Priority ManagementPriority Management

Barbara B. NixonGeorgia Southern University

Objective: Manage Your Objective: Manage Your PrioritiesPrioritiesIdentify ways you waste time Organize your workday more

efficientlyKeep to your schedule Identify personal and

organizational changes to better manage priorities

Pop Quiz #1 – 59 secondsPop Quiz #1 – 59 secondsList your top two priorities…

◦School-related◦Home/family-related

Pop Quiz #2 Pop Quiz #2 Time Management MythsTime Management MythsWhat’s wrong with these statements?

1. We can manage time2. Time management involves getting more

done in less time3. People need something expensive or

electronic to get organized4. The biggest time wasters are telephone

interruptions, visitors, meetings, and rush jobs

5. It’s most efficient to stick to one task until it’s done

6. Time is money

Major Time ThievesMajor Time Thieves

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adker/347903037/

Planning Tips Planning Tips To Do Lists

◦Make a daily list ◦Make a weekly list ◦Make a monthly/quarterly/annual list◦Update your lists every morning ◦Create a Don’t Do list, too

Planning Tips, cont’dPlanning Tips, cont’dPlanners and Organizers

◦Maintain a master calendar of events◦Carry your organizer/calendar with

you ◦Make a note of all additional

commitments◦Consider high-tech options

Defining GoalsDefining Goals

“Begin with the end in mind” — Stephen Covey

Determine the desired end result Set short-term objectives for

reaching goals Adjust objectives as conditions

change

Prioritizing the Big RocksPrioritizing the Big Rocks

Prioritizing Prioritizing Rank tasks in order of

importance Build in time for the unexpectedLeave time for thinking and

planning Remain flexible Realize you won’t finish

everything

Prioritizing, cont’dPrioritizing, cont’d“Is this the best use of my time?”

“Is this what I want or need to do right now?”

Prime Time Prime Time When do you have the most

energy? When are there fewest

interruptions? When can you schedule private

time?

Your Energy CycleYour Energy Cycle

Energy Gains & DrainsEnergy Gains & DrainsThings that energize me

Things that exhaust me

Eat That FrogEat That Frog“If you eat a live frog first thing

in the morning, it’s likely that will be the worst thing that will happen to either of you all day.”

— Mark Twain

ProcrastinationProcrastinationBreak a large job down into

smaller parts Do the easy parts first Face unpleasant tasks squarelyTime yourselfPunish yourselfReward yourself

Phone CallsPhone Calls

Incoming & outgoing calls

Text messages

Interruptions & Interruptions & EmergenciesEmergenciesThe Black Hole of Interruptions

Handling EmergenciesHandling EmergenciesTry not to drop everything Spend only as much time as

necessary Return to your established

schedule

Stress BustersStress Busters

Dangers of Multi-TaskingDangers of Multi-Tasking

In ClosingIn ClosingTime is one of your most

valuable assets Planning and organization are the

keys to priority management Eliminating time thieves allows

you to accomplish essential tasksControl your schedule instead of

being controlled by it

Priority ManagementPriority Management

Thankyou!