Steve

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Steve
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Jobs & Careers > Time Management
 

Time Management



Now that I’m (almost) retired (again), my daily
activities have taken on a decidedly unplanned , somewhat spontaneous
manner.  What used to amaze me, back in
the day, was how often I would discover a co-worker whose approach to his or
her daily responsibilities was apparently just as unplanned as mine is
now.  They muddled through their job,
accomplishing whatever they accomplished by sheer accident.  It wasn’t that they didn’t look like they were working; they simply
weren’t managing their time well.

“Never mistake motion for action,” said Ernest
Hemingway.  I would restate that as
follows:  Just because you’re working doesn’t mean you’re getting anything done.  To accomplish anything, you need a plan of
action, and this could just as readily apply to writing a novel as cleaning up
the kitchen.  Establish a goal, then set
off toward it. 

The most significant class I ever took was a time
management seminar.  Once I began to
apply the concepts that I learned there, I progressed beyond being a “hard
worker” to being an efficient worker.  This had positive results well beyond my own
narrow responsibilities; it impacted everyone whose daily path crossed mine.

A big part of working well is prioritizing one’s tasks.  There will always be items on your to-do-list that are more important
than others.  Unless you properly assign
these rankings up front, you will struggle along clumsily, wasting time on less
important things while critical items suffer. 

Of course, I don’t worry about these things much
anymore.  This morning I went for a walk
when it occurred to me that would be a good thing to do.  I’m writing this post now because it occurred
to me and so I’m doing it.  No planning
whatsoever!  That’s not to say that
(semi-) retirement doesn’t entail some forethought and, if you will, time management.  If I don’t have dinner ready when my wife
gets home from work, I’ll be in deep doo-doo. 

posted on May 14, 2013 10:04 AM ()

Comments:

I have a son-in-law and grandchildren that just can't grasp time management. They don't prioritize and are always in hot water. It is
a sorry state of affairs.
comment by elderjane on May 15, 2013 6:05 AM ()
Feel free to give 'em a copy of my post.
reply by steeve on May 15, 2013 8:36 AM ()
by the time i make and read the list i'll probably change my mind and go fishing
comment by kevinshere on May 15, 2013 12:40 AM ()
I've never understood fishing. It seems like it's sitting on the porch only harder.
reply by steeve on May 15, 2013 8:37 AM ()
Now he tells me ... I did okay not planning because I was a whiz. Just think if I had planned. They called me the bionic woman at my office (The NYT).
comment by tealstar on May 14, 2013 7:54 PM ()
Now you're the bionic blogger...
reply by steeve on May 15, 2013 8:38 AM ()
Perhaps it is an unhealthy combination of sloth and thinking that they are somehow beyond improvement.
comment by steeve on May 14, 2013 4:33 PM ()
When I worked at the Counseling Center at my Alma Mater we'd do outreach. One of my workshops was time management. You'd be surprised (well, actually, you probably wouldn't be) how many students either had the wisecrack comment, "I'm too busy", or just had no interest in raising their grades and increasing their productivity.
comment by jjoohhnn on May 14, 2013 4:00 PM ()
Perhaps it is an unhealthy combination of sloth and thinking that they are somehow beyond improvement... and perhaps one of these days I will learn to use the "reply to comment" gizmo properly.
reply by steeve on May 14, 2013 4:34 PM ()
The list must have something similar to: "take some time to be spontaneous."
comment by troutbend on May 14, 2013 10:36 AM ()
Perhaps on the non-work or after-hours list...
reply by steeve on May 14, 2013 4:37 PM ()

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