Time Management

[Pinkie]

What's your secret for getting tasks you loathe done?

I'm suffering from "I'll get to it tomorrow" syndrome, and I'm looking for tips on how to beat it.

Thanks!

 

[ab9924]

What's your secret for getting tasks you loathe done?

I'm suffering from "I'll get to it tomorrow" syndrome, and I'm looking for tips on how to beat it.

Thanks!

Hi Pinkie, it's great to hear from you again.

I have a 2-cents worth about this one, may be useful.

When school dumps a 1000 pages on you, you control the depth. When they want you to write the software twice the spec of your assignment, you negotiate down its scope. When your girlfriend/boyfriend tells you to scrub her bathroom, you cover the surface with less rounds (or don't go too deep in the corners with the lawnmower). I think that nobody is ever satisfied with any work, because everyone thinks that others' time is cheaper than their own. I think that it is possible to accomplish all tasks if we manage the extent of each.

 

[24107]

What's your secret for getting tasks you loathe done?

I'm suffering from "I'll get to it tomorrow" syndrome, and I'm looking for tips on how to beat it.

Thanks!

Just think of the relief you will get once your done with the annoying task.

 

[Helix]

i try to do the things i dislike first, and then i reward myself. i used to be a big time procrastinator, though.

the other strategy i have is routine. i have days set where i do various tasks, so i know when it's coming and what time i'll be doing the tasks. that way the time is blocked off in advance, and i know when i have to get started. doesn't feel like such a chore then.

 

[Fiddytree]

I do it by priorities. The closer a deadline in addition to most work involved, the more emphasis it gets. Essentially, if there is a fire under my ass, many pretensions for laziness or procrastination go out the window. It is during moments of relative luxury that procrastination seeps in my brain.

By the end of this weekend and into the early part of next week I need to have started and finished two books (one book for monday, another for wed.), in another class finish one text and begin another (exam next friday), write two essays, conduct a lengthy examination of a particular historical journal from inception to now, examine local/state records during office hours, grade in-class essays for a large 100 level course, and begin contacting certain people for future research. By the end of the week I also have an examination in the class I have to finish/begin those two books.

It all comes down to setting time limits hour by hour, and giving myself manufactured sanity breaks (something like a generous half hour). So far I have enforced a "cool down" period late at night to relax, perhaps enjoy a television program or something before going to bed. I never used to do this as I was always so anxious to finish everything, or understand the essence of what I was researching, that I wore myself down.

So tonight, I started by looking over portions of those state/local records before they closed, I will finish a text for tomorrow, and begin doing most of my work on the historical journal. Then tomorrow when I receive those essays to grade, I will have to first go over more state/local records until they close, get back to the apartment, and grade some number of essays, stop and eat/break, go to background information on one book I have to read & then start gutting it apart...go to bed. I have up until Saturday night planned, and will figure out what to do on Sunday when it comes to essay grading, how far I get in Text A that has to be read and responded to in essay form, and which sections of Text B I absolutely need to hit before Tuesday. Monday will be some mixture of grading, reading Text B, and writing up a thing for the local/state history documents. Tuesday will be final preparation for the state/local history documents in addition to priority reading & test prep for Friday.

And so it goes.

 

[wolfman24]

There is a basic premise in scientific research (well at least mine) reduce it to its most basic component and go from there. I priortize my work then proceed according to that system whether its job related or not. If I get the tomorrow thing I just say which would you rather have work today or more work tomorrow. Never fails.

 

[ab9924]

There is a basic premise in scientific research (well at least mine) reduce it to its most basic component and go from there. I priortize my work then proceed according to that system whether its job related or not. If I get the tomorrow thing I just say which would you rather have work today or more work tomorrow. Never fails.

But don't most businesses operate on the "how can we half the deadline" premise, to appear more competitive? So, if you want your deadline to be tomorrow, you have to offer the day after tomorrow or later to get it done in an acceptable shape, right? And then you can as well just throw the whole game back, and propose deadlines that include your leasure as part of your work hours, like many CEO's do. So, tomorrow never dies ... .

 

[wolfman24]

Since i have not worked for a company per se in my life I can not answer your question. Science has protocols which must be met and quite often on a timeline. Even those aspects of government which are mostly environmental in nature do not endorse wasting time and resources they don't have.

As for the other part I was simply referring to my personal life I apologize if I did not make that clear. At present because of various medical issues I do not work.