Pam Phillips Personal & Business Coach 22 February 2011 New Directions Managing your time to make the most out of your research.

Pam PhillipsPam Phillips

Personal & Business CoachPersonal & Business Coach

22 February 201122 February 2011

New Directions

Managing your time to make Managing your time to make the most out of your researchthe most out of your research

Definitions Definitions

• Success is moving from failure to failure with Success is moving from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm – Sir Winston no loss of enthusiasm – Sir Winston ChurchillChurchill

• Experience is the name everyone gives to Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes – Oscar Wildetheir mistakes – Oscar Wilde

• Even if you’re on the right track…..you’ll get Even if you’re on the right track…..you’ll get run over if you just sit there – Will Rogersrun over if you just sit there – Will Rogers

New Directions

Definitions Definitions

• The problem in my life and other people’s The problem in my life and other people’s lives is not the absence of knowing what to lives is not the absence of knowing what to do…..but the absence of doing it – Peter do…..but the absence of doing it – Peter DruckerDrucker

• The definition of insanity is doing the same The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again………….expecting thing over and over again………….expecting different results – Rita Mae Brown different results – Rita Mae Brown

New Directions

Objectives of this sessionObjectives of this session

• To help you to manage your time more To help you to manage your time more effectively in order to achieve both short and effectively in order to achieve both short and long-term goalslong-term goals

• To assist you in recognising the areas you To assist you in recognising the areas you deem important so you can prioritise themdeem important so you can prioritise them

• To make you aware of habits that aid or To make you aware of habits that aid or deter you in achieving your goalsdeter you in achieving your goals

• To encourage you to achieve a greater To encourage you to achieve a greater work-life balancework-life balance

New Directions

Time Management IssuesTime Management Issues

New Directions

•Do you feel guilty when you are not working?Do you feel guilty when you are not working?•Do you give up or feel demotivated if you do not Do you give up or feel demotivated if you do not keep to your planned schedule?keep to your planned schedule?•Do you concentrate on the negatives – i.e., Do you concentrate on the negatives – i.e., what you still have to do rather than what you what you still have to do rather than what you have done?have done?•Do you recognise or reward yourself when you Do you recognise or reward yourself when you have completed a task or been productive?have completed a task or been productive?•Have you tried to use any time management Have you tried to use any time management techniques in planning your schedule? If so, techniques in planning your schedule? If so, what were they?what were they?

Time management: is it possible?Time management: is it possible?

• The challenge is not to manage time but to The challenge is not to manage time but to manage ourselves.manage ourselves.

• The root of self-management lies in first defining The root of self-management lies in first defining your values and goals.your values and goals.

• You need to be flexible. Life can be You need to be flexible. Life can be unpredictableunpredictable

• Think about being efficient with things and Think about being efficient with things and effective with peopleeffective with people

New Directions

The Wheel of life exerciseThe Wheel of life exercise

New Directions

Activity 1: Using the Wheel of Life to Activity 1: Using the Wheel of Life to assess your satisfaction levelsassess your satisfaction levels

• What areas of your life do you deem to be ‘key’?What areas of your life do you deem to be ‘key’?• Label the segments on the ‘Wheel of Life’ with what Label the segments on the ‘Wheel of Life’ with what

you consider to be your 8 key areasyou consider to be your 8 key areas• Using the top wheel and spokes indicated, rate your Using the top wheel and spokes indicated, rate your

current satisfaction level (on a scale of 1 to 10) with current satisfaction level (on a scale of 1 to 10) with each areaeach area

• Now join the dots! How round/balanced is your Now join the dots! How round/balanced is your wheel?wheel?

