Get Your Students Hired
One of my time issues is being a teacher as well as pro musician. I find managing my teacher time profoundly easier than the other aspects of my career, to the point where truly important music pro things fall further to the rear while urgent tasks needing my attention get it. I usually look at this as simple bad judgment, for when those important things fall far enough behind, they no longer matter. One of my perennial solutions has been to engage in some serious immediacy, wchi can leave me really burnt out.
I have become very familiar with "to do" lists and use them often. I often do not prioritize them on the list but I often keep a mental note of what I know needs to be taken care of first. I try not to put off the task until the next time unless I know that the deadline for a particular tasks can wait to be completed at a later time.
I usually try to accomplish these tasks right away. I will probably not change the way I accomplish priority tasks in the future.
David, I understand completely. It can give us great peace of mind to have a plan of attack organized before we start our day. When we don't set goals for ourselves at the start of the day, it's hard to know if we have been successful by the end.
Dr. Melissa Read
Johan, Hmmm, Sounds like you may be balancing more than you can handle. Where possible, you might consider task delegation. If you have anyone who might be a good candidate to help you complete your tasks, go ahead and reach out to explore your options. While it's hard to let go, sometimes, this is the best strategy for getting it all done.
Dr. Melissa Read
Teri, Indeed true. As instructors, we are often balancing too much and it cannot be completed all at once. Taking a step back and realizing that it's ok to attack things in order of importance can give us great piece of mind. It helps us organize our approach and helps us set realistic expectations of ourselves as well.
Dr. Melissa Read
After reading this segment, I have noticed I have problems with immediacy. I tend to want to do things now. I'm constantly working and never take a break, leaving me exhausted by the end of the day. I already do a to-do list, but now I'm going to carefully prioritize my list.
If I do not write out a prioritized to-do list the night before I go into the dental clinic then I become a wandering generality throughout the day and I feel I wasted a day and I build up some resentment and frustration for not staying focused.
I think the most important part is the Procrastination. As tasks build up and are not completed, there is a sense of being overwhelmed by the workload. I am going to try to spread out tasks by putting in time in smaller increments, rather than try and complete something all at once. Time management is the key here. An hour or two over a few weeks rather than 8 hours over a couple of days. Hopefully this will help with seeing a reduced workload.
Prioritizing has helped me to realize that I do not have to work through lunch or take things home. I just have to realize what has to be done first, second and so forth through each term. The student's needs should come first. Meetings, entering notations about tardies and problems that may arise can come later. It has to be done but not at the time of class. There are also meetings and emails to be answered. I will learn to number things as they are important and I believe this will help me a great deal. I will not tire myself out so much. Thank you.
No I feel that i have a good system to get everything done, I just find it hard to get the time to get it finished.
This has been an eye opener. I am the type of instructor that has to do everything all of the time. I do wear myself out. I realize now that I can prioritize things and that is ok. If fact that helps me figure out what to do first and what can wait.
Jan, Excellent to hear. It sounds like resetting your own expectations has resulted in a greater sense of control for you. I would have expected the opposite, but this is a wonderful outcome.
Dr. Melissa Read
Nichole, So true. I should note that occasionally when we procrastinate, the challenges we experience resolve themselves. This can be reinforcing. However this is not the case most of the time so to-do lists can be a lifesaver!
Dr. Melissa Read
Alicia, It sounds like you are mostly on track. Great work. Yes, a small modification could make a big difference. Go ahead and give it a try. You can always build on a great foundation.
Dr. Melissa Read
I would say that I am going to change. At present I use a system of jotting down my most important and work my way down to the least important; but sometimes, I do tend to sidetrack.
I have a tendency to procrastinate. So I set a timer for 15 minutes and tell myself that I can do anything for 15 minutes. Sometimes I only do the task for 15 minutes, but I've gotten some of it done. Sometimes when the timer goes off, I feel able to work on it longer. Sometimes just starting the task is difficult, not the actual task.
I tend to be a huge procrastinator. But based on what I have learned thus far, I will use the to-do list technique. It's important to not procrastinate as it only causes minor tasks to become major ones later.
Alain, Sounds like a great new system for you. Go ahead and give a check list a try. At a guess, you'll experience some wonderful benefits. Sometimes when we see all our tasks on paper, it really helps us gain clarity on our priorities.
Dr. Melissa Read
Like others, I am a "control" and a "get-it-done" person. With life's experiences, I have learned to slow down and not expect to get everything done in one day. As a result, I feel that I control my environment and not the other way around. I am much happier and everything gets done in a non-rushed manner!