Effective Time Management
Ever wonder how some people are able to fit so many activities into their schedules, while other barely seem to have the time to attend classes? Are they smarter? Doubtful. More organized? You're getting warm. Better at managing their time? BINGO!
Time management is self management. While this handout will give you some pointers on how to better manage your time, it is important to realize that only you know your peak work hours, your attention span, and your eating and sleeping needs. Time management is a highly personalized skill, and whatever method works for you is the right one.
Three steps to effective time management are:
- Organizing
- Prioritizing
- Scheduling
Organizing
The more organized you are, the more effectively you will be able to use the 24 hours in each day. Ideally, each morning you should make a list of everything you want or need to get done that day (if it works better for you, you can also do this at night before you go to bed and then organize the next day's activities). Don't think about which tasks are most important at this point. Just write them all down. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you might want to organize yourself for a few days in advance; this can help you to plan longer projects.
Prioritizing
The next step is to prioritize the items on your list. Assign an "A" to those things that you HAVE to do; "B" to the tasks that you SHOULD do; and "C" to those items that can be DEFFERED until the next day. Keep in mind the due dates for the projects and if the project is for a class. You might want to consider how much of the final grade that particular project is worth (5% or 50%). This can help you decide how high a priority should be assigned to the project.
Don't procrastinate! Try not to leave projects for the last minute; it's the least effective way of getting things done. Sometimes late night cramming will be necessary, but try to keep it to a minimum.
Scheduling
Now that you have your prioritized list of everything you need and want to do, you should look at your schedule to fit your projects around the "givens" (class, work, sleep, etc.) in your day. Your schedule should be flexible. Leave room for break, socializing, and those things that tend to pop up. Allow for the unexpected! Don't try to plan out every minute of your day.
As you're scheduling, keep your personal needs and habits in mind. For example, don't schedule study time in the morning if you like to sleep late. Me realistic and make a schedule which you can be sure to stick to.
Following these three steps will help you use your time more effectively. One final hint: as you go through the day, ask yourself "What is the best use of my time right now?" An effective way of integrating Organizing, Prioritizing, and Scheduling into your life is by creating "things to do" lists. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when creating your lists:
- Make tasks "do-able". Make your list realistic (overestimating the amount of things you can accomplish can put you into greater time binds).
- Estimate time realistically. Be sure to schedule enough time for you to get your tasks done. Also be sure to allow extra time in case you might have problems; it's better to give yourself too much time than to cut yourself short.
- Don't put too many "shoulds" or "oughts" on your list. You need to maintain a healthy balance between the tasks you want to do, the tasks you feel you should do, and the tasks you have to do.
- Establish a daily routine. Determine for yourself what time of day is best for doing certain activities and get in the habit of doing them at that time.
- Integrate Lists. Have your lists include all aspects of your life. Having separate lists for class work, organizations, social activities, and work can be confusing.
- Make time for people and fun. Everyone needs time to recreate or their productivity will suffer. After taking time to recreate, people often feel revitalized and have more energy to get work done.
- Feel OK when you're finished. Spending lots of time regretting failures or feeling frustrated often wastes even more time. Feel good for accomplishing what you have, and then move on.
Learn to say "no"
Be sure to remember that there is not enough time each day to do everything for everybody. In order to keep from burning out, you need to take time for yourself and learn to say "no" to some of the requests for your time. Only you can realistically look at your commitments to see if you have the time to commit to other tasks. Say "no" when you don't want to, can't do, or don't have the time to do what is asked of you. If you over-commit yourself, everyone will come out behind. Openness and honesty are the key to saying "no". Your friends and co-workers will most likely understand your situation if you level with them.