I'm just realizing that while I make my lists, I don't consciously prioritize the items on my list. I list what needs to be done, but not in what level of urgency. This was a great tip about prioritizing one's list - consciously.
The session has jarred my sense of prioitizing. We tend to get into our own routines and it's good to reevaluate this.
I too am a "to do" lists maker.I have a list for everything that needs to be done my personal life and one for everything in my professional life. Instead of listing things by urgency of importance, I just list things as I think of things. Unfortunately I never complete everything on the list and it really does effect my ability to manage time due to the fact I am constantly thinking of the items lingering on my list. I plan on using the technique of prioritizing and listing by importance/urgency to help improve my "to do" list. I hope that by doing this, I will be able to improve my productivity and free some time in my busy life.
Brandon, Excellent to hear. It sounds like you have identified a good opportunity for you to improve your time and stress management skills. Do go ahead and try prioritization and experience the benefits to you.
Dr. Melissa Read
Paul, Yes, it's always good to take a step back every now and then and reevaluate what's working for us and what's not. Sometimes the most efficient system doesn't work after a bit of time because life changes.
Dr. Melissa Read
I tend to be a procrastinator. I have made lists and prioritized tasks in the past but I don't always do this. I plan to start doing this on a weekly basis to help with being more organized and accomplishing tasks in a timely manner.
I have started making lists as I get older so I don't forget anything. I just read the list to determine what should get done first. Sometime's I will do something that is quick and easy even if it is not a priority so I can cross something off the list.
No doubt I will change how I list items on my "to do list". In fact I have already started to list by priority and noticed the improvement in organization. I have a real bad habit of doing things because it was fast eventhough the urgency of the item was dead last. I hope to continue this improvement and would recommend this style to anybody who shares the same habit as me.
Time management has always been one of my strengths. If i suffer from any of the obstacles described, it would be immediacy. I am going to make sure I am checking myself on this in the future.
Rebecca, Excellent to hear you have found a new direction, or perhaps renewed direction. Yes, staying on top of things weekly will likely help you keep organized.
Dr. Melissa Read
Jennifer, A lot of people do the same thing. It's a nice confidence builder to knock a few things off your list prior to getting to bigger tasks.
Dr. Melissa Read
Michael, Sometimes it's ok to tackle a few easy tasks before diving into the harder ones. They can be great confidence builders. Eventually though, we do need to turn our attention to our more important work.
Dr. Melissa Read
I think everyone naturally wants to do the easy tasks first, but if we make ourselves aware of the fact that procrastination only hurts us in the end, getting the most urgent tasks done first becomes easier and easier, and we also get better at prioritizing our todo lists the more we do it.
I do use a list to streamline my day and allow for a real mental break. I have had ups and downs with my list making and prioritization. It does take constant work but when it is done I can focus on a task without distraction. Imagine 40 Banquet event orders just for today, Breakfast, Breaks, Lunch, Breaks, Dinner, Breaks, Tea Service in the lobby, 5 Daily Presentations on Club Level, Amenities for the rooms Minimum of 20, Room service and the restaurant.24 hours a day 365 days a year. This is not something you can remember. You must not only have your lists but a reminder to check up on your staff to manage their list. One big symphony Oh... and that is a small hotel.
I came to teaching from a long career in industry research and development.
We would typically be working on from 1 to 5 projects at the same time.
The only way to survive is to work in teams, divide up the tasks when possible based on the team members ability and make an overall "to do" list. The initial draft of the list was to put in all the tasks known at the time on the various projects. Next came a review of tasks by importance, need date and any other criteria that would help in prioritization. The list was redone to reflect the results. Each day the list was reviewed for the status of completion of all the tasks. From this review, new tasks were added, the list reprioritized and updated.
Once you performed this sequence a few time it became second nature.
As a result you were always current as to what needed your attention and when. Stress would normally go down and efficiency up. Rarely would a problem occur as a surprise and when it did, you could reprioritize on the spot to take care of it.
It was actually fun. I was surprised at how easily the skills learned in industry were transferable to teaching.
I prioritize tasks by importance and due dates. If I get a task that is not due for 2 weeks, I will complete other task first and then return to that task, unless it is high priority! I will not change the order of how I accomplish task at this point, because I still have free time the way I do things now.
I am not a list maker :( I can also procrastinate too.. this course is helpful for time management. :)
John, Yes, everyone certainly likes to do the easy tasks first. Sometimes though, we can make hard tasks easy by breaking them down into bite sized chunks.
Dr. Melissa Read
Carla, Excellent! I'd love to hear more about what you will do differently with the information you learned in this course.
Dr. Melissa Read
Kamela, It sounds like you have a system that works great for you. If this is the case, go with it. No need to change this if it's not broken and doesn't need optimization. It's great to hear that you still have free time too!
Dr. Melissa Read