• Now use the bottom wheel to plot what you Now use the bottom wheel to plot what you realistically realistically would like your wheel to look like in one would like your wheel to look like in one year’s timeyear’s time

• Compare the two - what areas need attention?Compare the two - what areas need attention?New Directions

The Wheel of life exerciseThe Wheel of life exercise

Career

Finances

Partner/Relationship

Friends and Family

Health

Personal Growth

Hobbies and Interests

Environment

New Directions

Time Management matrixTime Management matrixHIERARCHY OF TASKS URGENT NOT URGENT

IMPORTANT

1. Do now and do carefully ACTIVITIES: Deadline-driven projects Crises (personal or professional) Pressing problems that are central to your current or future plans

2. Spend bulk of your time here ACTIVITIES: Key activities central to your current or future plans Main research and writing Networking, publishing, teaching Family, friends, exercise/recreation Cleaning flat (to keep tidy mind)

NOT IMPORTANT

3. Do quickly but not perfectly ACTIVITIES: Routine activities not essential to your current or future plans Teaching administration, essay marking, etc Some (e)mail, some phone calls

4. Reject or downscale ACTIVITIES: Time-wasting activities not important to your current or future plans Cleaning your flat (for the 4th time!) Some (e)mail, some phone calls Television, internet, Facebook

New Directions

Quadrants in the TM matrixQuadrants in the TM matrix• QUADRANT 1QUADRANT 1: Prioritise tasks that fall here : Prioritise tasks that fall here

according to their relative urgency.according to their relative urgency.• QUADRANT 2QUADRANT 2: These tasks are most critical to : These tasks are most critical to

your success, and yet are commonly the most your success, and yet are commonly the most neglected. You must plan time-slots for these.neglected. You must plan time-slots for these.

• QUADRANT 3QUADRANT 3: Assess the real importance of : Assess the real importance of these tasks and, if they must be done, do them these tasks and, if they must be done, do them quickly to a good-enough standard.quickly to a good-enough standard.

• QUADRANT 4QUADRANT 4: These activities are not central : These activities are not central to your success and are time-wasters. They can to your success and are time-wasters. They can be destructive to your future success. Check be destructive to your future success. Check yourself and resist the temptation to dwell here.yourself and resist the temptation to dwell here.

New Directions

Using the TM matrix successfullyUsing the TM matrix successfully• Spending the bulk of your time in Quadrant 2 will Spending the bulk of your time in Quadrant 2 will

ensure that Quadrants 1 and 3 don’t engulf you.ensure that Quadrants 1 and 3 don’t engulf you.• Quadrant 1 tasks often result from neglecting Quadrant 1 tasks often result from neglecting

Quadrant 2 tasks – which then become crises.Quadrant 2 tasks – which then become crises.• Perfecting Quadrant 3 tasks means less time is left Perfecting Quadrant 3 tasks means less time is left

for Quadrant 2 tasks, which can cause problems.for Quadrant 2 tasks, which can cause problems.• Time spent in Quadrant 4 usually results from an Time spent in Quadrant 4 usually results from an

inability to say ‘NO’ or is a displacement activity.inability to say ‘NO’ or is a displacement activity.• Effective time management means stealing time Effective time management means stealing time

from Quadrants 3 and 4, and using it for Quadrant from Quadrants 3 and 4, and using it for Quadrant 2 tasks. This also results in a reduction of 2 tasks. This also results in a reduction of Quadrant 1 tasks, due to fewer ‘spillover’ crises.Quadrant 1 tasks, due to fewer ‘spillover’ crises.

New Directions

Activity 2: Time management matrix and Activity 2: Time management matrix and reflection of your patterns/habitsreflection of your patterns/habits

• Using the Time Management matrix, map out Using the Time Management matrix, map out your previous week’s activitiesyour previous week’s activities

• In which quadrant have you spent the most In which quadrant have you spent the most time? And the least?time? And the least?

• Could you have stolen time from Quadrant 3 & 4 Could you have stolen time from Quadrant 3 & 4 tasks to use on Quadrant 2 tasks?tasks to use on Quadrant 2 tasks?

• In table groups, decide the ideal proportions of In table groups, decide the ideal proportions of time one should spend in each quadrant. Let’s time one should spend in each quadrant. Let’s compare views!compare views!

