Yes use lists only if you need them Paul. If you have a mental system that works for you, go with that instead until it doesn't work any longer!
I change my order by importence also by the level of difficulty/time it takes to complete.
This is a good system Anthony. If the level of difficulty is hard or the time is lengthy, sometimes is is good to prioritize.
I am a list maker and an Immediate "doer" as a teacher. I want to be on top of my game at all times, be the best teacher possible, so I get everything done right away and do not procrastinate with my professional life! However, my homelife is slightly different. I make lists, and accomplish some of the items. I definitely need to work harder at being less of a procrastinator at home! (I don't feel tired from my work at school but maybe I am fooling myself and need to take a harder look at myself.)
I make "to-do lists" and I do them in the order of ease or challenge. I do need to change that to order of importance and urgency so that these "to-do items" don't turn into procrastinated items!
When it comes to accomplishing tasks related to my classes, I'm pretty good at getting things done quickly with the help of to do lists. I keep a notebook that has my list of classes and what needs to be done for each one. This list gets updated weekly.
It's the other taks related to teaching but that don't directly involve the classes themselves that tend to cause me some problems. For example professional development tasks and some other paperwork tend to get put off more easily than preparing activities or grading tests.
On my "to do" list, in additiona to tasks for each class, I include a section for "other" than includes contacting students, timesheets, paperwork, entering information into the database etc. It does help--when I remember to put them on the list.
Interesting Deb. Your 'other' category sounds very much like 'administrative' and 'operations' categories that other instructors use.
Jo,
It's great to have a list & expect to get tasks done, but I find, with a home based business, (in addition to teaching) that your time is sometimes interrupted. The point of having a home based business is to have flexibility, so even though I have expectations of completing the tasks on my list - it doesn't always work out that way. Still
I lists my tasks- it keeps me focused & my head clear.
I usually try to accomplish as many tasks on my "To Do" list ASAP. I think I can be more productive by using the task prioitization presented in this course. Thanks.
Yes, immediacy can work for some people - especially those who stress out about seeing too many items on a list!
I find that the more work I have to do the more I procrastinate. In prioritizing I have a difficult time deciding which tasks are more important and prioritizing comes down to when things are due. Whatever is due right away is most important. I don't particularly like working this way but my plate is so full it seems to be the only option. I feel like this makes my lessons suffer.
If I keep my sense of immediacy then I usually can stay on top of things and don't have to take as much work home. So I find I have to balance being stressed out by immediacy and taking work home. If I keep that high stress pace going the trade off is not as much homework. I'm not sure which is better for longevity.
I tend to procrastinate quite a bit and end up rushing around to finish tasks. By implementing a weekly 'to do' list and prioritizing, I can definatley relax and manage my time better.
I definitely have just dropped everything to do the newest most impotant thing, but I have learned that it usually ends up being more work having all of those half finished things to do all at once. Even when I have important things to do, I am trying to wrap up what I'm in the middle of before starting a new project if at all possible. I think that finishing one task at a time is a good idea so that you can stay focused on the subject at hand.
This is a great point Erica! Sometimes it's easier to just focus on one task at a time.
Typically when I make a prioritized list I do complete the most urgent things first. This helps me relax and then focus more on the next set of items on the list. This works especially well when I have seen those items before, only lower on the priorty list, then it starts to become a habit.
I have to look at both urgency and timeframes. Just because a task is urgent, does not mean that it needs to be done now. There may be other tasks that are urgent or not quite as urgent that need to be completed first. It is key to prioritizing.
I plan my day and weeks out with to-do lists in order to keep track of everything throughout the day. Everything gets prioritize in order of importance.
I continuously change and adjust as needed or time/need direct.
I make a to do list and prioritize them according to importance.
I usually prioritize tasks based on the status of the requester, but now realize that there are some simple tasks that can be handled almost immediately, and gotton "of my plate". I think organization will assist here as well. I have learned to think of task prioritization in terms of resources, namely being time, in addition to who is asking for it.
