Can you “SPOT” time management?

Time management is really about self-awareness. Knowing what your priorities and goals are, what time of day you are at your best, how organized you are, and what distracts you is all a part of time-management. So, to get the best “bang for your buck”, take a few minutes to reflect on how you accomplish the following…

Set Goals

Determine what it is exactly that you must accomplish. Put your goals in writing and post somewhere as a reminder. Goals should be:     

• Realistic
• Relevant (are they a priority?)
• Specific (how much, by when)
• Measurable (use calendars, lists and notes dates of completion)

Make sure to include personal goals as well in this process. Are there goals in your physical, social, mental, or spiritual life you’d like to set?

Prioritize

Triage your goals/priorities; what must be done urgently and what can wait. To assess your priorities use one of the tools below:

“ABC Method” at the University of Utah is an excellent start to your planning

The “168 hour week”: a log of the time you spend on many of life’s daily activities

 Or simply write out all the tasks you need to do and number them in order of priority. Then eliminate the bottom half (they can wait!).

When you do establish the most urgent items, try to accomplish them when you’re feeling the most energetic and efficient (likely at the beginning of your study session)

Don’t forget to include social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and family/friends priorities. You need to have a well-balanced life in order to be effective and happy.

Learn to say “no”.

Make yourself a priority (get proper sleep, nutrition, exercise). You won’t accomplish much if you’re not at your best.

Organize

Now that you know what your goals are and the level of urgency, you need to set timelines for daily, weekly, and monthly activities to reach your goals.

• Schedules
• Calendar
• Lists

Schedule everything, including your free time and study breaks. But don’t set yourself up for failure. If you’re too strict with yourself you will end up feeling like a failure if you don’t succeed.

Figure out when you study best and schedule the most difficult studying for that timeframe. If you really want to ensure that you are realistic with your scheduling, double the time you expect each task to take.

Try to make your study blocks no longer than 30-60 minutes. Have a 15 minute break in which you stretch, eat, re-energize, and re-focus.  You may have to make shorter blocks with more breaks for more difficult materials, but try to stay on-schedule.

Review and revise your schedules as needed on a weekly basis. Life happens, so adjust your schedule. Don’t give up on the entire process because of something that came up that was unplanned.

If you have a particularly large task, divide it up into smaller tasks.

Add a few hours each week to your study time leading up to exams. That way you’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed at key points.