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Goal Setting and

Time Management
Jennifer Zimmerman
Assistant Director

Academic Resource Center


Mercer University
http://faculty.mercer.edu

Time Management Questionnaire


One of the greatest factors contributing to stress is our inability to manage time. Conversely, good time management skills allow
us to organize our lives and be more productive, both at work and at home. The following quiz will help identify trouble spots and
guide us toward the goal of becoming successful time managers. A scoring key at the end will indicate how far you need to go.
1 - Always 2 - Usually 3 - Sometimes 4 - Never
1. I find that I have enough time for myself - to do the things I enjoy doing. _____
2. I'm aware of deadline and schedule my work to meet them in time. _____
3. I write down specific objectives in order to work toward goals. _____
4. I use a calendar to write down appointments, deadlines, and things to do. _____
5. I feel in control of time while at work and at home. _____
6. I plan and schedule my time on a weekly and/or monthly basis. _____
7. I make a daily to-do list and refer to it several times per day. _____
8. I set priorities in order of importance and then schedule time around them. _____
9. I'm able to find time when I need it in case something important comes up. _____
10. I'm able to say no when I'm pressed for time. _____
11. I try to delegate responsibility to others in order to make more time for myself. _____
12. I organize my desk and work area to prevent clutter and confusion. _____

http://www.healthnewsnet.com/time.html
courtesy of Health News Network
1998-2000 Health News Network

Time Management Questionnaire (contd)


13. I find it easy to eliminate or reschedule low priority items. _____
14. I try to do things in a way that cuts down on duplicated effort. _____
15. I find that doing everything myself is very inefficient. _____
16. I try to shift priorities as soon as they change. _____
17. I find it easy to identify sources of time problems. _____
18. I find it easy to eliminate or reshuffle unnecessary paperwork. _____
19. My meetings and activities are well organized and efficient. _____
20. I know what I'm capable of and try not to overextend myself. _____
21. I find it easy to keep up with changes that affect my schedule or workload. _____
22. I try to schedule the most difficult work during my most productive times. _____
23. I know what my responsibilities and duties are at all times. _____
24. I try to get only the pertinent information before making a final decision. _____
25. I finish one job or task before going on to the next. _____

Scoring key:
25 - 40 = Excellent time manager
41 - 55 = Good time manager
56 - 100= Poor time manager
http://www.healthnewsnet.com/time.html
courtesy of Health News Network
1998-2000 Health News Network

Recommendations
Prioritize tasks
Develop daily, weekly, or monthly schedules
Delegate responsibility
Say no
Write down objectives in order to meet deadlines
Use a calendar or notebook to organize
commitments
Shift priorities to make room for more urgent
matters or tasks
Reduce clutter and/or unnecessary paperwork
Give up total control
Avoid procrastination
http://www.healthnewsnet.com/time.html
courtesy of Health News Network
1998-2000 Health News Network

Goal
Seek practical
advice, make a

Make it large, ambitious, and


specific . . . then write it down.

Plan

Use your confidence,


self-discipline, and a
sense of urgency to
put your plan into

. . . then draw yourself


a detailed roadmap.

Action!
Pauk, p. 15

Prioritize Your Goals and Activities


A, B, C Method
1. List all your goals
2. Rate each goal
A High Value
B Medium Value
C Low Value
3. Plan A activities
designed to accomplish
A goals

Pareto Principle
Or the 80/20 Rule
1. List all A activities in
order of importance
2. Accomplish top 2 of 10
Result 80% Success Rate!
Focusing on top 20% of your
to do list will get you 80%
of the way to your goal
Pauk, p. 43

Assess How You Use Your Time Now


Create an Activity Log
Record every change in activity
Include all activities: sleeping, eating, working,
socializing, studying, etc.
Jot down how you feel and highlight times when you
study most efficiently
Accurately record your activities for a 2-week period
Calculate how much time you spend in class and
studying, and calculate how much uncommitted time
you have each week
http://www.tld.jcu.edu.au/netshare/learn/git/activitylog.html

Scheduling Considerations
Prime Time
Internal
External

Programmable Steps to Improved


Retention and Recall of Information
Repetition
Multiple Learning Modalities

The Need to Cultivate High Level Thinking


An effective long term strategy for improved retention and recall
The defining edge of what it means to be a master student
An often overlooked goal that you can address explicitly in your
schedule

Study Scheduling Tips


Rules of Thumb
Set aside 2 hours study time for every hour in class, or
Treat your college career like a 40-hour-a-week fulltime job
Review every class at least once every 24 hours
Schedule a weekly where am I review for every
course
Limit yourself to 50-60 minutes continuous studying on
a single topic

Make Your Schedule Now!

Its all in the wrist


By Semester

Weekly

Experiment with different


scheduling tools and find
one that works for you
Simple

Daily

Reliable

Task-based

Flexible

Monthly

Make Your Schedule Work Part I

Use Every
Minute
Swiss Cheese Rule
Punch holes in big tasks
Utilize time that otherwise is lost
Think ahead so you have tools and
resources making it possible to enjoy your
Swiss Cheese Moments

http://www.gradresources.org/articles/time_management.shtml

Make Your Schedule Work Part II


Quit Procrastinating
The Seven-Day Antiprocrastination Plan

Monday Make it Meaningful


Tuesday Take it Apart
Wednesday Write an Intention Statement
Thursday Tell Everyone
Friday Find a Reward
Saturday Settle it Now
Sunday Say No!
Ellis, p. 65

Make Your Schedule Work Part III


Psychological Helps

Take advantage of good moods


Give yourself a pep talk
Make a promise to someone else
Build in rewards
Stress the benefits

Time Management

for Right-Brained People


Know your values
Do less make a list of what NOT to do
Slow down dont operate on launch all day
Remember people
Focus on outcomes
Handle it now
Buy less
Take time out to forget about time
Experiment
Ellis, p. 54-55

Ellis, Dave, Becoming a Master Student. 8th ed.


Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
Nist, Sherrie L. and Jodi Patrick Holschuh, Active
Learning: Strategies for College Success. Needham
Heights: Allyn & Bacon, 2000.
Pauk, Walter, How to Study in College. 7th ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.

The End

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