Friday, February 26, 2010

Time management - the constant challenge

"How can I possibly complete this work?"
"There is no way I can keep up with this reading."

Are these thoughts familiar? Most folks who are going to school and working at the same time face time management as a never-ending challenge. It seems that even when we get past one deadline, another one awaits and it again feels impossible to do it all.

I know my own tendency when I'm overloaded is to experience the overall feeling of being overwhelmed. I was thinking the other day, what if instead I discipline myself to focus on the short-term. How can I resolve this current feeling of overload? And then I move to a mental checklist of strategies:

1. Quickly review priorities -- does everything here NEED to get done right away?

2. Which other obligation can I forgo -- is there one meeting I can miss, or a lunch date I can reschedule?

3. Is there any piece of this that is appropriate for someone else to do -- something with the house or kids for example -- can I ask someone for help?

4. How about an extended work session? If I get up super early or stay up super late tonight -- can I get myself back on track?

5. And if none of these are options, can I ask for an extension on any of these deadlines?

I would love feedback on this, folks. Let me know if you try it and whether or not it works.

Have a good day, all. You can do this!

Harriet

2 comments:

  1. Linked to your site via Melanie Booth's fb post this morning on time mgmt. I adopted a tactic of planning the day in first 15 min and reviewing in last 15 minutes - carved out on the calendar. The check off is great and the review helps inform the next day. Good guide even when work is in flux.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good strategy! Thanks for the suggestion!

    ReplyDelete

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