The Day That Ran Away

(Günseli Keşir / Sümer Ortaokulu / Ereğli, Konya / Türkiye)

    Every morning, Alex promised to have a well-planned day.

    Homework, hobbies, family time, and rest were all written in their mind — but somehow, the day always slipped away. Tasks were started but not finished. Time passed quickly, and distractions appeared everywhere.

    Alex began to wonder:

    “Is the problem really a lack of time, or is it the way I use it?”

That question marked the beginning of a journey — a journey to understand routines, responsibility, and time management.

(Mustafa Köse / Kavaközü Ortaokulu / Ayrancı, Karaman / Türkiye)

Özlem Köse / Yıldırım Beyazıt Ortaokulu / Sincan, Ankara / Türkiye

Alex decided to stop for a moment and think about his day.
He began to notice when his attention was distracted and how time passed so quickly.

The problem was not that there was not enough time.
The problem was that everything during the day felt mixed and unorganized.
He started tasks but could not finish them, and he did not know when to take breaks.Alex understood one important thing:
To change something, he first needed to be aware of himself.

When could he focus better? When did he feel tired?
When did he really need to rest?

While thinking about these questions, a new idea came to his mind.
Maybe to make his day easier, he needed a simple order.

This thought prepared Alex for a new step.

Ayşegül Arslan / Tuna Üçer Secondary School / Sincan, Ankara / Türkiye

After thinking for a while, Alex decided to answer his own questions honestly.

When could he focus better?

He realized that his mind was clearer early in the morning, before checking his phone.

When did he feel tired?

He noticed that after long hours without a break, his energy suddenly dropped.

When did he really need to rest?

Not when he was bored — but when he felt mentally slow and unfocused.

These answers surprised him.

The problem was not time.

The problem was how he used his energy.

With this new understanding, Alex created a simple order for his day…

Nursel Doğaner / Yıldırım Beyazıt Secondary School / Sincan, Ankara / Türkiye

       With his new understanding, Alex decided to create a simple order for his day. He did not prepare a long and complicated plan. Instead, he chose three important tasks every morning.

To stay focused, he started using the Pomodoro technique. He set a timer for 25 minutes and worked on only one task. During that time, he avoided his phone and other distractions. When the timer rang, he took a short 5-minute break to stretch, breathe, and clear his mind. At first, it was difficult. His thoughts still wandered. But now he was aware of it. Instead of giving up, he gently brought his attention back each time.

           After a few days, Alex noticed a big change. He was finishing his homework on time. He felt less stressed and more confident. His evenings were calmer, and he finally had time to relax without feeling guilty. One evening, while watching the sunset from his window, Alex smiled. He realized something important: Time never really ran away. He had just learned how to walk with it — step by step, minute by minute.  And for the first time, he felt that the day truly belonged to him.

Gülşah Türkmen / Yıldırım Beyazıt Secondary School / Sincan, Ankara / Türkiye

As Alex began learning how to manage his time, he realized something important: he did not have to do everything alone.

At school, his teacher noticed his effort to stay focused. Instead of only checking homework, she encouraged him and suggested small strategies to improve his concentration. She reminded him that making mistakes was part of learning.

At home, his parents also started supporting him. They created a quiet study space and helped him build a daily routine. Instead of asking, “Did you finish everything?” they began asking, “How can we help you today?”

This support made a big difference.

Alex felt understood both at school and at home. When teachers and parents worked together, he felt more confident and responsible. Their guidance helped him stay motivated, especially on difficult days.

He understood that success was not only about managing time —
it was also about having people who guide, support, and believe in you.

With the help of his parents and teachers, Alex didn’t just learn how to organize his day.

He learned how to grow.

Sırma Sapıtmaz / Pelitköy Halit Secondary School/ Burhaniye, Balıkesir / Türkiye

However, Alex soon understood something important.Life was not always easy.Some days were still difficult.There were surprise quizzes at school.There were busy weekends.Sometimes he felt tired and unmotivated again.One Monday morning, he woke up late.He missed his study time.He felt stressed and disappointed.For a moment, he wanted to give up.But then he remembered something:Challenges are not signs of failure.They are part of growing.Instead of feeling angry, he took a deep breath.He told himself, “I can start again.”He opened his notebook and wrote one small goal for the day.It was not a perfect day.But it was a better day.That evening, Alex thought about a new question:“If every day brings a new challenge,how can I become stronger each time?”And maybe…
 the next challenge was already waiting for him. 

Gözde Sivri / Hasan Çoktin Cumhuriyet Ortaokulu / Doğubayazıt, Ağrı / Türkiye

For Alex, alternatives to his routines were necessary. His schedule included a number of alternative plans that he couldn't keep track of, and which he kept saved for later use. It was actually difficult to use, but Alex started using his daily planner, created with Post-it notes, and quickly adapted to it. He realized that unexpected situations didn't actually disrupt his schedule; he could adapt to them with a little adjustment. Wasn't that what time management was all about? Being able to bend our patterns and readjust quickly in the face of changing circumstances... Alex realized that this was actually a form of freedom. Now he knew his routines, planned his day, managed his time, and could adapt unexpected situations to his plan and continue his day from where he left off.