Transcript Time Management Strategies - University of Western Ontario

Strategies for Time Management
and Productivity
Jennifer Sintzel
Learning Skills Counsellor
The Student Development Centre
We cannot manage
time!
But we can control
how we use it.
Time Self
Management
Purpose of Time (Self) Management
Allows you:
A sense of control
To pace yourself
To achieve balance
To make time for the things you enjoy
To increase your productivity
All of which…..

REDUCES STRESS
Building Blocks of Time (Self)
Management
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Self Awareness
Plan Ahead
Establish Priorities
Weekly planning
Strategies for Getting
the Most Out of your
Time
1) Self Awareness
What tasks need to be juggled?
Make a list of the major and minor tasks you
need to complete at work on a weekly or daily
basis.
2. Consider one thing you’ll look back on in one
month and be pleased about accomplishing.
3. Consider a task(s) at work you wish you had
more time to do.
1.
Obstacles to Time Management
Lack of or inattention to planning
 Unclear expectations
 Multiple or competing demands
 Being unorganized
 Lack of clear goals
 Low concentration
 Procrastination

Goal Setting
Personal/Professional Values
◦ What is important to you?
◦ Do your current actions reflect your values?
Time Management:
Building Awareness
Rank your top 5
tasks/responsibilities for your
profession
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
What currently takes the most
time?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
Activity Log

Consider using the following tool:
Activity
Time spent per
week
Regular or
Occasional
Essential or
Optional
Priority: (high/
medium/ low)
2) Plan Ahead!
Begin by taking a big picture approach
 Identify and set long-term goals
 Break into small, manageable tasks and
schedule self-set deadlines for each
For example, consider Mark Twain’s
advice…
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started;
and the secret of getting started is breaking
your complex, overwhelming tasks into small,
manageable tasks, and then starting on the
first one.”
1) Plan Ahead!
Begin by taking a big picture approach
 Identify and set long-term goals
 Break into small, manageable tasks and schedule
self-set deadlines for each
3) Establish Priorities
Consider the BIG things first!
 Regularly review what you need to complete
 Decide what is most important and number each
in rank order
 When time is tight, postpone nonessential tasks
What are your big rocks?
Stephen Covey’s ‘Priority Grid’
URGENT
IMPORTANT
UNIMPORTANT
NON-URGENT
Do it now!
Timetable it for later
Do it soon after first
priorities
Don’t worry about it
4) Weekly planning

Begin with fixed tasks (eg. meetings)

Have realistic expectations
◦ Be aware of the time it takes to complete certain
tasks
 i.e. writing always takes more time than you expect
 Expect setbacks
Allow for flexibility
 Schedule your most challenging and important
tasks at the time of day when you feel most
energetic
 Evaluate and re-set goals

5) Get the most out of your time
Important Factors
1. Optimize Concentration
2. Remove Distractions
3. Be Organized
4. Combat Procrastination
5. Maintain Motivation
1.Optimize Concentration
◦ Consider factors that help you work best:
background noise, silence? Working in short,
frequent chunks, or for long, uninterrupted
blocks of time?
◦ Play instrumental music
◦ Chart your energy levels
◦ Work on a dreaded or complex task at least a
little every day
◦ Practice self-care: sleep, nutrition, exercise
2. Remove distractions
◦ Check emails, text messaging, etc. during designated
times only.
◦ Download web-blocking software (i.e Strict Pomodora
or “Waste No Time”)
◦ Set aside “worry time”
3. Be Organized
◦ Clear desk of all paper except the specific job at hand –
this invites you to think of one thing at a time
◦ Organize according to: for action, for information, for
reading, for waste
4. Procrastination:
Putting off the doing of something intentionally or
habitually
Break the cycle!
Ask yourself -Why am I putting this off?
- How am I putting this off?
Why do I Procrastinate?
◦ Feeling overwhelmed
◦ Fear of being evaluated
◦ Feeling like there is plenty of time
◦ Waiting to feel the crunch
◦ Insufficient prioritizing of tasks' importance
◦ Not sure how to do the task
◦ Burnout
How do I Procrastinate?
Avoidance
 Time Bandits: email, socializing, cell phone,
working on less urgent or easier tasks….


Internal distractions: e.g. negative thinking
◦ “I don’t have enough time,” “I won’t be able to do this
well,” “ I don’t feel like this right now. Maybe I will later.”

External distractions: e.g. noise, other people
Overcoming Procrastination
Challenge negative self-talk
 Record distracting thoughts
 Start small: Try task for five minutes, then five more
 Peer pressure: ask someone to check up on you
 Set realistic goals
 Give yourself a reward when you complete your tasks
 Remove distractions
 HALT (H: hungry • A: angry • L: lonely • T: tired)
 Identify unpleasant consequences of not doing the task

◦ The Pleasure-Pain Principal
The Pleasure-Pain Principle
Task: Writing Year End Report
Pleasure I will have from putting off
task
Pain I will have from putting off task
•Won’t have to think hard right now when •I will feel guilty that I’m not doing work
I am not in the mood
•In the back of my mind I’ll still worry
•I’ll be more motivated later when I feel
about the work I have to do
the “crunch.”
•My schedule will be thrown out: won’t be
•Will be able to do easier or more
able to finish other tasks and/or meet
enjoyable tasks
deadlines now
•I’ll have to cram and then might be very
stressed and not able to achieve high
quality work
Hard work is often the easy work you did not do at the
proper time.
4. Maintain Motivation
Think about a past experience when motivation helped you to
complete a complex task.
o What helped you to feel motivated?
o What helped you to maintain your motivation?
Other Motivation Strategies
 Remind yourself of your goals and values
 Keep a log or journal of your achievements
 Reward your efforts and accomplishments
 Take breaks
 Believe in yourself! Combat negative self-talk
 Imagine how you’ll feel once you have completed the task
 Surround yourself with supportive or motivated people
 Reignite your passion – attend conferences