I find that a big time waster of mine is not finishing tasks before starting another. Even when completing sections of a task I will find something else that "needs improvement" and become side-tracked. I sometimes find myself at the end of the work day, out of time with nothing finished and way too many things started. I start to feel unproductive and therefore invaluable, not how I think of myself. This has caused me to put in a lot of extra uncompensated work time in order to "catch up." It works because I actually end up ahead because I get a lot of things done. My problem is that they aren't done in a timely manner. This has led to conflicts at home as that "extra work time" cuts into family and personal time. I need to Prioritize better by keeping in mind the scheduled amount of time for each task and in doing so stay on target.
I would probably say the biggest time waster was the need for cigarette breaks. I have recently cut down on the amount of them I take
John,
Thanks, John. I hope a few things in this course will help you reach the right balance.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have found that I can make time for my favorite television shows e.g. Law and Order, scandal, the have and have not's, Dallas, American Idol, etc. However, when they are more important things that need to get done I always seem not to have time. It wasn't until I came across this video on you tube that I was enlightened. http://youtu.be/xM_7j6t9IyU
After watching this video I started to DVR my favorite shows. Not only did I find more time for more important things, I actually saved time because I get to skip commercials. I have since changed my time waster activities by having more time for the important things vs. not important e.g. my favorite televisions shows.
Does anyone else struggle with this problem? You find time for your favorite television shows or sports shows, yet you have no time for more important things?
If anyone watches the youtube video, please share your comments about this. It really opened my eyes. I email my students this video as a resource on day 1 of classes. The students love it because they can relate to the speaker.
Thanks
G.H
Gene ,
I liked the video. (I'm a Detroiter and he had a Tigers' cap on his head.) Sending this type of video can only help. The one caution is that you need to make sure what you send is appropriate for your audience and in line with your institution's values.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Yes you are correct. I work at various schools and some are mostly at-risk. I have shown this video at the schools I work. The population of students really are inspired by this video. I once had a student come up to me after class crying because she was so inspired by this video. This is when I knew this was of great value to the population of students I teach. However, I do understand your point. I would not show this video to students at an Ivy league college because the population is different. Show this video to inner city youth at an at risk school and I assure you they will be inspired. (in my opinion) To see a class walk out discussing this video was great. The impact was surreal. Its challenging teaching inner city youth to grasp their attention is a challenge within itself. I suggest teachers experience inner city youth. I cant tell you how many teachers quit because they cannot handle at risk or inner city youth instruction. I challenge anyone who has never taught in this population to give it a chance and try something new. The feeling of reaching this type of population is more rewarding than any salary can pay. This was great discussion, thanks for your comments.
Gene,
Thanks for your enthusiastic participation in this course.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I feel that a big time waster is getting E MAIL from people who "send to all" instead just the people that it is intended for.
Paul,
I hate that. I like to blind copy everyone in large emails so that a "reply to all" does not fill everyone else's mail box.
Jeffrey Schillinger
A personal "time-waster" for me is social media. Too often I find myself online when I could be working on other productive things. Even when I am teaching and the students are taking a quiz or testing I find myself occpying my mind with that other than grading or preparing for what comes after the test or quiz. I limit my social media access to when I am at home or the students are on a break.
Amanda,
This is a pretty common issue. I think setting limits and scheduling social media time is a good solution. I suggest saving it for home or until the school day is done to jkeep yu from falling back into the behavior you described above.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Nowadays I think that social media like facebook, twitter, etc were Time wasters for me.
What I do is to design some minutes during my lunch time to do this, not in my working hours. This allow me to get communicated with friends and family.
And give me the chance to break the routine during my lunch time, if I don't have any lunch with a client or a co-worker.
Victoria,
This is a solid plan. Most people find they are more productive when they turn off distractions like social media during the work day. They also enjoy their social media moments more when they take them.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have found that the biggest time waster in my day is meetings. Many have information that is either irrelevant to my work, or it contains things that I already am aware of.
Many of the meetings I go to could be shared via e-mail, with a required response added in. That way, when I have a free moment, I can check and highlight anything that pertains to me or my work.
I do keep a priority list from A to D, and even have spaces set aside for 'incoming' requests that others feel are important. I keep the list with me when ever possible, so I can give responses immediately.
John,
Meetings are one of the most commonly mentioned reasons as a time-waster. We can control the meetings we chair, but we have less influence on other meetings.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have developed the habit of checking personal social networks during the course of the day.
Stephen,
Many folks report this as one of their distrations. I suggest trying to set limits like just after lunch and just before you leave for the day.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I live in a high traffic area. For me, a big time waster is commuting to and from the office during rush hour. I have successfully cut down on commuting but since I now take three kids to school as well, it has leveled off again. I wish that I could have all three kids in the same school, near home, and then work from home. That would cut down on time wasters in my life.
Another time waster is allowing my co-workers to chat away all day while I am trying to get my work done. I "feel bad" telling them to quiet down and allow them to chat when I should not do so.
In the Job I have, some emails are sent regarding something that is important and I only check my email twice daily. (in the morning and after class) If I get an email that's important then I will relay the message the following day, the problem is that sometimes that is too late. I am teaching a class and do not find I have the time to keep turning the front screen off and on to check emails. My computer screen can be seen over the projector, with no option to separate the two..
Bruce,
I think not trying to answer email while you are in class is the correct decision. Your attention "belongs" to the students who are with you during that class period. In my opinion, waiting until the class is over to scan your email and decide what is immediate and what can wait is the correct thing to do.
Jeffrey Schillinger
