UTMB WORK SCHOOL PROGRAMS

UTMB WORK SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Creating Educational Opportunities for Employees

Time Management & Procrastination

Everyone has difficulty getting motivated to complete an unpleasant task. There are many distractions that can be much more interesting than cleaning out the refrigerator, delivering bad news, or studying for a test. However, all of these things must be done eventually. The longer it takes to start the task, the more overwhelming they become. The consequences can be devastating to academic and personal success. Students can find many reasons to procrastinate. Especially students, who have other roles to fill, like parent, employee, spouse, etc. We can all find reasons to procrastinate:

        We are faced with a boring task.
        Fear and anxiety make it easy to procrastinate.
        We hold unrealistic expectations about trying to do everything perfectly.
        We fear failure.
        We have difficulty concentrating.
        We allow negative beliefs about ourselves to make us unable to act.

The list goes on. We can reason why we procrastinate but that doesn't really help the problem, unless we identify the specific reason and then make a plan. Students are learners and thus can learn to overcome procrastination and be better time managers. Here are some tips to incorporate to improve time management:

Identify goals, strengths and weaknesses.
Set priorities.
Pay attention to your setting. Get organized. Have materials at hand.
Approach tasks in small blocks rather than marathon time periods.
Discipline yourself to use time wisely.
Set realistic goals.
Be aware of yourself - identify fears, concentration problems, perfectionism.
Compare your actions with your goals.
Use task lists.
Reward yourself when you use a new skill.

Task lists take some time, however they can be motivating because it gives a sense of control to be able to check off the tasks completed. It is also satisfying to mark off tasks that may no longer be a priority. There are some immediate benefits to using a task list:

           It is a visual image, short term and long term of the work to be done.
        You can prioritize.
        You are less likely to forget tasks.
        You are less likely to procrastinate because you have a realistic idea of what needs to be done.

Getting started on a task can be motivating because that is the most difficult part. Once you have started and are committed, it is easier to maintain momentum. Make the task list fun. Use unique papers and colored pens to make the list. If there are children in the house, use them as scribes. Dictate your tasks to them and allow them to write them down for you. You can do this while you are involved in another task, i.e. folding clothes, preparing dinner, painting the garage, driving the carpool or eating chocolates while laying on the sofa watching daytime television. Allowing a child to participate helps teach them the skill and you probably didn't even have "teaching my child time management skills" on the list of priorities.

There are other things you can do to free up time at home and in your social life:
    Practice saying "NO!" - don't take on a commitment you really don't want to do.
    Make a calendar with everyone's daily activities.
    Call a family meeting and get everyone involved in household duties; - it's a team, everyone has a job.
    Do not do anything that will not help you reach your goal; omit unnecessary activities.
    Get children involved in helping you study.
    Make plans for family time together.

Planning time for study can help avoid procrastination and improve time management:
    Study as soon after class as possible
    Build your schedule around your fixed time commitments
    Study at a regular time and a regular place
    Utilize odd hours for studying
    Borrow time when unexpected activities come up - plan then another time to study

There are 168 hours in a week. We all have the same amount of time. So, it's not how much time you have, it's what you choose to do with your time.

Having Difficulty Concentrating? Focus on these steps:
                         Decide what your task is.
                         Decide on a time to work on the task.
                         Gather the materials you need.
                         Decide if you are ready to concentrate.
                         Focus on key material. Highlight the information you need to recall.
                         Use "mind-mapping." Draw the information and label using color.
                            codes and pictures that are meaningful to you.

In addition to being an excellent model for those who look up to you, there are other benefits of effective time management. It increases leisure time and relaxation, raises self-esteem and self-confidence. Planning takes some time, but the effort will be well worth it in the end. The satisfaction of getting more accomplished will be a reward that will keep you motivated to continue to use effective time management skills.

Links to Time Management Websites:

www.mindtools.com/tmdeccon.html

http://venus.he.net/~saludos/jobsearch/timemgt.html