IT'S NOT EASY being young these days. People expect so much of you. First, you have to be good at your studies. Then, thanks to the notion of 'all-round development', you should also have some hobbies and do well in at least one of them. On top of that, you are expected to organise activities for others and probably do some kind of volunteer work. All that sounds fair enough. But how do you find time? Young Post asked several high achievers for their advice. Young artist Kwok Ying, 24, one of the winners of this year's Hong Kong Art Biennial competition, said setting priorities was vital to managing your time. When she was at university, Kwok used to do her artwork in between studying. But art equipment didn't come cheap so she taught painting on weekends to save enough money to buy supplies. To save time, Kwok concentrated hard during lessons so she wouldn't have to spend too much time studying afterwards. 'I spent more time on subjects I enjoyed and was more interested in,' she recalled. Today, Kwok is co-ordinator of the Hong Kong Arts Centre's Art In Hospitals Project. When she found she had little time to spend on her own projects after hours, she adopted another skill. 'I used to waste my time daydreaming when I was commuting, but now I use it to think of ideas for my art. In this way I can start working on my paintings as soon as I get to the studio,' she said. Still, Kwok said she sometimes has to sacrifice sleep for her art as her schedule is just too busy. National swimmer Sherry Tsai Hiu-wai, 19, uses a timetable to manage her time. 'If you know exactly what you have to do and plan ahead, you can be more organised,' said the Hong Kong Junior Sports Star Award winner and runner-up of this year's South China Morning Post Sportsperson of the Year Award. 'To be more efficient, you must not be distracted when carrying out your tasks.' Hiu-wai spends her one-hour lunch participating in club activities and other extra-curricular activities such as lifesaving practice with the school team. Even with all these tips, you could still find it difficult to juggle different roles and manage your time. Professor Daniel Shek Tan-lei, a member of the Commission of Youth, advised keeping track of your daily activities. 'Try to jot down what you have done everyday. Then you can find out which roles are not as important as they seem or should not take that long, like sending ICQ messages or playing TV games,' he said. Self-discipline was also important: 'Some young people find relaxing activities irresistible. They don't want to stop, even though it's time to do something else. It takes a lot of discipline to manage time well.' But first you had to understand what interested you and where your talents lie, he said. 'Many people say that every activity is important. But you have to set priorities, and to do so you need to have knowledge about yourself,' he said.
