(more personal reflections) I am a LIST and SCHEDULE person.
I work multiple jobs; I am a mother, wife and I am active in trade and in my community.
Therefore, so that I do not pull my hair out and go insane, I maintain a list of tasks! I have a spiral notebook (not individual pieces of paper) that I keep in my carry-all bag. So I am able to see what is done and what is not done by simply flipping a page. My daily list includes EVERYTHING that requires my attention today. I review my list and update it every night. Then I use the list throughout the day.
I prioritize the items on my list based on importance (implications for me or my employer) and based on timing requirements. Corporate training taught me to make lists and to prioritize tasks years ago. It keeps me organized....and helps me to understand what I need to do every day. This educational module REINFORCED that training.
This module confirmed that I have been effectively organizing my tasks. I do divided up the tasks by most important and urgent first, utilizing ranking to figure out how to proceed with the others. I find it to be extremely successful for me to complete tasks this way.
This module was interesting and it provided easily acceptable logic to some very common obstacles.
(a moment of reflection) I admit to being "distracted" by procrastination and fear. So, prior to reviewing this module, I would "talk to myself" to overcome these distractions by associating procrastination with "laziness" and associating fear with "not being accountable or accepting responsibility" for my efforts. So I would talk myself to better behavior. LOL
I live by writing lists. I have taken time management courses for business management and "making lists" are important for time management. I prioritize and highlight the most important and most urgent. The solutions to the four obstacles presented in this module were not new to me. NOW - I need to always push myself to practice these solutions. I cannot allow myself to be lazy (procrastinate) with work piling up (the work does not go away by itself!). And I am responsible for the delivering great results (I control me and my work).
I enjoyed this module because it reinforced something I knew already.
David, Sounds like your time is quite limited. I can sympathize. Yes, the future is often as busy as the present. For this reason, sometimes we've got to invest extra time in the present all done.
Dr. Melissa Read
This class is a perfect example, I tend to put off tasks until I have a better opportunity to get them done. The reality is that I never seem to have time in the future either. I don't know if I can break old habits but will try to do so
This class is a perfect example, I tend to put off tasks until I have a better opportunity to get them done. The reality is that I never seem to have time in the future either
Scott, Excellent to hear. Yes, you are in control of your time and your schedule. Knowing this will help you send signals to the people who you work and live with so they can be reminded of this too.
Dr. Melissa Read
Ramon, So true. Sometimes it's hard to know what to do first when we are faced with a number of urgent tasks. In these situations, I like to think about the outcome of not performing each task. Usually that gives me the clarity I need to make the best choices.
Dr. Melissa Read
Task prioritization may sometimes prove challennging when there are many urgent matters to consider at the same time.
I definitely tend to let time dictate which tasks I complete and in which order. I do fall into that category of thinking that other people "control my time", but after this course I now realize that I'm in complete control.
I really like the method of imagining the consequences of not completing each task. That really helps to put it in "urgency order"!!
Every morning I make my to do list. It is based on task importance, deadline and time I have available. I tend to work on the task until it is complete, unless it has a later due date. Then I will spend an allotted amount of time to that task each day and move on to the next task that may be due sooner. I try to complete each task list daily.
Well, i gonna need to check my list of task, because most of the time i want to do many things at the same time, and even if i work good under stress is not a good idea.
Prioritization is very important in the classroom to keep students focus on the subject they are studing at the moment.
Jeanine, I have been there myself so I know where you are coming from. Some say "procrastination on your part does not equal emergency on my part." I recommend setting clear expectations about how much lead time you need to get tasks done.
Dr. Melissa Read
Darryl, In a lot of ways, that approach probably leads to happy faculty, students and administrators who are counting on your to get the work done. At the same time, you might struggle a bit with immediacy and the challenges that brings. I'd love to know if you are finding any time for you.
Dr. Melissa Read
Gregg, It sounds like what you learned in this module will drive quite a shift in the way you process your tasks. At a guess, you'll find that you are making more deadlines with the new approach!
Dr. Melissa Read
I've been very aware of task prioritization for quite some time. My challenge is this: I find myself buried at times from "pile on" in which several people will assign me new tasks and inform me that they are all due NOW. I find my self very stressed because the tasks seem to all be tagged as high priority and while I am usually able to find a way to complete them, it's at the expense of my mental and physical exhaustion. Any suggestions for coping/managing this kind of stress?
I found the material in this section very relevant to me. I tend to try to complete as many task as possible depending on how complex they are. If they are easy to complete, even if they are not due immediately, I try to complete them to get a sense of accomplishment. I will from now on prioritize what is important to me to accomplish first, and not get drawn in to the old way. I look forward to doing this so I am not so tired. I actually staring doing this last night when I became tired doing module 2, and then realized that I had more time to complete it.
Diane:
I am reminded of a saying” Lack of playing on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part” This saying was posted over the Coy Room .Another saying is “Do you plan to fail” or “Fail to Plan”
Nicole: I could not agree more, I have the issues with trying to get everythig done today so the desk can be "clean" It is not the smartest way to get things accomplished
