This module was very interesting to me. I have historically put things off as long as I can until I end up in a major time crunch at the end of the day, and this provided me with some great tips on how to change that. I am going to start by prioritizing my tasks and making sure the important tasks get completed first. Then, I am going to set aside time to finish my grading and other administrative tasks that need to be completed. I am also going to use a calendar to set goals for having things completed so my workflow goes much more smoothly.
Lucky for me, I accomplish tasks right away. I try to complete things that have more priority than others. I will make a point to be more diligent about accomplishing important and urgent tasks in the future.
This lesson has been helpful to me. I have always prioritized tasks to some degree but I know how to improve upon what I was already doing.
Exceeding your own expectations can really make you feel like you are ahead on everything and organized.
If you have a good system in place, no need to change it Troy. Just go with what works for you.
I try to accomplish most important and urgent task at first. However, there are times that it is always possible to complete and I just move it to the right. I don’t anticipate the need to change, things seem to work fine now.
Answering automated bot reply requests. is not high on my priority list. I tend to put those off. But I changed the order this time and decided to get it over with.
The "To Do" list gets it off your mind and onto paper. It's a total waste of energy to keep the list in your head. Better to get it on paper. This really frees my mind and adds serenity to my day.
I always complete the most important tasks first. If I put them off, I will wait until the last minute and then will panic that I will run out of time.
Based on what I learned in the module, I am prioritizing in the order suggested.
I teach for a number of universities and many of my normal tasks are "calendar driven," meaning I don't have the choice to put them off too far. I arrange my TD list chronologically most of the time, with tasks farther down the list that are not deadline driven. In a given day I accomplish the tasks due by that day, and then try to knock off a few of the tasks that aren't as urgent.
Based on what I've learned in this module, I will attempt not to jump "ahead" in my task list to accomplish a task that is "easy." Sometimes I'm motivated by the desire to simply reduce the length of the list. Not a good way to manage my tasks!
I also make a "to-do" list. Usually it involves things that will need to be done in days time and things that can be accomplished in a week, etc. I do think that prioritizing the most important will be helpful in time management. There are days that I feel everyone is taking my time and I still am not accomplishing much.
Rachel
Yes, reading it will be key Adrianne. But there are some alternatives. Some online planners allow people to log in from any internet location. So if you have access to the internet where you teach, you may be able to log in there. Alternatively, if you have access to the internet through your mobile phone, that could be a second option.
You are right James. Every once in a while, it's nice to experience the feeling of accomplishment, even if we're not working on a priority task. Throwing in those little rewards can work great - and help us chip away at smaller tasks too.
This sounds like a great plan Brad. You might try combining your personal to do list with your professional one. That way, you can see everything all in one place and strike more of a balance between both types of tasks.
Yes, it's sometimes hard to get tasks completed when we dislike doing them. Breaking them down is a good way to go Megan. Also, sometimes delegating the parts of tasks we don't like can help too, where possible. Some people love the tasks we hate.
Discipline is indeed an important ingredient Blair. This is especially true during the holiday season as we deviate from our routines.
Yes Joseph, consistency tends to be key in time and stress management. And identifying level of priority really can make task lists feel more under control.
When it comes to task prioritization I tend to will look at the most urgent tasks and usually do the one(s) that are less time consuming or that I enjoy more first. The urgent tasks that I like less usually get put off longer. After going through this module I believe I need to start breaking these down more in order to get started sooner and may lessen my reluctance.
I am typically on target with completing prioritization. However at times I can over commit myself and may need to adjust my timeline as time progress.
Felicia
I think I have become better at prioritizing my tasks for each day. In the future, I need to work on making sure I stick to the task I am currently working on rather than jumping around between a number of different tasks. I believe that jumping between multiple uncompleted tasks actually makes me less efficient in getting the entire task completed. I definitely need to work on the obstacle of immediacy; I have a hard time leaving something to be accomplished the next day. In the future, I will leave the non urgent issues to be completed for the following day.
