What is 24 Hours?

[Yoda]

Usually I find a way to get around things that have to be taken care of (e.g. paying my phone bill-on time, fixing my car so it can pass emissions) but as of late it has been difficult to keep myself organized. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to seeing things fall into place, such as taking it just one day at a time, but lately 24 hours is not enough time to set things right.

 

I’m at school four days of the week with a somewhat decent schedule, yet the course material isn’t getting any easier. I guess teachers are getting back at the students because they were tortured with homework all the time? Three of my classes have labs and it seems like every time I finish one lab report the next one in-line is due. So school is taking a good part of my day away. Another thing is the fact that I don’t spend as much time with my girlfriend as I did in the winter break, but hey it’s understandable, right? I just hope that we can make it through another semester. I don't spend enough time with my friends and when I do it's usually over the phone just to hear my friend whine all night about how his girlfriend doesn't ever text him back . . . issues? I’m also in the process of getting my band to work together as a team and get some real playing time outside of the basement.

 

Really there is not much time left for myself in a day. They say that a third of the day (8hrs) should be assigned to getting some sleep but sometimes I forget what sleep is and that could attribute to working the midnight shift on the weekends . . .

 

[iamshack]

This is actually one of my strengths, and I have to tell you, I owe it all to being forced to prioritize and delegate back when I was working in management for Abercrombie & Fitch.

 

The key is to constantly re-prioritize things. Focus on only your most important tasks at one time. If you try to juggle everything at once, you often become overwhelmed and accomplish none of your tasks or very few of them.

 

In law school I worked full-time and took 3-4 classes a semester, and so I was able to hone my skills while juggling those committments.

 

Currently, I work 12 hour shifts for days at a time, so it is a challenge to fit sleep in, workout, eat, and accomplish much of anything.

 

The keys are just so simple.

 

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

 

Make checklists and check one thing off at a time.

 

It is really that simple.

[dasox24]

Make checklists and check one thing off at a time.

I love checklists. Every day at work I just start a new checklist with things from the previous day that I didn't finish and add to it as stuff comes up. It definitely helps a ton. I hardly ever finish everything, but I put out the biggest fires first (so-to-speak) and prioritize what's most important. Then get to the smaller stuff when things slow down a little.

Edited February 4, 2010 by dasox24

[iamshack]

I love checklists. Every day at work I just start a new checklist with things from the previous day that I didn't finish and add to it as stuff comes up. It definitely helps a ton. I hardly ever finish everything, but I put out the biggest fires first (so-to-speak) and prioritize what's most important. Then get to the smaller stuff when things slow down a little.

http://gawande.com/the-checklist-manifesto

[dasox24]

http://gawande.com/the-checklist-manifesto

Oh wow, I've never seen that before. Looks like a really good read. All the reviews for it were great too.

[hogan873]

I agree that there doesn't seem to be enough time in one day. And as far as getting eight hours of sleep a day? That only happens to me on the weekend. However, it's my fault. I could go to be earlier, but I like to spend some time watching TV or reading after the kids get to bed. I find it hard to remember what I did with my time before kids. It seemed like I was always so busy. Obviously I wasn't.

[Yoda]

Make checklists and check one thing off at a time.

 

It is really that simple.

 

I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to organize myself by creating a to-do list and actually following it. I mean, how do you fit it in a sudden shortage of time in finishing a lab before lab time is up? I study at least an hour or two a day for each course, but I’m also by no means a robot. I need to get outside and feel like I’m still alive in this world. And of course procrastination is a big troll on my shoulder, but who doesn’t have one in this day of age?

[hogan873]

I'm the king of procrastination...outside of work. Every year I'm scrambling to buy Christmas presents for my family on December 20, and I always say I will do it earlier next year. I never do.

 

At work, though, I use checklists, notes stuck to my computer monitor, and my personal favorite Microsoft Access. I know this doesn't really help with your issue, but I've learned to manage my time very effectively at work. It's the time outside of work I need to work on.

[iamshack]

I'm the king of procrastination...outside of work. Every year I'm scrambling to buy Christmas presents for my family on December 20, and I always say I will do it earlier next year. I never do.

 

At work, though, I use checklists, notes stuck to my computer monitor, and my personal favorite Microsoft Access. I know this doesn't really help with your issue, but I've learned to manage my time very effectively at work. It's the time outside of work I need to work on.

Why do you suppose you are so eager to use systems at work but not at all in your personal life?

[hogan873]

Why do you suppose you are so eager to use systems at work but not at all in your personal life?

 

I don't know. Now that I think about it, it is troublesome. Maybe it's because at work I'm in control of everything I do while at home everything is affected by the kids, the wife, etc. Damn, I think I need to see a shrink.

[bigklita]

http://gawande.com/the-checklist-manifesto

 

The author was on 'The Daily Show' last night.

[Steve9347]

Use the Force.

[scenario]

Another great little book on time management...

 

How to Gain Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein

 

Very useful not just theory. Gives exercises which are quick and meaningful to help set priorities, tasks, etc.

