During my first week back on Grounds, my organic chemistry professor employed the class to watch a lecture on time management. It was not a required assignment, but she did offer us 10 points if we followed through. Part of me did not want to because it was a hectic week. Still, I could hear the extra credit points calling my name, so I chose to open up my laptop and lock in. Going into it, I was hesitant. Not only was the video almost 20 years old—it was 3 HOURS LONG! Professor Randy Pausch’s story and advice truly affected how I view and use my time. So, why not share it with you all? Thus, here are things you need to know regarding time management.
You are managing your time all wrong
When people think about time management, they do not realize that there is more to it than checking things off a list and meeting deadlines. With it, comes a change in mentality, too. Although the sentence “time is money” is one of the most commonly used phrases in the world, many of us are unsure of its proper interpretation. There is a misconception that it means that your time should be used to gain income. Though it can be viewed through that lens, singularly seeing it like that causes you to miss out on the larger lesson. Like money, time is a valuable resource. We are not immortal, and depending on health, environment, and socioeconomic status, some will have more or less than others. Thus, we should be willing to invest it in the things in life that we find important. That investment should grow to lay a foundation for our future well-being. By zeroing in on the limited definition of “time is money” I caught myself obsessing over the wrong things, which has caused poor time management and led me to do it incorrectly. So, if you have been hip to the concept behind the phrase, kudos to you!
Not everything has to be finished
Although many of us do not know it by name, for decades, Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix has served as the staple for managing our time. In this model, Covey essentially organizes a to-do list within sections of a quadrant: important and due soon, important but not due soon, not important and due soon, and not important not due soon. The upper left quadrant, important and due soon, is typically the first choice most of us make when getting things done. The last one, not important and not due soon is also an obvious answer. But the choice we make between due soon and not important versus important but not due soon is where many of us go wrong. Instead of choosing to complete the important task first, we prioritize deadlines over significance. By focusing on what is not due soon, but is important, we allow ourselves more time to complete the task, so when the deadline rolls around, there is no problem to worry about. So, yes, it is important to step back and choose not to do something in favor of another, especially if that other thing holds or adds value to your life.
By sharing this advice with you, I am not saying that his lecture has made me perfect or I’ve suddenly become time management goat—nothing too crazy now. Even now, there are times where I bite off more than I can chew or end up messing up from lack of better judgment. Nevertheless, there is one thing I can say: time management is a process, so give yourself some grace, dust your shoulders off, and move forward.