Time Management

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Time Management

• Pickle Jar Theory
• How to Manage your Time
• Overcoming Procrastination

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Pickle Jar Theory

• Imagine you have a HUGE empty pickle jar
• Now imagine seeing 6 of the largest pickles you
  have ever seen inside of the jar!

3
Pickle Jar Theory

• Now imagine filling the jar with golf balls
• When you think you cannot fit another golf ball,
  try adding another

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Pickle Jar Theory

• Even though it seems full, you're not done yet
• Try to squeeze a handful of marbles
• Give your pickle jar a shake and the golf balls
  and marbles will begin to settle and create more
  room

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Pickle Jar Theory

• Now add some sand
• Fill your pickle jar to the top by adding some
  water

• What is the moral of the story when it comes to
  Time Management?

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Pickle Jar Theory

• The first response is often We can always fit
  more things into our day
• But the real moral of the story is
• We had to put the big pickles in first!
• So what are the Big Pickles in your life? What
  are the things you truly value and want to make
  sure you make time for?

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Pickle Jar Theory

• Possible Big Pickles in your life
• Academics (assignments, projects, exams)
• Physical Wellness (sleep, exercise, eating
  healthy)
• Emotional Wellness (learning how to process
  feelings, concerns and conflicts)
• Social Wellness (time to enjoy friends and
  family)
• Effective Time Management assures that we
  structure our lives so that we complete the Big
  Pickles first
• Priorities keep us in balance and on track

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Time Management

• Individuals who are good at time management are
  proactive. They decide to take charge of their
  time and choose not to react to the distractions
  that confront them daily.
• How do you go about taking charge of your time?

9
Time Management

• How can you take charge of your time?
• Set goals and allow yourself to dream!
• Integrate efficient time management and
  organizational tools

10
Time Management

• Set goals and allow yourself to dream!
• Start with your life long goals and then go
  backwards. Your ten year goals will depend on
  your life long goals. Your goals for today will
  determine whether you reach your goals for this
  year.
• This is how big dreams are accomplished one day
  at a time

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Time Management

• Integrate efficient time management and
  organizational tools
• Time management and organizational tools
• Day planner (e.g. Palm Pilot)
• Week calendar
• Semester-at-a glance calendar
• Month-at-a glance
• Prioritized to-do list
• Activity log
• Be sure to sit down at least once a week and
  budget your time to complete your goals

12
Procrastination

• What is procrastination?
• When you put off things that you should be
  focusing on, usually in favor of doing something
  that is more enjoyable or that youre more
  comfortable doing
• Sometimes procrastination can prevent individuals
  from achieving things that they are capable of
• Why do people procrastinate?
• Invest their time in the wrong tasks. As a
  result they have little or no time for important
  tasks.
• Feeling overwhelmed by the task
• Fear of failure
• Perfectionism

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Procrastination

• Avoid Procrastination
• Telephone
• Facebook
• Texting
• MSN
• You Tube
• Television
• Only engage in tasks that you have control over!

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Procrastination

• Three steps in overcome procrastination
• 1.) Recognized when you start procrastinating
• 2.) Understand why your procrastinate
• 3.) Take active steps to better manage you time

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Procrastination

• Step 1 Recognize when you start procrastinating
• Know your priorities. Putting off an unimportant
  task is not procrastination.
• Some indictors include
• Filling your day with low priority tasks
• Sitting down to start a high-priority task and
  getting distracted (e.g. check your Facebook,
  flipping through the TV channels)
• Leaving an item on your to-do list for a long
  time, when you know its important
• Saying yes to unimportant tasks

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Procrastination

• Step 2 Understand why you procrastinate
• It is important to understand why you are
  procrastinating so that you can select the best
  approach for overcoming your reluctance to get
  going
• 2 main reasons for procrastination
• You find the task unpleasant
• You find the task overwhelming

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Procrastination

• Step 3 Get over it!
• You need to find ways to motivate yourself
• Make up your own rewards
• Ask someone else to check up on you
• Identify the unpleasant consequences
• If you are putting off starting a project because
  you find it overwhelming you need to take a
  different approach
• Break the project into a set of smaller, more
  manageable tasks
• Start with some quick, small tasks