Time Management

Time Management

Keys to Success and Time Management DEFINITION: Time management is a set of preventive strategies that can help reduce stress in your life. EITHER YOU TAKE CONTROL OF TIME OR TIME TAKES CONTROL OF YOU

STEPS IN TIME MANAGEMENT Allow time for planning and establishing priorities Complete the highest priority task whenever possible, and finish one task before beginning another Re-prioritize based upon the remaining tasks and upon new information that may have been received.

Effectiveness and Efficiency Effective use of time entails doing the right things. Depends on your assessment and analysis of the needs of the situation Efficient use of time entails doing things right Depends on work organization and ability to complete tasks without excess effort, time or resources

Attendance You hear us say all the time .”You need to come to every class.” “Nursing school takes precedence.” “You need to get your priorities in order.” Some students will skip class in order to study. Is this an example of poor time management? Guess what? For every hour you spend in class, you will reduce your study time by 3 hours!

Budgeting You have to budget your time just like you do your money. You have 168 hours in a week—use it wisely If possible: PDA, Day planner, large calendar —track it ALL well in advance. Test days, clinical, final exam, concept maps, time to study, time to spend with family, time to sleep, time for R&R! If you only have class 3 days a week—those other days are not days off!

Concentration Focus, focus, focus. Remove all clutter from your study area. Cluttered study area cluttered mind. Focus on one thing at a time. You should only keep items on your desk that deal with the task at hand—eliminate confusion.

Dirty Jobs We all have that one assignment/task that we absolutely do not want to do! Guess what---do it first! Get it out of the way so you don’t ruin the rest of your day thinking about how bad you hate to start that project! Eventually, if you put it off, tomorrow will come and it still won’t be done. Then, tomorrow is ruined as well as today

Equipment You can’t put out a fire with water pistol! Before you start a project or an assignment, make sure you have everything you need— pens, pencils, index cards, poster board, blank concept maps, articles, you name it! You waste time when you are not prepared.

Filing System “I know that article is around here somewhere.” You have now lost 20 minutes of prime time looking for an article--- Have a place for everything and everything in its place. Don’t keep papers from NUR 3030 by your desk when you are in NUR 4350. File away the 3030 items in a filing cabinet, under the bed, out of your way! Keep materials from previous classes electronically for future reference.

Goals Be goal oriented Set short term and long term goals for yourself every day If you know what your goals are, you can skip activities and even avoid people who are not relevant to the accomplishment of your goal. Don’t sit around and say “I wish I could get a better grade in Anatomy and Physiology.” Instead Say ”How can I get a better grade in Pathophysiology. Make a list of steps

Goal: Improve my grade in Pathophysiology List the steps you need to take to achieve this goal. Decide which steps you are able to take to achieve the goal. Decide which steps you are willing to take to achieve this goal. Identify people who can help you achieve this goal. Consider how you might allow yourself or others to get in the way of achieving this goal. Bottom line—don’t whine—only YOU can do something about it!

Hanging in there! The harder the assignments get, the more tempting it is to put them off. Fight the urges to blow it off and watch TV or go partying---fight, fight, fight! If you stop working on the assignment when you find it difficult, you will leave with a defeated attitude---instead, work on it for a while until you feel like you are winning the battle—then stop. It will be much easier to return to it tomorrow! Promise.

Investments This is a tough one---You have to think of your time as an investment or a deposit. You must learn to prioritize your activities. Every minute you spend studying is an investment in yourself and your future. Are you worth it? Invest more time in high-priority activities. Example

Investment You are having a test in Nursing course A that is worth 40% of your grade. You are also having a quiz in Nursing Course B that is worth 5% of your grade. Where will a wise student invest the bulk of his/her time?

Jotting it Down—not just for the elderly! Lists! Help you prioritize. Help you remember. Give you a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Helps you consolidate and use your time wisely. Tonight, before bed, make a list of 6 things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Then put them in rank order and tomorrow start with number 1. Try it!

Knocking Off Sometimes just good enough is good enough. Settle for an A .Don’t spend 5 additional hours for an A Know when you have had enough and are no longer productive.

Majoring in Minor Activities Busywork Gives you a false sense of accomplishment Makes you tired Produces no results Be proud of your results, not your efforts

Other People’s Time “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”

Prime Time Everyone has their “best” time of the day what is yours? Use it to your advantage. If possible, block this time off as your study time. Use your less-than prime time for noncognitive tasks like xeroxing articles, Internet research, etc.

Question Yourself Several times a day Is this the BEST use of my time right now? Is this activity helping me to achieve one of my goals? Is this worth the amount of time it is going to take? Is this still worth doing? If I didn’t do this, what would happen?

Regrets Don’t waste your time with them. If you find yourself saying.” If only I had not ” or “I wish I had ” change your mindset and say ”Next time I am going to ”

Saving time Can’t be done! You can’t find it. You can’t make it. You can only make better use of what you have.

Tomorrow Never gets here. Do it today!

Urgency Urgent things are not always important. Important things are not always urgent. If you make time for the important and ignore the pseudoimportant you will be a better student.

Vacillating Indecisiveness wastes time Be decisive Establish your own policies Give yourself a deadline—stick to it Give yourself a study time—stick to it Run your education like a business

Xeroxing Keep copies of all of your written papers and major assignments. Save all of your written papers and major assignments electronically. This is your insurance policy against loss.

Yakety Yak Unplug the phone or. Tell callers you will call them back after your study time. If you close the door and someone walks in and asks if you have a minute, tell them “no,” but I will have a minute at 9:00 p.m. and I will meet you in the library .

ZZZZZzzzzzzzs Schedule them!

Your time management calendar Keeping in mind all of these concepts---- Create a weekly time map