Time Management:

Making the Most of Your Time

Module Instructions
 You are encouraged to write
down the answers to the
questions you see throughout
the workshop.
 Complete the included
inventories and assessments.
 Contact our office to schedule
an appointment if you need to
discuss anything further with a
staff member.
 Objectives
 To define why time
management is important
 To define what time
management is and involves
 To identify what makes time
management difficult
 To identify useful strategies for
managing your time
Why is Time Management
Important?
Why is it important to you to
manage or have control over
your time? What do you hope to
accomplish by managing your
time? In what situations or
areas of your life is it important
to be able to manage your time?
 Importance of Time
Management
 Time management is important to
different individuals for different
reasons.
 Make sure you have time for all your
important activities
 Give structure to your days and
weeks
 Assist in setting goals
 Assist in planning for the semester
 Assist in determining priorities
What is Time Management?

 Awareness of your time

 Awareness of your time wasters
 Use of priorities
 Self-management or the
management of your personal
resources
 Goal setting & achievement
 Planning
Personal Time Management

Time management is different for

everyone.
 How do you define time
management?
 If you are managing your time
well, what does that look like for
you? What does that mean?
 What skills are required for you
to manage your time well?
What makes time
management difficult?
Managing our time is not always easy.
There are a variety of things that make
time management difficult. Below are
some of the things that often make it
challenging for us to manage our time.
Review the following list of common time
wasters and identify which ones are
challenges for you.
 Time Wasters
 Stress
 Anxiety
 Burnout
 Procrastination
 Perfectionism
 Lack of planning
 Unexpected events (such as
phone calls or drop-in visitors)
Additional Time Wasters
 Depression
 Being unorganized
 Working against your natural
tendencies
 Bad habits
 Email or IM
 Loosing track of time
 Television
 Ineffective studying (have to repeat
what you studied or re-read material)
Let’s get personal…
 Take a few moments to
complete the following
assessments:
 “Self-Evaluation of Time Manage
ment”
 “My Time Wasters”

 What did you learn about the

way you manage your time?
 What did you learn about your
time wasters?
 Take a 10 minute break

Study Tip
Take a short break
each hour to
refresh your mind
and body.
You’ll do better.
Set an alarm clock
or timer and come
back!
exit
 Knowing is Half the
Battle
Understanding what time management
is and what your time management
strengths and challenges are can
assist you in determining what
strategies will be most useful as you
develop your time management skills.
The following slides offer some time
management tips and strategies that
you may find useful.
Strategies:
Define your values and
determine your priorities.
Knowing what is important to you (what
you value) and what your priorities are
allows you to put those things first as
you schedule your time, therefore
guiding the way you manage your time.
Values

 Complete the attached

Values Assessment to identify your
values.
Priorities
 Prioritizing, or determining your priorities, is
a process of deciding which of several
options or tasks is most important.
 Prioritizing involves deciding that Activity A
is more important than Activity B.
 Priorities change over time.
 Priorities are influenced by your values and
your goals.
 Your priorities may not be the same as
important others (family or friends) in your
life.
 Guiding questions for determining
priorities:
 What are the costs vs. the benefits of doing
this activity?
 How well does this activity fit into my goals?
 Does this activity have a deadline for
completion?
 How much do I enjoy doing this activity?
 Have I promised or agreed to do this
activity?
 What needs of mine will be satisfied by doing
this activity?
 How much time does this activity require?
Determining Your Priorities
 Priority activities can include
studying, attending class,
worship, meditation, exercising,
spending one day a week with
family, or other activities
important to you.
 With this in mind, take a few
minutes and write down your
answers to the questions on the
previous slide.
 What are your priorities?
Strategies:
Set goals & make action plans
 Use the system SMART when setting
your goals
 S = Specific
 M = Measurable
 A = Action-oriented
 R = Realistic or Reasonable
 T = Time Phased
 It is okay, and often helpful, to re-
evaluate your goals periodically and
change or update them or re-set
them
 Action plans are step by step
plans of how you are going to
accomplish your goal – what are
you going to do to reach your
goal
 Action plans allow you to break
the goal down into smaller, more
manageable portions and give
you the chance to make and
record progress towards your
goals
 Your Turn
 Using the Course Goal Setting
Worksheet, create goals for
yourself for each class you have
this semester.
 Additional resources for goal
setting can be helpful to you
also.
Additional Strategies for
Time Management
 Use a system that works for you
 Learn to say no
 Plan to do the biggest projects
during your most energized
times
 Be proactive not reactive
More Strategies & Tips
 Tackle the big projects first, even if it
is step by step (don’t get lost in the
little things)
 Use an A-B-C system to plan your
day
 Handle papers only once
 Make use of “waiting” time
 Make “want to do” lists not “have to
do” lists (“have to do” lists can often
cause pressure and lead to guilt if items
are left undone)
Strategies & Tips continued…

 Focus on one thing at a time

 Assess the BIG PICTURE – what’s
most important overall
 Get & stayed organized
 Set time limits and mini-deadlines
 Practice positive self-talk
 Know your learning style & use study
techniques that fit that style
References
 Academic Advising Office at Meredith College.
Various printed materials and handouts.
 De Brand, R. (2003). Stress Management and Time
Management handouts for Pastoral Leadership
lecture (January 30, 2003).
 Deckro, G.R., Ballinger, K.M., Hoyt, M., Wilcher, M.,
Dusek, J., Myers, P., Greenberg, B., Rosenthal,
D.S., & Benson, H. (2002). The evaluation of a
mind/body intervention to reduce psychological
distress and perceived stress in college students.
Journal of American College Health, 50, 281–
287.
 Helmstetter, S. (2003). Who Are You Really and What
Do You Want? Park Avenue Press: USA
 Kelly, W.E. & Johnson, J.L. (2005). Time use
efficiency and the five-factor model of personality.
Education, 125, 511-515.
 Mental Health Association in Durham County (1996).
How Do You Cope? (self-inventory).
 Misra, R., McKean, M., West, S., & Russo, T. (2000).
Academic stress of college students: Comparison
of student and faculty perceptions. College
Student Journal, 34, 236-245.
 Struthers, C.W., Perry, R.P., & Menec, V.H. (2000).
An examination of the relationship among
academic stress, coping, motivation, and
performance in college. Research in Higher
Education, 41, 581-592.
 Tracy, B. (2002). Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to
Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in
Less Time. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.:
San Francisco, CA.
 Trockel, M.C., Barnes, M.D., & Egget, D.L. (2000).
Health-related variables and academic
performance among first-year college students:
Implications for sleep and other behaviors.
Journal of American College Health, 49, 125-131.
 Wellness Resource Center, Division of Student Affairs,
UNC Chapel Hill printed resources (1996).