I stated in another discussion something regarding this. I tend to try to complete the easy stuff first. I will try to force myself to do the harder stuff first, but it never works out that way. I find that I will end up letting myself get distracted or avoiding the task altogether. However, this module has made things seem more manageable. I used to use to-do lists in graduate school, and I also used the prioritization method. I wish I had never stopped doing that. So, now I feel that I want to focus on building lists again, but I also know that my other problem is the implementation of those lists. I tried getting back to this before, and I tended to forget I made a list. I have at least three planners from years past that I purchased for that very purpose only to barely use them at all. So, how does one plan to plan?
Some instructors thrive in an environment that is a little chaotic. Some do better with a messy desk. If you are one of those, go with it. Cleaning up your desk will make you look better to others, but could hurt your productivity.
I would, I categorize myself as a procrastinator in every situation. I wait until the last minute to do everything. I was always frustrated in my full time job, before I quit. I was told that my desk was a mess, and no one could find anything if I ever left, I had organized my desk into piles, and worked on the most urgent to the least, but when I was told to re-organize, I became confused, and felt that I was working on things that was not of immediate importance. Now that I have started my own business, I will priorize everything with a list, that way I will feel more in control, it feels better already just thinking about it.
The first step is identifying that there's a problem April so it sounds like you're on the right track. Now it's time to attack the problem by seeing what you can do about it.
I know that I am a procrastinator and I truly need to change this. I am one who waits until the last minute. Task prioritization is a practice that I need to have in mu life asap.
I like the way you divide personal and professional tasks Jamie. Not all instructors can do this. Many have a master list with everything on it. This gives you a holistic view but can also be very intimidating.
I try to write a to do list. I have to have a to do list or I get lost. I try not to put anything off because it will come back and bite me in the behind.
Urgent task are always completed first. Important task are second to complete. I seperate my personal task and professional task. The urgent has consequences that effect others and myself. Important task are improtant to me that effects my productivity and personal development.
I try to list daily and weekly as well as monthly tasks. By using the calendar on my e-mail I am alerted to tasks when they come up.
Nice approach Chad. Sometimes it's good to just take one thing at a time.
I think overall I do a pretty good job of prioritizing and accomplishing urgent and important items. Although I’m not sure that I will change anything, I definitely think that this was an informative segment. I can attest to the importance of setting time limits. I actually do this for everything, not just the less important items. It is important, though, to be careful with this because a tendency could be to allot too little time to something which could cause you to fall behind and ultimately become stressed.
I attempt to do things right away. I hate the feeling of having more things to do in front of me. I try to keep a handle on tasks and not get carried away with doing everything at once.
If you have a system that's working for you, keep it up Oliver! No need to fix something that's not broken. On the flip side, if there are some techniques that you think you could benefit from, go ahead and give them a try and see what happens.
I think that an element that was not discussed in the material was the "feeling" I have about a task. Some tasks are pleasant and others are not. Many instructors that I talk to "feel" that grading homework is not fun, even challenging or painful. Some instructors procrastinate because of this, and some adopt an immediacy strategy to "get it over with". I do not react to homework in that way, but I do have some tasks that I will do earlier or later based on how I feel about the task.
Chuck
I will more than likely continue with the way I do things. I do like the list concept. I will start using a list and finding way to keep myself better organized for future task.
Excellent strategy Rebecca and one that will serve you well moving forward. Good luck with implementing this in your life.
Thanks for sharing Alicia. Yes, very important to take on the right mix of tasks - those with varied levels of difficulty. It's so tempting to just work on the easy tasks...but then the important things never seem to get done!
Excellent, so glad to hear Barbara. The first step is really identifying the problem or opportunity so it's nice to see you have made it that far. Next step is applying some of these tips to get where you need to be.
I have to admit, this is one of my weakness "Prioritization" I tend to do the jobs that will not require a lot of my time first and then work on the harder projects or the projects I least like to do last. I need to work on procrastination and prioritization. After reading this lesson I have learned some new ways to handle my weakness.
I am generally pretty good about completing an urgent/important task as quickly as I can. Otherwise, I tend to not be able to concentrate on other areas of work and life if I have this task hanging over my head. The “Obstacle of Immediacy†struck a cord with me. I don’t necessarily think I struggle terribly with this, but I could relate to it a bit, given that I have a bit of trouble compartmentalizing tasks.
When we were building our house a good friend in the home building business told me that when looking for subcontractors a way to distinguish a good contractor is if he/she tackles the most difficult tasks first and doesn’t push the challenging ones off until the end. This is generally a pretty good indicator that they are skilled in their profession. I was told to be a bit wary of those who consistently procrastinate the hard tasks. This piece of advice has stuck with me over the years and I’ve even applied it to my life. I always try to take the most difficult tasks first and leave the less challenging and less urgent tasks until the end. I’ve found that completing the time consuming tasks early creates a great sense of accomplishment. It gives me the confidence and motivation to complete the rest of the tasks.
