Balance in Life (Part I)

Programmers often work with strict deadlines. Night coding, non-stop coding - these terms are familiar to every programmer regardless of level. Furthermore, I am a student - I have to combine my work, studies, and personal life, so that I won't be out of my rhythm because of overwork. Many people ask how I can handle so many tasks: work, university, university social life (I am part of the Students' Union), sport, and personal life. Now, my secret will be relieved. 

1. Obvious, but still productive method to stay on track - make a to-do list. It was very challenging for me to finish all the tasks from my list. I always liked to write to-do lists, but most of the tasks for a day were kept undone. I started blaming myself that it's my problem that I can't handle so much in a day and that's was an issue. I used to write more tasks than I can finish in a day. So, an important point, prioritize your tasks. Don't put all of them in one day.
2. 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle - 80% of outcomes result from 20% of all causes). This principle I use in my studies. It is my luck that I realized the amount of work I need to do to keep myself in a university top of students (top-4), but not to do too much for that. I see my friends who work hard every day - sleep less, study more. Nevertheless, this is not the key to success. Often it is better just to go to sleep (a tactic I use during my exams ^^). I am not sure, whether it will work with everyone, but at least I recommend you to try out this rule. 

This time only two rules regarding productivity. Check out my profile weekly to see Part II of this post where I will discuss how these rules will help you to stay in a balanced condition. It is definitely hard to change your habits to make them more suitable for your lifestyle, so I suggest you read this book to obtain the habits you need effectively. 

What do you think is the most important to keep your life balanced?