Time Management Goals1. explain the importance of setting goals and

planning rewardsa. short-term, intermediary, long-term goals

2. gain awareness of how you currently spend your timea. estimate the amount of time you spend each week on

different activitiesb. actually track your time for a week and analyze where

your time wentc. compare your estimate to the actual time log

1) look for places where time is wasted or where you can add additional study time

Time Management Goals

3. recognize how much time you need for learning – rule of thumb for college

4. use a monthly calendar to schedule a terma. major projects

b. tests

c. social events

5. use a weekly schedule to plan projects and daily responsibilities

Time Management Goals

6. develop a daily to-do list

7. define procrastination and identify several ways to overcome it

8. begin applying the information to effectively manage your time and reach your goals

Goals are SMART

S – specific, exact, clearly stated M – measurable; how, when, where, … A – achievable; attainable R – realistic; can I see myself doing this? T – timely; when …

Specific

NOT SPECIFIC:

learn computers

study more

eat healthy

SPECIFIC:

exercise aerobically three times each week for 45 minutes

study two hours every day for every one hour I am in class

Measurable

measure your progress in numbers, percentages, milestones, dates, etc.

how, when, where … in present tense not what you can do, but what you will do have to be yours, not friend, parent,

teacher

Achievable

what obstacles might you encounter when working on your objective?

what might come up that would prevent you from obtaining it?

consider early in the process what could go wrong take action to put contingency plans into place resolve problems before they occur

if goal is perfect attendance, but car is unreliable and do not live on metro bus route …

Realistic

goals should challenge you should not be a fantasy or daydream

I will run three miles every day – when you haven’t really run in years.

do not set yourself up to fail make them hard enough to stretch a bit when you experience success, you gain more

confidence to set harder ones next time

Timely

should have target dates set time limits define start and stop dates multiple action steps – each has a target

date

Goals: need to be written down or else you’ll tend to edit in

your head as you go along major accomplishments deserve a special treat

should have a reward attached to them either extrinsic

attend special event, watch TV, socialize, a massage or intrinsic

increased self-esteem, more confidence, the pleasure of a job well done, etc.

Short-Term Goals

something you want to achieve within the next week to six months

may be broken into smaller steps or goals attending all my classes this week completing each course this term with a B grade

or better learning a new computer program planning a surprise party

Intermediary Goals

something you want to achieve over a time period of a year or more

achieved after the completion of a series of short-term goals that serve as benchmarks, motivators

linked to a long-term goal decide on a major

» taken courses in interest areas

» finished some general education classes

» will lead to a long-term goal of graduation in field of choice

Long-Term Goals

usually measured in terms of years achieved after the completion of a series of

intermediary goals getting a college degree planning a wedding buying a house

Schedules …

are tools that help you plan your time and work are time maps with every task spread out in

plain sight show you are in control allow you to move the tasks around and change

the amount of time you wish to allot will work well since everything is planned and

accounted for the way you want it to be

Schedules

Kinds Purpose

semester schedule keeps track of important events and deadlines for the term

weekly schedule creates a detailed plan to show daily routines and requirements for the seven days each week

daily schedule a list of tasks to achieve throughout the course of a day

Semester ScheduleSUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

Filling in Your Semester Schedule make a separate calendar for every month of the term fill in all school holidays and important school events from the information provided in your syllabus

fill in the dates for tests, quizzes, research paper, projects daily assignments should not be written on this form; they

will be included on the daily planner write the dates of any important social events you

already know about, such as family get-togethers, parties, concerts, etc.

can be placed in daily planner as well

Month of October

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SATResearch proposal due

1 2 3

Reading Day – no classes

4

Dance

5

Play auditions

6 7 8

Research Paper topic selected

9 10

Math test

11

12 13

ENG test

14 15

Research paper – library work finished

16

A&P terms due

17 18

19 20

Game

21 22

Research Project Draft

23 24

Math test

25

Concert

26 27 28

SOC test

29

Research paper due

30 31

Establish Base Rates

determine approximately how long different tasks will take – their base rate

actual time on a task will vary with your energy level and time of day

best way to establish a base rate is to observe how long it takes to do something and when you do it

write this information down and use it to help create your schedule

Sample Daily Log6:00 am Get up and shower6:30 Eat breakfast7:00 Commute to work7:30 ‘’8:00 Work8:30 ‘’9:00 ‘’9:30 ‘’10:00 ‘’10:30 ‘’11:00 ‘’11:30 ‘’12:00 pm Lunch / Go to class12:30 Class1:00 ‘’1:30 ‘’2:00 ‘’2:30 ‘’3:00 Class4:00 ‘'

