Picture someone who has the perfect “work-life balance”. Let’s call them Mary. Mary has time to meet friends, go to parties, attend her local book club, play an instrument, and exercise. Yet, amidst all this, she manages to study psychology while achieving top grades, lead a society, and work a job at the student union.
Your first thought might be, “How? Does Mary even have any spare time?” A quick mental calculation will tell you that all these activities together surely exceed 24 hours a day. So, either this is impossible, or Mary has the secret ability to stop time.
But what if I told you there’s no magic involved? Instead, with a few tricks and a little discipline, you too can unlock the power of stopping time!
Ok, well, not literally stopping time, but definitely how to make a SMART use of it!
- What do you mean by SMART?
“I’m going to sit down and try to study for an hour”. You’ve probably thought this exact statement an embarrassing number of times. Here’s why: our brains are wired to conserve energy and respond to urgency. The vague idea of “doing work” is interpreted negatively as it demands high effort with no clear reward. So, there’s no real incentive to begin.
Now, let’s consider a different scenario. Imagine you’re hungry, and your food is in a different room. Your brain immediately kicks into action because the task and incentive is clear: “I’m hungry. To fix this, I need food. The closest food is in the next room. So, I’ll get up and eat.”
Without realising it, your brain automatically sets itself a “SMART” goal, which stands for:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
Let’s apply this to our previous study thought:
“I have a math exam in 7 days. I’m struggling with linear algebra, so I’ll work through this specific worksheet for 45 minutes today to better understand the topic.”
Already, you can see how this removes any ambiguity from the task at hand and also defines how long we should spend on the task, as well as giving an indication of our progress!
- But what if I want to take a break?
This principle doesn’t just apply to studying or work; it’s perfect for hobbies and relaxation too!
With the rise of short-form content, there’s now an endless stream of videos for you to watch. While it may seem relaxing to mindlessly scroll, it often leaves you feeling unfulfilled because it doesn’t follow the SMART principle. Each video is different (not specific), there’s an endless supply (not achievable), and there’s no clear purpose or outcome.
However, there’s a difference between mindless relaxation and mindful relaxation. You can still scroll on your phone, but you should do so with some sort of purpose. Maybe there’s a book or movie you’ve always wanted to read/watch, or there’s a topic that you’ve always wanted to know more about. This can change your style of thinking into:
“I need to relax to rest my brain, and I have a lot of spare time, specifically around 2 hours. There’s this movie I’ve always wanted to watch. I will find the movie and make myself comfortable.”
Even though you could’ve impulsively chosen a random thing to do for those 2 hours, your downtime instead has a clear purpose, and you’ll likely feel more refreshed afterward.
Relaxing doesn’t necessarily mean lying/sitting down either. Going out to exercise, making a new dish you’ve never tried before, and meeting up with friends are also good ways to refresh your brain. Sometimes a change in scenery (such as going outside or to a different room) is enough to refresh yourself.
If you’re interested in exploring SMART goals further, I’ve included some extra reading links at the bottom of this blog post!
- So, I can set myself SMART goals, but how do I know when to relax and when to work?
Every person is different, so everyone needs a different split of working and relaxing. However, one thing we all share in common is that we all have our own list of priorities.
The secret to mastering your time is aligning your priorities with your goals. Not every task on your to-do list is equally important, even if it feels that way. This is where “SMART priorities” come into play.
One way to prioritise tasks is by considering both urgency and importance (think back to the example with the food). High-priority tasks are the ones that either directly impact your long-term goals or have tight deadlines looming over them. These are the tasks that you should mark on your calendar or directly set out time for.
For these types of tasks, you should ideally complete them near the start of your day, as starting your day with a high-impact task can give you a sense of accomplishment and free up mental space for the rest of the day. Adrienne Herbert’s book Power Hour explores this idea in depth and is a great read if you’re curious.
However, let’s say you really hate mornings. Well, listening to your energy levels is actually a great way to order your tasks! Use your peak energy times for challenging tasks and reserve lower energy periods for relaxation or lighter activities (this will take some experimenting as everyone is different).
There are also certain tasks that feel important but aren’t time sensitive/urgent. These are tasks that you can reschedule to do after you’ve finished all of your important tasks. For example, while fuelling your passion for drawing may be important to you, that 2000-word essay that’s due in 3 days isn’t going to write itself.
Prioritising tasks isn’t the only thing you should be doing either! Relaxation and spending time with others should also be a part of your productivity plan, as giving yourself a chance to breathe will allow you to recollect your thoughts and push through with your next task.
- It’s Not About More; It’s About Smarter
Mastering your time isn’t about cramming every minute of your day with activities. It’s about prioritising effectively and setting SMART goals that align with your values.
So, what will your first SMART priority be?
Extra reading/watching for SMART goals:
Quick Youtube Overview by DecisionSkills
University of California – SMART Goals: A How-to Guide