12 - time management
3 Step to Successful Time Management
*Create goals* to help meet your values. *Set priorities* based on those goals. *Plan* out time to meet priorities.
Multitasking
-We are not capable of giving full attention to two tasks at once (our minds quickly switch back and forth from one activity to the other) -*multitasking is a myth and trying to multitask is stressful* (when you are fitting the most important things into your life, what you think and what you do are in harmony)
Procrastination
-thief of time -4th quad -doesn't help you work faster, helps you do worse!
Pareto Principle
80-20 rule -20% cause 80% effects -80 percent of the activities that we participate in give us 20 percent of the outcome or results that we want. The opposite is also true, 20 percent of our activities give us 80 percent of the outcome or results that we want. Thus, not all activities are the same and some matter more than others. If we can identify the activities that give us most of our results and successfully prioritize and complete them, we will be successful
Action Plan for goals
Brainstorm or Imagine you've already achieved your goal
Time log
once an hour during the day, write how long it takes you to do something (3 days) evaluating: -which activities on your log lines up w/ values -which don't align? -which violate your values? -are values/goals being ignored?
Short, Intermediate, & long-term goals 8. (BOOK and Reading Online) What is the difference between Short, intermediate, and Long-term goals? a. (BOOK) Why is it important to create an action plan for your goals?
short/intermediate: taking care of your health, cultivating friendships & making money
Time Management Priorities
"What is the best use of my time right now?" *Pareto Principle*: 80-20 rule *Time Management Matrix* *ABC Method* *Sand, Rock, Pebble metaphor*
*ABC Method*
*A priority* -supports specific long-term goal -you must do this task. -it is both urgent and important. -serious consequences if you do not do the task (>1 A activity -> A-1, A-2...) *B priority* -important w/out urgency of an A activity. -you should do this task -important w/out a deadline *C priority* -it is a nice thing to do, but it really is not important -does not help to meet your long-term goals. -consequences of not doing it == very mild or nonexistent
5 principles for effective goals
*Seek divine help* -our creator wants us to be happy & successful -He will help us identify the most important & beneficial goals if we first seek his guidance -combine scripture study, prayer, and contemplation or meditation -fasting, visit holy places, -write your goals -> present them to your Heavenly Father when you are finished - ->clarity to this process and confidence that your life is heading in the right direction. -If you enlist the help of your Heavenly Father, your goals will be more meaningful and you will be directed in the path that helps you lead a more fulfilling and happy life. *Have clearly defined values so that we start with the end in mind* -goals should reflect your values (review values before setting goals!) -since you know where you want to go, you set goals to get there and accomplish the thing you find most valuable to become a person you can be proud of -We have to define our values to make goals so that we can give direction to the use of our time and financial resources. *Write down your goals* -a goal that is not written down is just a wish (we forget/lose track) -gives goals form and permanency and facilitates principle 5 *Be SMART in goal writing* -SPECIFIC & clear: what are you trying to accomplish? (who,what,where,when,why) -MEASURABLE: Can you track it and tell when its completed? -ACHIEVABLE: align with skills/attitudes/interests -REALISTIC: goals should still challenge you though (to get out of your comfort zone and work) -TIME-BOUND: have a specific time frame to be completed! *Frequently review your goals* -The more we review our goals, the more they become part of our thinking and decision making -its helpful to physically put them somewhere you see often -goals set a path, but will change over time as you change -success is measured by striving, not achieving! -What do you want out of life? You will get more out of life with clearly defined goals. The only person holding you back is yourself.
Define: time
-"the point or period at which things occur" The reality is that there are a lot of things that have to occur in our lives. These things on our to-do list are competing for space and, unfortunately, there may not be enough space for all the things you need to do.
Time Management Matrix
---------------------URGENT --- NOT URGENT IMPORTANT -----------1----------------2------ NOT IMPORTANT-----3----------------4------ Urgent:Time bound Important: globally aligned with your values & goals 1 : urgent & important -> Assignment deadlines, crises, cramming for exams, last-minute preparations 2 : Important & not urgent -> Reading lecture notes, personal development, planned study, planning time/goals, exercise, spiritual matters 3: Urgent & not important -> Many interruptions, some calls/emails/texts/, some popular activities, some meetings 4: Not Urgent & Not important-> Trivia, some phone calls, excessive TV or Facebook, time wasters -put each thing (to-do list) in a quadrant - 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 (importance > urgency) - Managing time so that you reduce stress means that you !live more in quadrant 2!. When you are living in quadrant 2, your values are in alignment with your behavior and you prevent tasks from becoming urgent -The next time you are doing things in quadrant 4, ask yourself, "What am I avoiding or procrastinating?"
Sand, Rock, Pebble metaphor
-as you put things in the right order into (your time) you get the right things in first, then you'll be able to fill in some of the other spots with some of the things that are less important, and you can fill up your day and still get more done with the same amount of time. : -What are the most important priorities? -Are you getting your priorities into your time first? - "Are you putting in the sand before the rocks?"
