Time Strategies

Tattooed To Do List, Wikimedia

 

I first began learning about some time strategies by reading The Important Habit of Just Starting. For me, this really seems to be the biggest hurdle I face when tasked with something. "Zero percent finished." At the start, there's nothing to say "Hey! Look what you've already done! You're that much closer to being finished!" There's an entire journey to be made. And most importantly, there's probably a deadline attached. But that's not an issue for me; it'll be complete by the deadline. This often manifests with essays. It seems like I challenge myself to see just how long and important of an essay I can push back starting. A week until it's due. 5 days. 3 days. Due tomorrow. And yes, sometimes due today. But once that first step is taken, now that's progress. It's quantifiable work. Now the ball is rolling, and it should be smooth sailing from there on out. It reminds me of when one of my accounting professors likened it to doing the dishes. Sure, a full sink is overwhelming and can be put off until the next day. But start with a fork. Then you're in progress and can just keep going.

Sticky note checklists. If I have a project, you can guarantee I have dozens of sticky note checklists to go along. You'll find them on my laptop, on my desk, on the walls, and sometimes on the back of my phone. And yes, I do prefer physical lists. Tap or click the web page to cross off a to-do item? No thanks. I find very little satisfaction in that (other than the mere fact of finishing something). But to strike out a to-do item with a pen or to draw that check mark next to it? Sign me up! There's something satisfying about the physical connection of it; it's almost like you've literally destroyed the objective. And just like The Psychology of Checklists promotes, checklists often prove quite the incentive. This is how I usually tackle just about any project. Figure out what needs to be done, make a list of small tasks, and begin. Even Santa Claus makes lists.

It's pretty simple to see how these two aspects come into play for this class. I'm already provided a list of things to do, with day-by-day deadlines. Half of the planning is already done! Now I just have to assign these tasks to myself. I have two hours each Monday? Cool, how many of the tasks can I get done in two hours? Nice, now my plan is complete. Of course, I always like to build in some breathing room. Life happens. But by building a road map, a daunting task becomes manageable.