the encouragement lounge: Time management

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:

Christmas w/a KFebruary 26, 2010 at 9:17 AM
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.
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Harriet SchwartzMarch 1, 2010 at 4:47 AM
Good strategy! Thanks for the suggestion!
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Working adult students, on my mind...

I hope this blog will be helpful to friends and others involved in a variety of endeavors. However, I created the blog with students in mind and continue to develop it with that specific group as my focus.

I believe that with the increase in evening, weekend, and low-residency programs, students are working more and more in isolation. If we were all full-time students on campus, we would have the informal support that comes with being able to go down the hall and talk with a colleague, etc. But instead, we are working late nights and weekends at home in front of the laptop.

With that in mind, I hope the encouragement lounge provides brief moments of respite and energizing connection. This does not at all replace valuable face-to-face contact. Many aspects of the academic journey can only be addressed via in-depth conversations with colleagues and teachers. And I would always rather sit down and talk with someone than to communicate online. Nonetheless, my aim is to give you one more channel for quick hits of support.