soft skill of excellent time management skills your experience is bound to be more rewarding.
“Life is a song- sing it. Life is a game- play it. Life is a challenge- meet it. Life is a dream- realize it. Life is a sacrifice- offer it. Life is love- Enjoy it.” – Sai Baba
How to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
Get a calendar and organize your online education classes, virtual courses, virtual classes, virtual learning, and virtual school tasks.
The world is a busy place and there are a lot of distractions, especially in the digital world. Notifications pop up and group chats continue endlessly as well as advertising and offers, emails, the latest Netflix special and countless other distractions. To become a fabulous online student, you need to learn how to focus and learn how to stay focused. It is important to be consistent, have an organized workspace and know how to tune out distractions as well as be strong and preventing the internet from sucking you down the rabbit hole into all too frequently visited land of Wasted Time.
Being an online student is flexible but just because it is flexible doesn`t mean that it won´t get chaotic. To prevent chaos and disorganization it is important to plan. Planning is a great habit to develop, it works in so many facets of life. People who plan are more productive and have more leisure time and more time to devote to themselves and their families.
Get a calendar and make a note of all your appointments. You can adopt a digital calendar like Google Calendar or a traditional paper one. I use both, finding a hard copy (paper) often easier to consult than a soft copy (digital). I always write in pencil, so it is easy to erase and make changes. Believe me, there are often a lot of changes. Also having a hard copy allows you to consult your schedule without going online or opening an electronic device. This prevents you from getting distracted.
Get into the habit of updating your calendar daily. Your online virtual courses and virtual classes will be organized, and organization is the key to success.
How to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
Reward yourself after a successful day of virtual courses and virtual classes
Set goals, achieve those goals, and then reward yourself for your achievements. This is important. We all deserve rewards and rewards can keep us motivated. Don´t just give yourself a pat on the back and dive straight into the next task. Take a break, watch a movie, go play Frisbee, visit your gran, have a chai masala, go for your favourite blueberry smoothie, and keep getting motivated to succeed. If you have just finished a huge project, give yourself a huge reward, take a weekend off, take a holiday, take an internet break, do something you love to do before recommencing your online education classes, virtual courses, virtual classes, virtual learning, or virtual schooling.
How to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
Get a great night´s sleep and take necessary naps to revitalize your virtual courses and virtual classes
We spend almost a third of our lives asleep, deep in the comfort of slumber where our bodies and minds are rejuvenated and revitalized. There is a reason for this, sleep is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. When you attend virtual courses and virtual classes all day your energy levels can be drained. It´s not fully known how the body reacts to electromagnetic radiation frequencies, Wi fi, Bluetooth and artificial light all day but from personal experience I know that it is draining and there is plenty of evidence available to support this hypothesis.
Getting sufficient sleep is important and getting enough sleep involves honing your time management skills. Try to get seven or eight hours of sleep per night and try to get into a regular sleep schedule. Include sleep into your daily schedule and practice deep breathing exercises to relax and drift off peacefully to sleep. This is a vital component of your time management skills, and a well-rested person is far more likely to manage conflict resolution, negotiations, leadership development and emotional intelligence.
Conclusion to how to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
So, there you have it. Five tips on how to improve time management skills in a virtual world.
- Try the Pomodoro Method to improve time-management skills
- Avoid Multitasking while in virtual courses and virtual classes.
- Get a calendar and organize your online education classes, virtual courses, virtual classes, virtual learning, and virtual school tasks.
- Reward yourself after a successful day of virtual courses and virtual classes
- Get a great night´s sleep and take necessary naps to revitalize your virtual courses and virtual classes
Life is a series of experiences. We learn through trial and error. We learn through failure and success. We don´t learn unless we try out new stuff.
Try out new ways of doing things.
You´ve got nothing to lose.
What are you waiting for? Go get a good night´s sleep!
Good luck.
Patrick is from Ireland and has been teaching for the last twenty years. He has worked in Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. He has a degree in English Literature and Applied Psychology. Patrick loves travelling and learning about new cultures. He is passionate about motivating students to maximize their creative potential.
