PREMIUM Workshop on Time Management

The workshop on Time Management was amazing. I cannot describe it any other way. I thought I was knowledgeable on the subject already but I decided to take the workshop anyway. I am glad that I did. The host gave a lot of practical tips that I could immediately implement in my life.

I, for instance, now know that it is not a bad thing that I do not know what my schedule of the day is on top of my head. Instead, it is important to trust the system that you have in place. I let my schedule run my day and my to do list is my friend not my enemy. The only thing I have to do is open my agenda and I will now what is happening next. However, this can only work if you keep everything in one place and synchronize where possible. Next, I struggle with procrastination on big projects. I now understand that it is important to distinguish between projects and next actions. Making your next actions small will prevent procrastination and help you reach your project goal. This is something I will keep in mind when working on the PREMIUM project.

Another tip I will remember is that you need to create a surrounding that invites you to focus and that is free from distractions. Studying in a noisy place where you are constantly interrupted is not a good idea. Instead, know what your needs are. For me that would be studying alone at the library with my phone in my bag and taking regular breaks in the morning. This is something the host emphasized: to get to the end and achieve your goal, it is important to take care of yourself in the beginning. Lastly, I will put time for reflection and previews in my agenda. At the moment I only reflect on my progress and reevaluate my schedule when I start panicking that I have too much to do and will not be able to finish everything on time. Creating a fixed time to reflect on your week and preview the next week will create peace of mind, avoiding the panic.

Overall I am very happy I took part in the workshop. The tips will help me work on my procrastination and avoid being overwhelmed by all my activities. Furthermore, it will help push the PREMIUM project to the next level. I look forward to the next workshops.

Lisanne Willems, PREMIUM Student, Master – Globalisation & Law (Faculty of Law)