In a day, all of us have 24 hours. But, how come some people make every minute of their day fruitful? It’s because they have learned to value their time.

Time is a resource, like everything else that we have. But, here’s the key — it is limited. And that’s why it is one of the most valuable resources that we have. (Economics 101 — what is scarce, is limited!)

Having proper accountability of time can help us optimize this resource so we can give our best to get our desired outputs.

In JEE preparation this becomes all the more important as work goes on continuously and there is hardly any time to catch your breath. Learning the art of time optimization can improve productivity and efficiency; which will help you avoid piling up of backlogs.

However, learning to manage and optimize your time is not an overnight achievement — it is an art that takes practice, dedication, and perseverance like any new thing that we want to learn. The key is to play it like a game and when you learn a new game, you start, you try and you fall, over and over again; but in each iteration you move forward with the motivation to improve. This is known as the Kaizen principle and we will talk more about in the subheads.

Here are some tips to get you a head-start to manage time at the click of your fingers.

1. Time Auditing

The starting point for any change we plan to make in our life is to be self-aware. It starts with how and where you spend your time — attending school, watching TV, social media, self-study, meals, extra-curricular activities etc. This will help you become aware of where you are spending more time (hint — social media). This will help you see what is the hindrance between you and your ultimate goal of clearing JEE. It will also help you understand how much time you spend just procrastinating (remember the times when someone asked you– “what were you doing?” and you answered with “nothing”)

Once you are aware of where your time is being consumed, then you can start making changes in your daily routine, if you are really serious about your goal of cracking JEE.

For this, you can (and you should) team up with your parents who can give valuable feedback, and can act as a reality check for you. Your parents are equally a part of your journey as you.

2. Japan’s Kaizen Principle

Let’s say you are pumped up to manage your time efficiently. However, the first pitfall is when in the excitement of making a new start, you plan too much ahead without taking into account the changes that might happen on the way, which are not in your control. Don’t plan too much ahead and don’t plan big changes right away. JEE preparation is not a marathon. A marathon is exhausting and seems out of reach; whereas JEE is a series of 100-meter sprints. Each week of planning and execution is a 100-meter race. You prepare and run one sprint and learn from it where you can improve and run faster and more efficiently in the next sprint. This is the Kaizen principle in action — continuous improvement. Along the way, keep being proactive and don’t stop. Each week will bring a new wave of improvement.

3. To-do list

Preparing a to-do list every day in the morning is an age-old hack that enhances your planning skills and increases productivity in people. It helps in two ways –

1. You break down big tasks into small manageable ones

2. It helps clear the mind and be in-sync with your goals

Each day done right will make you proud of yourself. Celebrate small achievements and every step you climb. It’ll help you achieve your desired goals and thrive you do keep-going.

Remember to take out some time for some physical sports, at least 3–4 times a week. Managing proper breaks that refresh you from the monotonicity of studies is as essential to your preparation as the study time itself.

Of-course all this is not going to happen without action. Start today and bring that change that you want.