In the section referring to time management, Cal Newport
explains his system. He says, “The whole system can be summarized in three easy
steps: (1) Jot down new tasks and assignments on your list during the day; (2)
next morning, transfer these new items from your list onto your calendar; and
(3) then take a couple to minutes to plan your day.” (Newport 22). The impact
that this has had on my studies is that I have been able to get work done more
efficiently. For example, because I have a set schedule on the work that I plan
to achieve, it helps me to reduce procrastination. Also, I am able to do a
little bit of work every day rather than do all of it in one day, reducing my
stress and allowing me to get more sleep. Newport also states in the time
management section that you should leave a lot of time for breaks, so then when
unexpected events come up and assignments take longer than expected, you have a
little leeway (Newport 26). This helped me become better with managing my time because I was
able to do most, if not all of the assignments that I had scheduled for the
day. If I had not had more time for breaks, it would have been a lot more
difficult to complete all the assignments I had planned out for myself. Let’s
face it; things take longer than you expect them to. What strategies have you
used for managing your time, and how have they worked out for you? If you need
a better method, try this state of the art time management method. It has
worked out incredible well for me. Newport, Cal. How to Become
a Straight-A Student. New York: Broadway, 2007. Print.
Such a good idea - I need to do this. I really like the idea that you transfer your to-do list into a calendar so that your days are haphazard and everything get accomplished. The plan for down time to catch the stuff that comes up is great too. I'm gonna give this a try. A strategy that I have used in the past is that I have a journal where I keep a to-do list. I highlight stuff in the journal that I need to remember/keep long term and then keep as up-to-date as possible of a to-do list.
ReplyDeleteThis had really good ideas on how to manage your time. I thought that the idea of giving yourself more time in between each thing that you have to do is smart because I always end up getting off task when I transition between assignments. I'll have to give it try.
ReplyDeleteMy strategy for time management is to separate my work into what's due tomorrow and then what's due "later". Then in the "due tomorrow pile" I start with the easiest assignment first, to get it out of the way and have more time for lengthier assignments. Though I already have some structure to my day I think I really should plan everything out like you said in your post (and I can maybe even apply this to-do list strategy to projects that span a longer time) . Also I agree with Julia Johns that giving extra time for transitioning is important in accounting for time lost when sidetracked and because it's good to have a breather while you're working.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great 3-step system. I am going to apply it to my sewing because I need to plan out designs and my time in order to create my projects. My author says "you always want to have a plan" and I think by making a list and using my calendar will help me do this better.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to try some of these out. I usually have a tough time on getting tasks done without any sort of pressure. Lately I've been saving things on to my calendar on my phone and it really helped me get organized. Great post!
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