Time management
In this week’s discussion, we will look at time management. As you prepare your final portfolio, consider the strengths and weaknesses you bring in managing a project.
READ
- Time Management blog posts
- “Building a Critical Skill: Managing your Time,” on p. 225.
REFLECT
The following excerpt is from Psychology Today, which has a team of professionals who blog about time management.What Is Time Management?
Time management is the ability to plan and control how someone spends the hours in a day to effectively accomplish their goals. This involves juggling time between the domains of life—work, home, social life, hobbies. It is important to establish clear goals and priorities in order to set aside non-essential tasks that can eat up time, and to monitor where the time actually goes. In the 1970s, the ABC prioritization method was the rage. Any project or action item landing on the A list was deemed most important, with second most important items appearing on the B list, and C items marked as least important. Over time, various iterations of this formula floated through the zeitgeist. For example, the most unpleasant tasks wound up on the A list in order to get them out of the way. Today, the work landscape has changed somewhat, with more and more tasks landing on the “Most Important” list.
How to Take Control of Your Time
Poor time management can be related to procrastination, attention problems, or difficulties with self-control. To counter these behaviors, organizational psychologists promote the idea of setting up work environments that boost efficiency and productivity. An optimal surrounding that emphasizes a conducive work space is key. However, what this means varies from person to person; some prefer a tidy desk while others thrive in a creative mess. Nowadays, it is critical to ensure that devices are turned off and email correspondence is limited. Deadlines are also imperative for some people, giving them a set period to complete a project at hand.
Balance Your Work and Life
Now that we have the many more benefits of the digital age, work has decided to impede onto home life more and more. It’s not uncommon to find excel sheets and email inboxes open at weird hours of the night. We are always wired. Other cultures do not suffer from this demanding round-the-clock work life. On a scale from one to 10 from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Denmark enjoys a 9.8 in quality of life, while the U.S. scores a 5.3. Not surprisingly, the extended workweek applies to only 2 percent of the population in the Netherlands. But are Danes and Hollanders less productive? In a word: No.
Psychology Today (2021). Time Management. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/time-management
CREATE and POST
- After reading one of the blogs on Psychology Today site (you may also select another credible site on Time Management, if you choose). Summarize the selected piece, include the title, author and a link, and share one tip or fact that you learned from your reading.
- What challenges do you have in managing your time and how do you overcome them?
- Do you use any of the tips in “Building a Critical Skill: Managing your Time,” on p. 225? Quote and cite your text.
- If you could share one tip with an incoming student about time management, what would it be?
A minimum word count of 250 words is required and posts should integrate references from the reading. Be sure to quote and cite (both in-text and parenthetically) any share any research you use, including your book. Citations and references should be in APA format.
