This month's ProGen assignment asked us to keep a log of our activities for one week. We then had to analyze the results and identify time suckers and other hindrances that stand between us and task completion.
I keep an appointment book calendar. I live and die by the thing. I use the long columns to make daily to-do lists and cross things off as I finish them. Everything that needs to get done goes on that list, otherwise I'd forget to do it.
Because of this strict adherence to the calendar, I thought this particular ProGen assignment would be an easy one. I kept my time diary for one week. Just as I expected, it showed very little wasted time.
What surprised me, however, was seeing how much I cram into a short amount of time. I don't view it as a good thing. This ProGen lesson taught me that I'm a little too good at time management, to the point where I go-go-go without a break. From this point, my daily to-do lists will be shorter. Not every task is urgent. Case in point: I did this blog post a day later than originally planned and the world did not fall apart. Good time management isn't always about getting things done.
You're right. Time management also means making room for "down time" and for yourself.
ReplyDeleteI have to laugh . . . I will be starting in a ProGen study group next week. This assignment could be a problem for me -- I hate schedules and routines!
However, I have a busy fall as I'm returning to my classes at the University of North Florida, I'm in the ProGen study group, I will most likely be proofing and constructing the index to my soon-to-be-published book on the colonial, territorial, and state censuses of Florida, and I'm having to help my daughter out with child care because my grandson can't seem to behave himself. (sigh)
We'll see how I fare in this assignment!
LOL!