ASE Time Management

Where does your time go? Guess what… There are only 168 hours a week. On what activities did you spend the most amount of time? On what activities did you spend the least amount of time? To what activities would you like to devote more time? Are you satisfied with the way you spend your time? What changes would you like to make? Sources: Carol Kanar, The Confident Student Lisa Israel

Creating a Goal for Time Management What would you like to change about your current time management? For example, would you like to devote more time to studying? The first step is to make a concrete goal. Better yet, make sure your goal is S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals From Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything” S = Specific A specific goal has a greater chance of being accomplished. When thinking of your goal, consider “who is involved,” “what you want to accomplish,” “when you want the goal accomplished,” “which requirements/restraints will provide obstacles,” and “why you want to accomplish the goal.” M = Measurable A = Attainable R = Realistic T = Tangible

S.M.A.R.T. Goals From Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything” S = Specific M = Measurable Establish a concrete means for measuring the progress towards your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask the questions: “How much?” “How many,” and “How will I know when it is accomplished?” For example, if your goal is raise a B to an A-, you can measure your quiz and test grades to see if you are on track. A = Attainable R = Realistic T = Tangible

S.M.A.R.T. Goals From Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything” S = Specific M = Measurable A = Attainable Identify a goal that is most important because then you’ll adopt an attitude and plan proper to make sure it actually comes true. Remember, reaching goals requires thoughtful consideration and planning. Make sure you picked a goal that you will actually take the steps you planned out! R = Realistic T = Tangible

S.M.A.R.T. Goals From Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything” S = Specific M = Measurable A = Attainable R = Realistic A goal must be an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. Making sure the goal is realistic is up to you. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Your goal is probably realistic if you believe that it can be accomplished. T = Tangible

S.M.A.R.T. Goals From Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything” S = Specific M = Measurable A = Attainable R = Realistic T = Tangible A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of your senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, or hearing). When your goal is tangible, you have a better chance of making it specific, measurable, and attainable. (Intangible goals are more internal changes like personality characteristics and behaviours. They are important and vital to reaching other goals, but extremely difficult to measure. Thus, focus on the tangible so you can stay motivated and see results!)

S.M.A.R.T. Goals From Paul J. Meyer’s “Attitude is Everything” Now, determine a smart goal for how you hope to change your current time management behaviour. Write down this goal! Share a goal with a friend/relative/teacher who will be committed to asking your progress and support you! Schedule your commitments (due dates, tests, work, HW, studying, volunteering, etc.) for the week on paper. Work in blocks of minutes with mini breaks (5 minutes).

Create more time in your day! Now that you have a goal in mind, how can you find more time to accomplish it? Eliminate those time thieves! Example of time thieves include:  Procrastination  External Distractions (noise, music, TV, facebook, etc)  Internal Distractions (hunger, fatigue, worrying, etc)  Over scheduling  Poor organization