Time management

[murfettie]

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What are some strategies?

I have class, labs, a small business that import foreign students so schools can charge lots of money, volunteer work as an medical interpreter for 6 hours/week on average on 2 days.

that's about it.. oh, I have MCAT coming up, and I enjoy taking leisurely pace with cooking. That would be all.

People on here do so much more on a daily basis, and I just want your advice on how to manage time more efficiently? How do you kick yourself in to gear if you are feeling .. blehh..?

 

[DitchDoc73]

You just suck it up, and know that you will be able to rest once you are dead!

JK, But in all seriousness, everyone has developed their own study methods and time management skills. What works for one person, probably will not work for someone else. I personally prioritize everything, and try to finish items by their priority. I ALWAYS make time for my family (wife and kids). I try to take 1 day off every week to spend with them. This works for me, but it may not work for you. There will be a lot of trial and error with time management skills, until you eventually figure out what works for you.

 

[jinx520]

I can't believe I haven't posted on this thread yet.

Anyhow, I agree with DitchDoc. The best way to get organized/manage your time is to understand and work with your natural tendencies and preferences, rather than against them. If you are the type of person who loves spontaneity, for example, you will hate a time management system where everything is rigidly scheduled down to the half-hour.

There are a lot of good books out there re: time management designed around your personality/how you think/what energizes you; PM me if you want a list. But basically, it would be a good idea to 1) understand how you think/approach problems; 2) prioritize the things that are important to you and the things you HAVE to do; 3) recognize the things that get in the way of completing your tasks. Once you have a good idea of these three things, it will be easier to design some sort of time management system that works for you. Of course, if you also have to take into account someone else who has a different style than you, that makes things trickier, but still manageable.

What works for me to kick myself into gear when I'm not feeling like doing anything: before I start a project I analyze it and divide it up into phases. I give myself a rough deadline on when I need to start and finish each phase (and write it on my calendar), and so I know if on a particular day I can just ignore that project or what the bare minimum that I need to do is. Then if I really am feeling like not doing it, I already know that all I have to do is X today and I can quit and move on to something else more interesting.

 

[DrSmooth]

A strategy that works for me is injecting more time into my day by eliminating ALL time-wasters that are not contributing to my goals. E.g. Turning off media including TV, internet, etc. Answering email or non-urgent texts only once a day, etc etc.

I also recapture my commute time by taking public transportation instead of driving so that I could study during my commute.

I ask my spouse to not contact me during certain hours unless it was an emergency.

I have to study somewhere other than home, like the library, Sbux, etc.

I listen to lectures or study notes while working out.

I have a packet of notecards to run through while waiting for classes to start, waiting for the bus, etc.

 

[jl lin]

You just suck it up, and know that you will be able to rest once you are dead!

Really, ain't that the truth! My dad used to say this too: "I'll get plenty of rest when I am dead."