New Directions

Envisage your long term goalsEnvisage your long term goals

• Where would you like to be this time next year?Where would you like to be this time next year?• For example:For example:

• Career – ‘I’d like to get a book contract/finish my book’Career – ‘I’d like to get a book contract/finish my book’• Home – ‘I’d like to buy a house/flat’Home – ‘I’d like to buy a house/flat’• Relationships – ‘I’d like to have a child with my partner’Relationships – ‘I’d like to have a child with my partner’• Health – ‘I’d like to get fit/run a marathon’Health – ‘I’d like to get fit/run a marathon’• Money – ‘I’d like to earn more money through Money – ‘I’d like to earn more money through

consultancy work’consultancy work’• Hobbies – ‘I’d like to spend more time playing Hobbies – ‘I’d like to spend more time playing

guitar’guitar’• You can have multiple scenarios (most people do)You can have multiple scenarios (most people do)

New Directions

Using your goals to plan your timeUsing your goals to plan your time

• By being aware of your goals, you can By being aware of your goals, you can ensure that you do most of the things that ensure that you do most of the things that are important to youare important to you

• Look at your wheel? Which areas need Look at your wheel? Which areas need most work/do you most work/do you wantwant to work on? to work on?

• You can improve your life by devoting a bit You can improve your life by devoting a bit of time to each of these areas each weekof time to each of these areas each week

New Directions

Time management tips 1

Keep your eye on the ball – what is your top Keep your eye on the ball – what is your top priority? Keep some kind of visual reminder near priority? Keep some kind of visual reminder near your desk or in your walletyour desk or in your walletOrganise and execute around priorities. Decide Organise and execute around priorities. Decide what is important to you and devote time in your what is important to you and devote time in your life to itlife to itIt is no good working all the time if your personal It is no good working all the time if your personal relationships are in disarray. Consider how your relationships are in disarray. Consider how your goals affect other people – are you being fair to goals affect other people – are you being fair to them?them?Stop and smell the roses, at least sometimes! Give Stop and smell the roses, at least sometimes! Give yourself designated breaks, where you decide yourself designated breaks, where you decide notnot to work – at least one full day per weekto work – at least one full day per week

New Directions

Time management tips 2Time management tips 2

New Directions

• Taking regular breaks is essential to productivity Taking regular breaks is essential to productivity • Bill Gates practices this principle - he works less Bill Gates practices this principle - he works less

than 40 hours per week and takes one month off than 40 hours per week and takes one month off per year – as a way of generating his best ideasper year – as a way of generating his best ideas

• When and where do you get your best ideas? When and where do you get your best ideas? Simply knowing this can make you more Simply knowing this can make you more effective. Do not think of time away from your effective. Do not think of time away from your research as time wasted – but use those extra research as time wasted – but use those extra hours to hours to fulfilfulfil your other life goals your other life goals

Time management tips 3Time management tips 3

• Reward yourself when you have completed a difficult Reward yourself when you have completed a difficult task or spent time productivelytask or spent time productively

• Work somewhere different if your normal place cannot Work somewhere different if your normal place cannot provide you with a quiet situation and protection from provide you with a quiet situation and protection from interruption interruption

• Inform other people of your planned time-slots and Inform other people of your planned time-slots and schedules. Having a visible schedule is the key to being schedules. Having a visible schedule is the key to being able to protect these vital time-slots.able to protect these vital time-slots.

• Allocate time for setbacks – life is not predictableAllocate time for setbacks – life is not predictable• Realise what time management techniques work for you Realise what time management techniques work for you

and use them again. If something doesn’t work, try a and use them again. If something doesn’t work, try a different approachdifferent approach

New Directions

QuestionQuestion

• When you look back at what has taken up When you look back at what has taken up your time over the past week, how much your time over the past week, how much has got you closer to your goal?has got you closer to your goal?

• Write down at least 5 things that you will Write down at least 5 things that you will do differently next week that will improve do differently next week that will improve your own time management?your own time management?

New Directions

Final thoughtFinal thought

We can easily keep ourselves busy all the time, We can easily keep ourselves busy all the time, but at the end of the month what have you got but at the end of the month what have you got to show for it?to show for it?

When you are managing your time effectively When you are managing your time effectively your list of achievements will be endlessyour list of achievements will be endless

Good Luck!Good Luck!

New Directions