TIME MANAGEMENT
Benefits of time management Complete all the work we are expected of Provide quality work-outcome Give you a sense of satisfaction Leave you with enough time for your private live To achieve the above four benefits and to what Paleto said we need to improve following three of our work behaviours: work habit work system work planning
Work habit
1. Do It Now 2. Use Salami Techniques 3. Screen unnecessary information 4. Reduce interruption 5. 21 day challenge
Work habit Do It Now: The core message of personal efficiency process is to Do It Now. You read an email Do It Now whatever you want to do with it: reply it now, delegate it now, forward it now, file it now, delete it now, decide to reply later now. Use Salami technique : For big and complicated task use Salami Technique i.e. break it down into small fractions and complete every piece at a comfortable interval without crossing the deadline. Screen Unnecessary Information: This is an age information revolution and you are ‘attacked’ by information of all sorts necessary and unnecessary. Don’t feel sad and sorry to delete and screen the unnecessary information. Reduce interruptions: Excessive interruption is the cause of major source of frustration and inefficiency. To p revent re -doing the work, state your requirement, meet requirement and clarify it properly. We the IFMSA officers would know that when the e-mail doesn’t work in 48 hours then we have to resort to either SMS or phone. 21 day challenge: Behavioural studies have shown that to develop a positive habit or to break a wrong habit it has be practised for 21 uninterrupted days and if you fail to do so in the process you have repeat it for another 21 days. So officers and presidents, chosesome habit that you want to break or develop. It could be replying e-mails within 24 hours or waking up at six-o clock every day etc. whatever you chose practise it for 21 days.
Work system
The Filing systems has three components, 1. working files, 2. reference file 3. archive files.
Work system The working file is the ones which you are working with NOW. This has to be kept very near your working table where your computer is. What does the working file should contain ?. The life of the working file is till the project/work /assignment lasts. After the date of completion of the work the file has be replaced by another set of working files. The reason for keeping these file near you is that it shouldn't take more than five seconds to retrieve the working file when you are seeking it. Reference file has the necessary documents that you need for the reference of working files. Archives files are far away from your working table as you seldom use it. It is used when you want to consult some past documents or would like to make a research to aid your on going work. One thing I have learnt is that to throw away everything that you will distract you and that you don’t need.
Work planning Somebody has rightly said that if we fail to plan then we are planning to fail. Every hour you plan, you save eight hours. Planing enable you to Work in the right thing and right sequence Maximize your capacity and resources Anticipate obstacles and minimize crises Tools for work planning are: Daily planning, weekly planning, monthly planning. Your diary should have the logs for day, week and month. It is handy to carry to big enough to contain all you need to feed. Some use Palm diary but practise shows that paper diary is more manageable than the electronic though it varies with individuals
Work planning
Therefore you have to plan as follows in the pyramidwidening-fashion form daily to strategic planning as follows: Daily planning weekly planning monthly plan strategic plan
Coping strategies If you think your planned activities exceeds your available time then you need to try one or more of the following coping strategies. Prioritize: There are four types of works. Whenever you receive a request for work it could be classified into the following four. 1. I. urgent and important 2. II. not urgent but important 3. III. urgent but not important 4. IV. not urgent and not important .Analyze : Your past calendar (monthly and weekly) how you did could be a valuabe resource to analyse whre you are improve and where you can duplicate. .Negotiate: Discuss your workload with your colleague or your superior and ask for suggestion.
Can you do it?
Myths About Time Management
ď‚› MYTH: My life is completely controlled by external events. ď‚› FACT: You can have some control over many aspects of your life, but you and you alone are responsible for initiating that control. Learn to recognize what you can and can't control before making your choices. Anticipate the future and clarify the external demands that must be faced. From there, it is easier to determine what can be done, and within what time frame, despite the demands.
Myths About Time Management
ď‚› MYTH: I should meet everyone's expectations. ď‚› FACT: The needs and demands of others may be inappropriate for you and your lifestyle. They may be poorly timed, highly questionable, or simply unattainable. They may be of a different priority than your own. By trying to meet the expectations of others, you may be shortchanging yourself and your needs. First become clear about what your needs are and then you consider what others expect of you.
Myths About Time Management
ď‚› MYTH: I should have no limits. ď‚› FACT: We all have limits . . . failure to acknowledge this may cause you to become perfectionistic in your expectations. Perfectionists are especially prone to procrastination because the perfection they demand is impossible. For example, no paper will ever be perfect in all ways. The immediate consequence of turning in an imperfect paper may be brief, acute anxiety, but the long-term consequences of procrastination--e.g., inconveniences, academic or career losses and lingering self doubts--are usually more devastating.
