There are only 24 hours in every day, and we all have a myriad of tasks to accomplish in that short time. For that reason, it only makes sense that learning how to make the most out of the available time, is of the utmost importance. It's a highly regarded skill, but also surprisingly rare.
You should be planning out a lot of your time. If you have left for a mission, you should have an idea of what that entails. Missionaries set apart half an hour at night everyday to plan out how they will tackle tomorrow. They will overview their progress, check on what responsibilities they have, and then block out their schedule accordingly.
Effective Scheduling
You should be planning out a lot of your time. If you have left for a mission, you should have an idea of what that entails. Missionaries set apart half an hour at night everyday to plan out how they will tackle tomorrow. They will overview their progress, check on what responsibilities they have, and then block out their schedule accordingly.
Effective Scheduling
- Identify the time you have available
- Block Out essential tasks you must carry out to succeed
- Schedule in high priority urgent tasks and vital “housekeeping” activities
- Block in appropriate contingency time to handle unpredictable interruptions
- In the time that remains, schedule the activities that address your priorities and personal goals
- Include planning and introspection time
- Stick to plans!
What Are You Doing Now?
Analyzing what you are currently doing with your time is critical to understanding where issues lie and where action can be taken. Stephen Covey brought forward this idea of a Time Management Grid. Tasks are categorized into four quadrants based on importance and urgency.
Tasks that fall into quadrant 3 are the ones to watch out for. These are the tasks that require immediate attention, but are ultimately not important. If you are a procrastinator, you may find yourself performing these tasks more often than not. The tasks you should pay the most attention to are in Quadrant 2. Projects that still have a couple weeks left will fall under this category. While not immediately urgent, you will have better control over your schedule if you take care of these tasks while they are still in this quadrant. |
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