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Time Management Tips
The
Single Best Thing You Can Do To Get Organized
1.
Get
a PLANNER. Now!!!!!
-
Make
sure it’s one you’re going to use.
-
Electronic
(Palm Pilot) or Paper?
-
Must
be portable
– you need to take it with you throughout your
day.
-
Must
have a calendar with enough space to hold all of
your appointments and a place to make lists.
2.
Put in all
of your set appointments and due dates:
-
Classes
-
Practices
-
Meetings
-
Work
/ Co-op
-
Vacations
and breaks
-
Due
dates for assignments
-
Due
date for long-term projects
-
School
deadlines (add/drop, registration)
3.
Make a list of everything
you need to do.
Keep this list in your planner:
4.
Take your planner with you to your classes,
meetings, and work.
When something comes up – a due date, a
new meeting, etc., PUT
IT IN YOUR PLANNER.
5.
Don’t worry if you forget your planner
for a day. Just
take your notes on another piece of paper, and
then transfer
it into your planner as soon as you get home.
6.
Use your planner!
Use it, use it, use it!
Write your appointments and tasks and brief
notes in it. Carry it with you and
USE IT! By
using your planner, you will know when you have
free time, and when you have assignments due.
That way, you can plan when you are going
to get each task done.
7.
Each weekend, review the week ahead to make
sure that you have started (or finished!) all of
the tasks/projects that are due that week.
The
Art of List-Making
The
Top 10 of the To Do List
- Make your list in a
place where you will be able to find it and
use it!
Do it in your calendar, or on your palm
pilot. Don’t
do it on the back of a used envelope – your
list is useless if you can’t find it.
- Be able to read your
list.
- Keep your list in a
format and way that matches how you think
about your life.
Do you just want one big list with
everything, or do you want separate spaces on
your list for school, personal, work, etc?
Do you want paper or electronic?
- Keep a Master List of
the Big Projects, which stays on your desk, or in the front
of your notebooks or your organizer.
This is the list you will work from
every day, to make your daily list.
- Make a daily list,
which will be just the things you need to get
done that day.
Be realistic, don’t put down more
than you can do in a day.
- For
your daily list, break
down the big projects into manageable pieces.
If your list consists of items like:
“Make Model” or “Get a Co-op,” of
course you’re not going to do it, because
those both seem unmanageable in their
entirety.
Instead, your list should read: “Make
list of supplies I need to buy to make
model,” or “Make an appointment with co-op
counselor.”
- Prioritize your list.
Rank them with numbers or letters in
the order of importance.
An assignment that is due the next day
should be prioritized higher than starting an
assignment for next week.
- Check things off when
they are done! You’ll
get a psychological boost from seeing on paper
what you have accomplished each day.
- Keep your list handy.
By writing things down as you think of
them, you don’t have to worry about
remembering them anymore.
- Make a new list every
day, or keep it updated. It
will only work if it’s relevant to what you
are doing, and refer to your list often.
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