Value of Time
-our most valuable commodity is our for money when we work (time is more precious/limited than money) -Our time then becomes worth a certain amount of money (wasting time = wasting money!) - Time is far more precious and limited than money. -How much would you spend for another hour of life? -You can never get back wasted time. Once it is gone, it is gone. -It is important to understand what your time is worth, so that you can better judge the best way to use it. -if you have a job: calculate how much your time is worth to your company (you'll know what it worth buying/doing)
Manage time-wasters
-schedule a time during the day to take care of email/phone calls/receiving visitors -be proactive in reaching out to personal or business reationships to assess needs before they become priorities -when interrupted, make it clear you only have a few minutes -Touch each paper once. The idea here is that you deal with papers when you get them and don't just put them in a pile. If the paper is something that you don't need, recycle it right away. If it is something that you do need, file it or put it away right now. When we don't do this and keep papers in a pile, we tend to revisit these papers over and over again and, each time we do, we waste more of our time. -Touch each email once. This is the same idea as touching each paper once. When we read an email, the idea is to immediately do something with it. This could be responding to it, putting it on your to-do list or completing the action that it requires, if it is important to you. The problem is that we tend to use our inbox as our to-do list. We say to ourselves, "I can't deal with this now but I don't want to forget about it or not do it." Your inbox is not your to-do list. Your to-do list is your to-do list. How many emails are in your inbox right now? There really is not a reason for you to have hundreds or thousands of emails in your inbox. When you use your email as a to-do list, you will forget about things or lose them. You also waste your time as you re-read each email over and over again. A good goal is to keep your inbox empty except for emails that are new.
Planning for time management!
-schedule your priorities don't prioritize your schedule! -if you value something, then you do not find time to do it, you make time to do it! (ie "I don't have time to exercise") "If you can dream it, you can do it." Planning gives you the vision to get things done. What is the vision of your day, week, month, or semester? If you can envision it, it can happen. -basics: ~to do list & calendar ~put your items in the calendar in order of importance (est. how long they'll take) ~ make sure to allow time to relax!!!! -questions? to ask: What doesn't need to be done? This really gets back to the concept of important and not important. Are there things on your to-do list that don't need to be done and that you can cross off? What can someone else do? If you can identify who can help and you are willing to allow them to help, you will find that your burden will be lighter. Some people have a hard time giving up control. This is understandable, so maybe start with tasks that are not as important. What can I do more efficiently? This question does not get asked enough and yet it so important. The other day I found myself calculating values for each of 100 participants. Toward the end I had to stop and realize that I could have done this in Excel much more quickly. If I wrote a quick formula and copied the formula for each participant I could have saved myself an hour of time. If I would have asked myself this question up front, I would have been able to get more done. How am I wasting other people's time? If you are wasting someone else's time, you are wasting your own time. It is appropriate to network and make relationships but often we are just wasting other's time. This can be in person or through email, texts, and other electronic communication. -guiding principles ~Write down the six (if this is too few you can do more) most important tasks to be performed. Place the items in order of importance. Begin working on number one in the morning. When number one is completed, go to number two, and so forth. At the end of the day, evaluate what you did and did not accomplish.
ways to overcome procrastination!
-stop worrying -start small -count the cost -look for hidden rewards -confront negative beliefs -double your resistance -take responsibility for delay -tie a distasteful activity to an activity you know you will do -reward yourself for doing upleasant things -finish things! *Create your own deadlines* (artificial deadlines that are before actual deadlines) *Schedule your tasks* (you are more likely to begin working on them if they're in your calendar) *Use a timer* (set an amount of time that you are willing and able to work on it and focus -> We are often willing to do something we don't want to do if we know there will be an end. This is a powerful technique.) *Do the biggest, ugliest project first* (You have the most energy and motivation at the beginning of the day) *Get something done on your to-do list* (crossing things off of our to-do list -> surge of dopamine which is rewarding and improves motivation) *Stop staring and start doing* (jump in and get going; the more we stare, the less desire we have to do ; 2 minute rule) *Break down projects and tasks into smaller pieces* -How do you eat an elephant (daunting/overwhelming projects)? One bite at a time. This is true of daunting and overwhelming projects. -sticky note method of eating an elephant: ~identify the project ~Get a pad of sticky notes. ~Brainstorm all the steps that it will take to complete the project. ~Write each of these steps on a sticky note as you brainstorm. ~Organize the sticky notes from what needs to be done first, second, third and so on. ~Start on sticky note one and work to the last sticky note, one at a time. ~Each time you finish a sticky not take it off the board and move to the next. *Eliminate distractions*: -When you are at home and you need to get something done, unplug the router. -Seclude yourself. Go somewhere where you can work and no one can interrupt you. I have students who go to the library where there is no internet or cell phone reception. This limits distractions by others and by technology. -Answer e-mail, text messages, and phone calls at specific times of the day -What is distracting you? Is it people, things, or technology? Whatever it is, what can you do to eliminate it as a distraction?