Specific Techniques
FIRST, STACK THE CARDS IN YOUR FAVOR. For example: Use your biological rhythms to your advantage. Identify the times of day when your energy levels are at their highest and do your most important work at those times. For example, if you work best in the morning, do not plan all your studying for the evening. Optimize your work environment. Keep things you need in your work area and make sure the physical environment is conducive to concentration, not just comfort. You may need to experiment to determine the right work environment. For example, some work best in a quiet setting while others work best with background music; some work best amidst clutter, while others need a cleared desk or table; some work best at a place reserved only for study while others work best at the kitchen table; etc. Find what works best for you! Safeguard blocks of work time. Protect your time by saying "no" to various interruptions, activities, requests, or persons. Interruptions are a two-fold problem: the interruption itself, and the expectation of further interruptions. Both reduce your effectiveness considerably.
Specific Techniques SECOND, PRIORITIZE THE THINGS YOU WISH TO DO: STEP 1: Develop an overview of everything that you want to accomplish. Start by determining the time frame you'd like to work with (a semester, a month, a week, a day?). Five goals for the week, for example, might include studying for an exam on Friday, spending more time with a friend you've been neglecting, exercising three times for half an hour each time, attending Wednesday’s clothing sale, and watching a few "soaps." Notice that the goals include not only academic responsibilities but also personal and social activities. Write each of your goals on a separate index card. STEP 2: Organize your goals according to their priority. Stephen Covey (1989) suggests using the following Table and thinking of priorities in terms of two dimensions, urgency and importance. First, determine how urgent each of the goals is and separate your index cards into urgent and non-urgent piles. From our examples, studying for the exam and attending the clothing sale may be more urgent than socializing or exercising because they have deadlines coming up soon.
Specific Techniques THIRD, PLAN AHEAD ACCORDING TO YOUR PRIORITIES--ESPECIALLY THOSE IN QUADRANTS I & II. Make a long range timetable: Identify academic goals and deadlines (e.g., dates of exams, dates papers are due, etc) and make target dates for your nonacademic goals. Next, determine the steps you need to follow to reach these goals. Segment the larger activities into a series of smaller units. Then, make a reasonable timetable for accomplishing your goals on time. Remember your day to day personal maintenance: Certain activities--if neglected-- will throw your life out of balance and undermine your high priority efforts (i.e., activities such as sleeping, eating, socializing, exercising, doing the laundry, etc.). Include them in your planning. Plan each day and week as you go through the timetable: Consider each week as a subcategory to be planned, and similarly each day within a given week. Each day and each week, review your time table. New, unexpected items will come up; adjust your plans accordingly. (Hint: To avoid frustration, expect some unexpected things to happen- -e.g., things like problems with your computer. Plan in extra time and/or be ready to adjust your plan, still keeping your high priority goals in mind.)
Specific Techniques
FOURTH, AVOID OVER-PLANNING! ď‚› This may seem to contradict the preceding, but we mean it: avoid over-organizing. Beyond a certain point, adding techniques may simply create additional time problems rather than solving previous ones.
ARE you procastinator? (QUIZ)
ARE you procastinator?
Common Time Management Mistakes SWG
Mistake #1. Failing to Keep a To-Do List Mistake #2. Not Setting Personal Goals: To learn how to set SMART, effective goals, read up on Locke's Goal Setting Theory. Here, you'll learn how to set clearly defined goals that will keep you motivated. Mistake #3. Not Prioritizing: One tool that will help you prioritize effectively is the Urgent/Important Matrix. This helps you understand the difference between urgent activities, and important activities. You'll also learn how to overcome the tendency to focus on the urgent. Mistake #4. Failing to Manage Distractions Mistake #5. Procrastination Mistake #6. Taking on too Much: Are you a person who has a hard time saying "no" to people? If so, you probably have far too many projects and commitments on your plate. This can lead to poor performance, stress, and low morale. To stop this, learn the subtle art of saying "yes" to the person, but "no" to the task. This skill helps you assert yourself, while still maintaining good feelings within the group. If the other person starts leaning on you to say "yes" to their request, learn how to think on your feet, and stay cool under pressure. Mistake #7. Thriving on "Busy" : Instead, try to slow down, and learn to manage your time better.
ď‚› Mistake #8. Multitasking: So, the best thing is to forget about multitasking, and, instead, focus on one task at a time. That way, you'll produce higher quality work. ď‚› Mistake #9. Not Taking Breaks : It's nice to think that you can work for 8-10 hours straight, especially when you're working to a deadline. But it's impossible for anyone to focus and produce really high-quality work without giving their brains some time to rest and recharge. ď‚› Mistake #10. Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks : Are you a morning person? Or do you find your energy picking up once the sun begins to set in the evening? All of us have different rhythms, that is, different times of day when we feel most productive and energetic.
WORKFLOW