Indeed. It's so important to just be reasonable with ourselves. If our expectations are set properly, we can really feel good about our accomplishments.
Hello doctor, As I am an equine veterinary technician, and an instructor for horses at a vet tech program, I find prioritization a necessity. This even happen in a fluid environment, we are a mobile vet practice so things like weather, emergency's, and client cancellations, make my job a prioritization career.
I tend to agree with this, I tend to expect to much of myself and what I can get accomplished in a day or even a week at times. I have learned that Putting together a good to do list that is not out of "Reach" so to speak, It tends to take off a lot of pressure that I have put on myself to acomplish what I need to get done.
In the particular field industry I am in and the professional responsabilities I have it is very important to be organized, to plan and to follow through. As an instructor, worshipping these work ethics make the students' mentoring easier and their training more successful. As an employee, embrassing these values get you respect.
yes. now i will always put the most urgent and important tasks at the top of my list.
many of my less important tasks get on my lists week after week until they no longer are rellevant. lately itry to accomplish some of them before that happens.
Tina, I agree with Melissa that this is an intriguing idea. It reminds me of two visits to the NASA radio telescope array in Green Bank, W.Va. Some of the greatest minds in astrophysics make their way through the facility. In the dining hall, there are pads of paper and pencils at every table. Sometimes epiphanies come while eating, too.
Thanks for the tip. Having paper on the nightstand is a really good idea.
Sometimes just re-affirming can be a good process Laura. It sounds like you are confident in your task prioritization abilities and should stick with the system that works for you.
That's actually a great idea Tina and one that I have not heard before. Probably helps you sleep better knowing that you can easily get your thoughts out without getting up.
For sure! I love lists and I love crossing tasks off even more. Because of this, I do tend to complete the simple, maybe not so important tasks first. I realize that this pushed the more important tasks down on the list and causes me frustration later. I think I will start prioritizing my list!
I keep a pad of paper and pen by my bed. when I am getting ready in the morning for the day ahead I write down what comes to mind that I need to get done that day. This lowers my overall stress of trying to remember all these things until I do sit down and write my to do list and it starts the list for me.
I have always been quite good about prioritizing tasks. I don't think that I will change anything but it was very helpful to have a course that re-affirmed my thought process of how I do address my tasks-at hand.
I try to plan my work with a do list hopefully benefit my priorities
Marshall, I know difficult and critical tasks can feel daunting. Sometimes breaking them up into smaller pieces, and attacking those pieces can help substantially.
For years I have been making "to do" lists and without a doubt, the more difficult tasks or the critical tasks I try to move to the bottom of the list. Doing this I am hoping the task will be less difficult to do. In most cases this is not the truth.
Many times I must grit my teeth and face the task. There is a huge sense of accomplishment when the list is complete.
I must say, I do try to prioritize the tasks and check them off in order as best as I can.
Honestly it depends on how palatable the task is. Generally speaking the more I dread doing it the longer it goes undone until I have no choice. I always get it done by the deadline but I do tend to procrastinate those things I simply hate doing. Will I change that behavior? Honestly, I'll try but probably not. LOL
I tend to put the harder ones until the end because if I can finish more of the easier tasks I can concentrate on a harder task better. This may not be right but it is how I seem to do it most often.
I am noticing it more now as I have embarked on going back to school. My assignments get completed in the order of how hard they are it seems.
Thanks for sharing Perry. Many instructors struggle with long term planning. One great way to overcome this is to break long term goals into chunks that can be completed sequentially. With this method, working toward the long term happens in the short term. Eventually you do reach some of your bigger goals.
Perry:
I am also a member of the "bogged down club". I can appreciate your need for innovation as I have a similar instructional style which benefits students we need to keep motivated. I tend to do better when I include 1 mundane task on my most important things to do list and complete it first so that I can spend more time on those tasks I enjoy. Also try not to accomplish all of your grading or administrative tasks all at once. Approach the "Elephant one bite at a time".
Good luck!
Wanda
I am very good at prioritizing in the short term. Where I fall short is longer-term planning (outside of a few hours or into the next days/weeks).
I also suffer from self-indulgence. While much of my time is spent focused on curriculum, lessons, etc., I tend to get bogged down in looking for ways to enhance or improve, rather than doing things like grading papers, administrative paperwork, and other mundane tasks.
How can one approach a solution to these types of problems?
