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Task prioritization I think first step for good time management."to do" list makes your time organize from the most important and urgent to the least of your priority. It makes more fulfilled feeling at the end of the day that all the task had been accomplished.
Ellen, Yes, for someone in your position, a to-do list will help a lot. Putting pen to paper on your tasks and prioritizing them with give you the confidence you need to focus on the most important tasks first!
Dr. Melissa Read
I have had a difficult time remaining organized and often feel overwhelmed- I have trouble deciding what to do firts. I think I will implement a to-do list and prioritize and hope it will decrease my anxiety
Bret, Excellent to hear you got some good direction from this class. Yes, work and life balance is critically important to our effectiveness. Often times, we are better workers when we have time to rest and when we don't approach every task with the same sense of urgency.
Dr. Melissa Read
Jason, So true. It's critically important to set the right expectations for yourself and be honest about how much time you have. This helps you both stay on track as well as feel good about the progress you are making.
Dr. Melissa Read
I tend to focus on the most important and urgent tasks. This class was helpful in providing ideas about how to balance home and work life. This in turn reduces my stress level. Example:I do not check my email every 15 minutes. Instead, I usually check my email when I get to work and later in the afternoon. This works well for me.
It can be quite valuable to prioritize the tasks ahead of you. I find simply being honest with yourself about your available time, and your competency can greatly aid in targeting and accomplishing tasks in an efficient and organized manner.
Cheryl, This is an important realization and I'm so glad you discovered it through this course. Yes, many instructors struggle with immediacy and control issues. Early in our careers, these kinds of approaches often help us get ahead. As we settle into our roles however, they can really get in the way of enjoying life.
Dr. Melissa Read
I have just realized this about myself today. I have control issues and immediacy issues. I always have a "to do" list but the control and immediacy get in the way. Currently I am working on this MaxKnowledge training. My phone is ringing and now I have a red light on, indicating I have a message. After this first module, I am thinking.....immediacy. I need to get to this message but I am going to stay focued on this module then check the messages.!!!! I am learning quickly!
Something else I do to myself. Do today what you can because you don't know what tomorrow will be.
As a chef is a neccesity to be a multitasker that is good at prioritizing. As a chef instructor it takes a little more balance to prioritize a day because of all our variables with students and other staff. Prioritizing happens on a daily basis for me according to the curriculuim and knowing how the students may be challenged helps me leave more time between task.
How else can I do better prioritizing my day with so many variables to take in to account?
Dr. Read,
I find myself still attacking the "simplest" tasks first and leaving the "big and scary" ones for later. I have this overwhelming feeeling that my checklist will just disappear more quickly this way. Ultimately I still find myself overwhelmed with the "big and scary" tasks and even exhausted by the time I try to attack them! I do admit, I need a change.
Vanessa
We make lists. Depends on what tasks or projects I am working on and how high on the priority list it is or time sensitive they are.
I usually choose to accomplish the tasks right away which of course makes everything seem piled on top of me.
I have learned from this seminar how to better prioritize my to do list and not to try and do all at once. I also know now that it is okay to push the timing back on a certain task if it isn't urgent. Thanks to your seminar, I know how to better prioritize.
Juanita, So glad to hear that you have benefited from this course. It sounds like you are, in many ways, already on top of things. At the same time, I recognize that there is always room for improvement and I'm glad you do too.
Dr. Melissa Read
Deb, I am with you for sure! Sometimes it is nice to knock a few items off our lists. It feels good because we get a nice sense of accomplishment. I also love breaking large tasks into smaller ones. This process makes them a lot more manageable for me. Often times, the smaller tasks can be knocked out of the queue relatively quickly and that also gives me a feeling of progress.
Dr. Melissa Read
Veronica, It sounds like you are on top of things and that procrastination is certainly not an issue for you. You may, however, be someone who struggles with immediacy instead. If this is the case, you might try putting your tasks down every now and then and just taking a break for a moment. At a guess, you will find that you are more productive when you return to your work.
Dr. Melissa Read
I am an immediacy type of instructor, however, when I get overwhelmed with outside tasks I procrastinate, there is ZERO inbetween.
I once learned to look at the big rocks, and the pebbles will follow, however, sometimes too many pebbles can be hugely overwhelming.
I write down to-do lists, however, I have a tendancy not to stick to them. I think I need to start them, and revamp them on a weekly basis to ensure I am accomplishing as much as possible.
I too am guilty of doing the fast and easy tasks first, however I still believe that if something will take fewer than 5 minutes, it also give a feeling of accomplishment to cross it off the list and continue on to the most important items. Sometimes we do need immediate gratification, so that our list doesn't seem so daunting.
I also feel that breaking down large tasks to smaller, easier tasks, sometimes looks more worse than a shorter list with fewer items. I wonder if anybody else agrees with me?
When I am prioritizing my tasks I take the ones that tasks that are most urgent to complete first. If they cannot be completed right away I will start on them and move on the to another task. I will not sit idle while I am waiting to complete something while I have other tasks that need my attention as well.
I do to do lists daily, then i prioritize according to importance. Then i revise at end of day for the following day and then revise again in the begining of my shift depending on emails and added tasks for the day and this has helped me with my time management. I also learned to overcome procrastination wich i think i did a lot of and then found my self in the frame of the obstical of immediacy and then in the dreadfull phase of job insecurity because i was always under the gun.But this part of the course has helped me tremendously