 

Two thumbs way up.

 

 

[SouthsideDon48]

I find that the best way to manage time is to not have that many obligations.

 

For example, I think if people are working full-time, they should go to school part-time. Especially in this economy, there really shouldn't be any rush in finishing school, so take your time and finish it at a leisurely pace. We're all lucky to have jobs right now, anyway, so just focus on making ends meet and getting one or two classes done at a time so you can still have free time left over to just relax and enjoy life.

 

Too many people get wrapped up in the rat race of life that they forget to enjoy life. Too many people set unreasonable goals for themselves and expect to achieve them in a very short time, but for what? You got your whole life to work at it, why overachieve in a short amount of time?

 

That's one thing I try to avoid doing, I try everything I can to avoid deadlines, in my personal life and at work. Deadlines equals obligations, and obligations equals stress, and I don't need stress. And as for work, I'm being paid to do services, but I see myself as a businessman providing a service for my employer, and what I'm being paid by my employer should only require me to give miminal effort at work. If my employer wants me to go "above and beyond", then they need to offer bonuses, because I'm not going to kiss butt or rush to get things done for things that are not in my job description, and I will follow that philosophy with me for the rest of my life because I honestly don't feel the need to impress anyone or to attain any form of "status". Business is business, and the same way businesses tries to cut corners and save money should be the same way ordinary people "take their time" with their responsibilities at work, because time is money and the more they drag out their work, the more money they'll make. However, jobs where you get paid a commission instead or where you have to get clients/accounts to reach a deal is different.

 

Now a lot of people reading this might think I have a horrible work ethic. Well, I really do follow the "Office Space" philosophy of slacking off and taking your time at work. If you have a life without a lot of urgent obligations, and you have a lot of free time on hand, then your life is golden.

 

Instead of buying a big fancy house where you have to worry about paying a big mortgage each month, buy a smaller place and pay a smaller mortgage. The space offered by a big house is just an unneccessary luxury, I rather have the luxury of not having to stress out over a big mortgage and have more money in the bank instead.

 

Don't have time to shave? Who cares? Just shave at your leisure when you have time for it. Some places doesn't like it when their employees have a 5'o'clock shadow, but as far as I'm concerned, having some whisters on my face doesn't affect how I perform my job, and I never care about how "presentable" I look to clients. There were many times when my manager told me to shave before coming to work the following day, and I didn't do it. Why? Cause I just didn't get around to it because shaving is not important to me. Once my manager said I should shave everyday, which made me laugh in his face, because I told him it'd be surprising if I shave once a week, because I usually shave once every 2 weeks.

 

A lot of my co-workers always bust their butts trying to get stuff done, but not me. I work, and people see me work, but I'm not in a rush. What would take me 5 minutes if I cared probably takes me 15 minutes because I take my time, and that's more money in my pocket. If there were Umpires at where I work, they would be constantly telling me to hurry up with my pitches. :-p

 

I also do the bare minimum for college homework. I also go as far as trying to find which teachers generally don't give homework so that I can have more leisure time without having to stress over homework. It really makes no difference to me if I pass a class with an A, a B, or a C. As long as I pass the class, and my gpa stays at 3.0, then I'm fine. I'm not one of those people who feels they need to strive hard and get a 3.8 or 4.0 gpa just to impress people. I'm fine with mediocrity.

Edited February 4, 2010 by SouthsideDon48

[hogan873]

Instead of buying a big fancy house where you have to worry about paying a big mortgage each month, buy a smaller place and pay a smaller mortgage. The space offered by a big house is just an unneccessary luxury, I rather have the luxury of not having to stress out over a big mortgage and have more money in the bank instead.

 

I couldn't agree more, here. We bought a nice house back when the market was hot and actually got a decent deal. The house is perfect for our family of five, and our mortgage is very reasonable. We have friends that have huge, beautiful houses, but they are struggling to pay their mortgage each month. That can't be any way to live.

[Yoda]

SoutsideDON, I can tell that you’re speaking from the heart and I’m happy to see that your approach is working for you. I’m a very laid-back person myself when it comes to getting from point A to point B, but when things start piling up, I can’t have such a mellow approach because things don’t work out so right. Unfortunately, I’m not close to having an office space of my own any time soon and I don’t have to worry about paying any house bills . . . yet. My current job is perhaps the easiest, but then again it can be tedious because all I do is sit around making sure that the perimeter is secure (I’m a security guard for UPS dispatch) and making sure that I stay alert the entire night. I’m allowed to take my school work to work, but who wants to do it in front of a dozen mad-yelling truck drivers?

 

Point being is that my current life structure perhaps isn’t as complicated as yours or anyone for that matter (such a those who have kids to feed and bosses to look after) and it won’t be that way forever. Right now I’m trying to put myself strait before I end up becoming a train wreck waiting to happen. And this is just the beginning of something big. I need to find a way to fix this small problem before things really get hairy.

 

And ditto on the shaving. We’re not allowed to have facial hair or long hair as a security guard, but I got both working for me right now . . . show’s how much I listen to the rules.