Shannon, Excellent to hear! Yea, breaking large items into more manageable chunks can help make daunting tasks a lot easier to take on. It's also a lot easier to chip away at them this way too.
Dr. Melissa Read
Ryan, Sounds like a great plan. No one can do everything at once - at least not well. When we attempt to multitask too many things, we often sacrifice the quality of our outputs. Sometimes a little prioritization can help us focus and deliver our very best.
Dr. Melissa Read
Jaceita, Great to hear. I should note that sometimes a little procrastination can light the fire we need to get motivated to get work done. It's ok to delay tasks a little if you have the intention of returning to them soon.
Dr. Melissa Read
I will definitely be using a to do list from now on! Breaking down the larger items into smaller ones really hit home for me, as I tend to overwhelm myself with larger tasks. I'm looking forward to incorporating it in my day to day life, since I haven't used one before.
yes i will take things one at a time and try not to get overwhelmed with student affairs and personal issues
I seldom make a to do list, however the module made sense to do so. I find that when it is time to do something I have an urgency to do everything because of procrastination. I learned alot about a to-do-list and will start incorporating that list to accomplish tasks
I have a lot tasks to complete on a daily basis and my current method for prioritizing tasks is to complete tasks based on level of importance. I utilize Microsoft Outlook to set reminders early in the day to begin and complete tasks in a timely manner. For example, supervisor projects tend to time sensitive and will be at the top of my list followed by replying to voicemails and emails from students since good customer service is essential in my role. I do tend to procrastinate on certain important tasks with future due dates such as putting together student files by a certain date that will be audited. I do not enjoy this task and this leads me to procrastinate and wait until a few days before files are due to start working on them. Based on the lecture I will definitely change the order of accomplishing tasks. I will be putting together a “to do list†and free up my time by working on items such as the files well before the due date.
I feel that I am someone that will try and complete everything I can at once, but I will put off other things that are not as important. After what I have learned I am going to rethink my prioritization of tasks at hand
Response to Task Prioritization Question:
I will most definitely be making a change to the way in which I order and grade the tasks according to their level of URGENCY and IMPORTANCE. Based upon this information, a 3 Tier approach may be the best for me.
Having prioritized the URGENCY and IMPORTANCE of different tasks according to their number, I would then create a Composite List which factors in the element of EXPEDIENCY.
I would then seek to accomplish the most important tasks that I was able to do, under the current circumstances. For example certain tasks (such as lesson plan creation) could be done almost anywhere, whereas other types of tasks (such as CampusVue entries) might have to wait until I could return to the school.
Dr. Jonathan French
Response to Task Prioritization Question:
I will most definitely be making a change to the way in which I order and grade the tasks according to their level of URGENCY and IMPORTANCE.
Based upon this information, a 3 Tier approach may be the best for me.
Having prioritized the URGENCY and IMPORTANCE of different tasks according to their number, I would then create a Composite List which factors in the element of EXPEDIENCY.
I would then seek to accomplish the most important tasks that I was able to do, under the current circumstances. For example certain tasks (such as lesson plan creation) could be done almost anywhere, whereas other types of tasks (such as CampusVue entries) might have to wait until I could return to the school.
Dr. Jonathan French
Kathy, I know exactly where you are coming from. It's tempting to knock out a bunch of easy tasks before getting to harder ones. Doing so makes us feel like we are making good progress in the short term. However, those large tasks we are procrastinating tend to haunt us. Sometimes my approach has been to attack the large and undesirable tasks first. While it's not fun, once I get them knocked out I have a much more positive outlook about my day.
Dr. Melissa Read
Rudayna, Interesting approach. I have met a lot of instructors who approach their work like you do. Sometimes it is easier to slowly chip away at tasks instead of completing them in bulk. If that describes you, go with it! You will likely get more work completed with the approach that resonates best with you.
Dr. Melissa Read
I believe most of the time I accomplish the important tasks right away. However, I do tend to put even important tasks off when I know they are going to take a large amount of time. Sometimes I try and get all the little things out of the way before I even try to accomplish the big task. However, when I do that, I do increase my stress because I have on my mind the fact that I have this big, urgent task I have to accomplish.
I always try to prioritize my tasks. I am so busy all the time that I'm afraid I'll forget something if I don't write it down. I do try to complete little tasks through out the day when I find myself some free time but I always make time to complete the important tasks first. If I don't do that I get really lost and overwhelmed.
If I can accomplish an important or urgent task right away I do. If not, I put it on a to do list with a deadline so I don't forget to do it. This learning module mostly gave me some ideas about how I can improve what I'm already doing to manage my time. It made me realize why I do things the way I do, which actually gives me confidence about my time management skills and relieves some stress.
Joy, I like your thinking. Sometimes enjoyable tasks are truly rewarding. You might consider building in some other rewards too - outside of your tasks. This could be even more reinforcing.
Dr. Melissa Read
i seem to want to complete the hard task last so i can do better
I feel that the information was very helpful to assist me in prioritizing my future tasks. I think that I need to make a list and start to make sure I am not procrastinating as much. I think that seeing a list will help to assure my success in the future. I know that I should not go to the grocery store without a list so why make my work load be any different.
I do usually choose the most important and urgent tasks right away because I like the feeling of knowing they are complete and crossed off my list. I can then "reward" myself by choosing some of the more enjoyable tasks from my to do list to be completed next.
I always prioritize my work load based on my class schedule.
