Career Planning 10 Lesson 2.2.3: Time Management

Goals

Lesson 2.2.3

Warm Up Activity:

Time Management

Classroom Expectations

• Be kind
• Ask questions
• Raise your hand to unmute
• Have fun!

02:00

lesson 2.2.3: time management

Too Busy?

Imagine having a never-ending to-do list. How would it make you feel?

01:00

lesson 2.2.3: time management

Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and organizing your time for specific tasks, activities, and goals. It involves making schedules and setting priorities to effectively manage your time. Time management is a crucial skill that can help you:

• maximize productivity
• reduce stress
• improve work-life balance
• increase confidence

lesson 2.2.3: time management

Benefits of Time Management

Maximizing Productivity: When using time-management techniques, you can complete your tasks more efficiently. You can get more things done in less time, leaving you more time for relaxing or fun activities! Work-Life Balance: A well-structured day (from time management) enables you to balance work, personal life, and self-care well. This can lead to an overall sense of fulfillment and happiness. Reducing Stress: When you manage your time well, you should have things done in advance of their deadlines and not rush to complete tasks. This results in lower stress levels and improved mental health! Increased Confidence: Consistently meeting your deadlines and accomplishing things on your to-do list will improve your self-confidence. Having confidence can positively affect all aspects of your life.

lesson 2.2.3: time management

Time Management Techniques

Some people are better at time management than others. They can write their to-do list down on an agenda, and they have enough self-discipline to stick to their own self-imposed deadlines. Others, however, need to use specific time-management strategies to help them. Two time-management strategies people find effective are:

• The Pomodoro Technique
• The Eisenhower Method

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique was created in the 1980s by a college student, Francesco Cirillo. Francesco was feeling overwhelmed by his studies, so he told himself that if he could focus for ten minutes, he could have a short break. Then, he would repeat this pattern. He felt hopeful when using this technique, so he found a tomato timer in his kitchen to help him keep track of time, and thus, the method was born. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian.

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Pomodoro Technique

After studying and refining his technique, he came up with the Pomodoro method. Essentially, this method breaks down your tasks into intervals of time. You will focus on a specific task for usually 25 minutes. This is known as a "Pomodoro." After each Pomodoro, you will take a short break, and after four Pomodoros you take a long break.

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Pomodoro Technique Steps

• Step 1: Have a to-do list prepared with everything you want done that day, and grab a timer to help you.

• Step 2: Set a timer for 25 minutes and choose one activity to focus on from your to-do list. Then, get started on that task for 25 minutes.

• Step 3: After working for 25 minutes, mark that you have completed one Pomodoro and record what you completed (if needed). Then, take a five-minute break!

• Step 4: After your five-minute break is up, set the timer again for 25 minutes, and repeat. You will do a total of four Pomodoros.

• Step 5: After four Pomodoros, take a longer break for 15-30 minutes. When you are finished with your break, evaluate where you are at. Do you need more time to finish your task? If so, start the cycle over again.

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Pomodoro Technique

Unfortunately, the Pomodoro Technique does not work for everyone. Some people have different work styles and find it ineffective to take a break every 25 minutes.Also, some tasks require more than 25 minutes and stopping in the middle might be difficult. Or, the opposite is true too. Some tasks may take you less than 25 minutes and you may find yourself out of things to do before the timer goes off.

lesson 2.2.3: time management

00:30

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Eisenhower Method

Before he was president, the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, created this method. He would use this method to help him prioritize things he needed to complete at work. His time management system categorizes tasks into four areas based on urgency and importance:

• Urgent and Important
• Important, but Not Urgent
• Urgent, but Not Important
• Not Urgent and Not Important

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Eisenhower Method

lesson 2.2.3: time management

00:30

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Eisenhower Method

People enjoy using the Eisenhower Method because it can help you prioritize your to-do list! It enables you to sort your tasks and activities based on importance and urgency, allowing you to figure out what you need to do right now and what you might not need to do. This also helps you focus on your long-term goals and reduces your stress. But, there are reasons that people do not like this method. The limitations of using the Eisenhower Method are:

• it may not provide specific guidance on how to manage your time
• it can be hard to distinguish between urgency and importance

lesson 2.2.3: time management

The Eisenhower Method: For Artists

Check out the following video by artist Josie Lewis who describes her time management method that happens to look a lot like the Eisenhower Method.

Review Time!

Next Time: Time Management Assignment Prep