Shall we talk about time management?

I think we shall

Time management is something that I have pretty much always struggled with. I make my coworkers laugh when I say "I would have more time if I spent less time organizing my time," but that comment is less of a joke and more of a self-aware musing.

I go through what can be best described as time management phases. For several months at the start of each year I will keep a diary with most of my dates. I'll buy a new phone and put EVERYTHING into the calendar. I once carried around a A4 notebook of to-do lists. Most recently I bought four small dry erase boards and put them in a place I'll see when I wake up.

All of these strategies work for me for a small amount of time, then I inevitably seem to get bored and go back to double booking myself. I can usually fit in work, university and family time fairly well, but I frequently over-commit and find myself having to back out of plans.

Here is the thing, I'm not sure if I actually want to be 100% on top of my schedule. Allow me to explain what I mean by that. I would very much like to not forget about my commitments, but I feel like I need some room for spontaneity.

Keep your schedules free
Meggeth