I suppose I'm more of a procrastinator than anything else. Sometimes it all seems overwhelming. So I do the easy things first. Or... I start a long and tough project, get caught up in it, and then can't seem to quit until it's done. That has it's benefits, but other important tasks may get neglected during the process. My toughest challenge is how to break the tasks down into manageable pieces. Sometimes it all seems important and/or urgent. During the session, I did begin a to do list. There are 39 things on it. 16 of them are highlighted. Many more are twos. How do I distinguish among the 16? Which of those gets done first?
That's a great question Salle. It sounds like you have a lot of high priority tasks. I might ask yourself which ones are due the earliest and attack those first. If they are all due at once, I might check and see if there is someone who you can delegate some of the tasks to so you can divide and conquer.
Probably. But like all new skills it will take some awareness and practice. I think I will give myself more lead time to be sure I am able to deal with any unforeseen obstacles that may come up.
I have found that I need a second to do list for those items that I would like to get to but know it may be a long time. That way, I put them out of my mind.
I have found that I complete my tasks in an effective manner. Based on what I have learned prioritizing the list is the most important way in which to maintain organization.
Cindy
I tend accomplish tasks and priortize them according to thier importance. If my boss needs something then I tend to move those to the top of my list in order to help them complete thier tasks. Yes I think this module was very useful and gave good suggestions.
Tasks from our bosses, as well as other key stakeholders within our organizations, should certainly be prioritized.
MMM. Probably not. I prioritze already according to urgency and importance. My downfall is when it seems urgent, but is NOT important. In general, I do well at prioritizing as long as I am focused. I am pretty task oriented.
Dr. Read:
I usually choose to accomplish the most important and urgent task right away. Procrastination is a "pet peave" of mine and I believe it contributes to failure. If it had not been for my strong time management skills, I would not have successfully completed by B.S. and M.A. degrees, while working full time, being a caregiver for my parents and launching a teaching career.
This module did make me re-think immediacy, and it encouraged me to improve my skills in that area. While I am much better than I used to be, I still need to relax a little more and understand that some of the unimportant things can wait.
I have historically been a procrastinator. This is not my first course that deals with the issue of time management.
I started creating to-do lists (with task prioritization and rank) about 3 years ago, and have found this technique to be very successful
People like you, those who can complete school, work full time and care for others with ease, are great at time management. But I'm glad you are rethinking immediacy Janet. Immediacy is often the biggest challenge for people who are already good at managing time.
Janet:
What a super women you are. I thought my schedule was busy while teaching two classes, working two contracts which are tutoring a Liberian refugee and teaching basic nutrion and menu planning to caregivers for a nonprofit. I also am in my second year of doctorate studies, have a husband, daughter in college, and a 15 year old varsity football player and track and field all conference athlete.I also rehearse 6-10 hours a week with a professional West African Dance ensemble.
The priority task list is helping me immensely. I too have been guilty of immediancy and getting side tracked when I do not have a list of the most important things to do.
Wanda
Wanda,
If I am superwoman you are super, superwoman. Prioritized lists do help me, but sometimes I do the lists and then don't look at them. Interestingly, I do seem to remember what's on the list. I need to do better looking at the lists.
I do think that doing prioritizing lists is important, but we must be flexible, because unexpected events do happen and we must be willing and able to modify our plan of action.
I think it is very important to find the middle ground. You can be too rigid about time management and, you can, also, be too relaxed about it. While I am organized and good at time management, I, also, try to be flexible, because things sometimes happen that we do not anticipate and we must be able to adjust to deal with those unplanned things.
These are great points Janet. Finding the right balance for you is key.
I'm great at making a to do list, but tend to distracted by other things and end up procrastinating on getting to them.
I believe I am fairly good at prioritizing my to-do lists. I am a huge fan of post-it notes. I make a list and write the most important tasks in red ink. Therefore, I know what needs to be completed first. I also tend to squeeze in some non-important tasks in between. I know I need to work better on fully completing the important tasks first.
I really like this notion of to do list... il helps me to prioritize my work.. and I can review on a daily base my achievements and not being carried away by some unforseen issues.
Indeed. It's great to review your achievements daily. It can really help you feel like you are making progress.
I like your idea of using red ink Heather. Color coding is a great way to keep track of high priority tasks. And the color red really pops out at you.