4:30 Commute home5:00 Watch TV5:30 Make dinner6:00 Eat dinner6:30 Clean up7:00 Phone calls7:30 Fix window8:00 Check e-mail8:30 Read newspaper9:00 Study9:30 ‘’10:00 Read in bed / Get

snack10:30 ‘’11:00 Watch TV11:30 Go to sleep12:00 a.m.1:001:30

Assess Your Use of Time

Track your time — if you have no ideawhere your time goes once an hour write down in 15 – 30 minute

segments how you used the previous hour do this for seven days during waking hours study the results and make adjustments you may learn that you spend more time in one

area or activity than you had anticipated

Allotted Study Time

plan on two to three hours of study per week for every academic credit hour spread out through the week, including weekends mostly during day light hours

if you're spending more than four hours per credit hour, you may be studying ineffectively

only you can determine how much time you truly need

Weekly Schedule

Create Your Weekly Schedule

FIXED

classesmeetings

workappointments

meals

FIXED STUDY

2:1 ratiolabel eachclass/block

FLEXSTUDY

two orthree

blocks

LEISURE

socialfamilyfriends

recreationpersonal time

GOALS ANDRESPONSIBILITIES

goalschores

exerciseerrands

A Weekly Schedule

reflects a realistic life balance provides adequate time for study blocks makes good use of all blocks of time includes hours of employment shows specific times for work and leisure has strong, consistent patterns – can easily

become routine

A Weekly Schedule

includes time for specific personal goals provides time for meals, exercise, and

adequate sleep remains more or less the same each week establishes a routine to go to sleep each

night provides for study on all seven days

Daily Schedule – To Do list

Daily Schedule – To Do List

provides you with quick reference list of time blocks and specific tasks for day

helps you move through day efficiently use index card, daily planner, electronic

organizer do each night before you go to bed keep in a convenient place

ABC Method with a To Do List

assign a priority letter A, B, C to all items on

your To Do List A items – the most important to you or the

ones you want or need to do first B items – not as high a priority as the A items C items – not of such immediate importance begin working on the A items

Procrastination

learned behavior involves putting off or postponing

something until a later time quite consistently choosing low-priority

tasks over high- priority tasks doing C tasks before A or B tasks

can be unlearned, reduced, or eliminated

Four Simple Reasons for Procrastination

1. Difficult - the task seems hard to doa. naturally tend to avoid difficult things in favor of those

which seem easy 2. Time-consuming - the task will take large blocks of

timea. large blocks of time are unavailable until the weekend

3. Lack of knowledge or skills - no one wants to make mistakesa. so wait until you learn how before you start

4. Fears - everyone will know how you screwed up

The cure …

do everything opposite tell yourself:

this isn't so hard it won't take long I am sure that I know how to do it I can learn while I'm doing it no one else really cares because they are all so

busy with their own problems

Four Complex Reasons for Procrastination

1. Perfectionism – unrealistically high expectations or standards

a. everything must go completely rightb. it may either be imposed or self-imposedc. the perfectionist is long on criticism and short on praise

How to resolve: try self-reassurance that this effort or version will be good

enough make an effort to praise what you have done it's impossible to eradicate all mistakes; you have undoubtedly

found all the fatal errors by now remind yourself that great writers, poets, artists at one time or

another completed their work; therefore, it will be okay to say that yours is done also

Four Complex Reasons for Procrastination

2. Anger/Hostility – unhappy with someone, we'll often withhold our best effortsa. if you are upset with a professor, you are likely to delay in

starting a demanding project as a way of “getting even.”

b. you are the one who loses; you are the one with the low grade

How to resolve: determine that you are the one who is feeling upset and see how

your actions will actually harm you in the long run you are not going to let how you feel about a particular class

stand in the way of your personal future, are you?

Four Complex Reasons for Procrastination

3. Low Frustration Tolerance - circumstances overwhelm you easilya. you find situations radically intolerable and terribly unfairb. characterized by whining and complaining, and such phrases as “it

isn't fair,” “this is too hard,” and “no one else has to,” etc. c. feeling the way you do, it seems reasonable to “put it off” until you

feel better about doing the workd. trouble is, you feel just as frustrated the next day

How to resolve: the more you want something and can't have it, the greater your level

of frustration get help from someone who can show you how to solve the problem learn how to temporarily postpone your desires most of the time, you will eventually get what you want

Four Complex Reasons for Procrastination

4. Self-Downing - continually minimize your own skills and abilities and express doubt about your ability to succeeda. habitually puts self down; tends to disbelieve even when successful: it was

“just dumb luck.” b.may also find it hard to accept praise and compliments for work performed

- false modesty

How to resolve: practice accepting compliments about your work performance by simply

saying "Thank you." figure out why you feel uncomfortable with success

» significant others in your life often make you feel that way? » taught to minimize your success? » why is success so scary? » will it make you stand out in the crowd?» feel as though others will not accept you if you are successful?

remember to compliment and praise yourself for work accomplished

Time Management Recap

explain the importance of setting goals and planning rewards

gain awareness of how you currently spend your time

recognize how much time you need for learning define procrastination and identify several ways to

overcome it begin applying the information to effectively

manage your time and reach your goals