Time Management Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. - Laertius Diogenes
Time Management Pitfalls The tyranny of urgent Choose tasks by whatever grabs my attention - latest crises - telephone call - impending deadline Solution: Make a plan and then work your plan
Time Management Pitfalls Poor Prioritization Symptoms of Poor Prioritization - Too much to do and not enough time - Feeling overwhelmed and out of control - Feeling under constant time pressure - Not making significant progress on important goals
Causes of Poor Prioritization Unidentified priorities Trying to find time for the important stuff “You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” - Charles Bixton Baited by distractions Procrastination (Avoid at All Costs)
Solution – Big Rocks in the Jar
Put the rocks in first, the gravel and sand will fit.
Concentrate on the rocks first, then you can make room for the other stuff.
Moral Make time for your big rocks Only if you put them into the schedule first Then allow the other stuff to fill the gaps
Effective Time Management Principles Prioritize your work - List your projects/goals - Prioritize them - Select the most important - Break down into tasks - Develop a timeline - Delegate - Repeat process with all of your projects
How to Prioritize Task List – task description, importance tag, due date Higher priority – more important and long term (e.g., paper due next month) Medium to Low priority – less important and short-term tasks
How to Prioritize (Ailamaki & Gehrke, 2003) 1. How will this help my research program and my career goals? 2. Will this improve my standing in my department and my community? 3. How long will this take? 4. What is the deadline? 5. How busy am I during the period when I must devote time to this task? (i.e., Will it interfere with higher priority tasks?) 6. Will this be fun to do?
Review Tasks and Due Dates periodically May need adjustment Be realistic about required timeframe for completion Utilize planners Organize your documents and workspace Schedule breaks for yourself Schedule meetings if necessary, but only when necessary Stay focused
Thank You
Resources and Sources Plethora of Resources Randy Pausch Time Management Pointers Management%20is%20Important Time Management Lecture Time Management Self-Assessment