1	Managing your time and yourself “Ordinary people merely think how they shall spend their time; a man of talent tries to use it” Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher
2	Objectives Know the importance of time management Assess energy level and time wasters Set goals Overcome procrastination Prioritize first things first Work smarter, not harder
3	Where does your time go? Identify your level of energy and reflect upon your way of spending it. What are the major activities and tasks that take much of your time? What activities cause you to use time ineffectively? What activities could you reduce or eliminate?
4	Time and energy When is your high-energy time? Does your committed time reflect your values and goals? Where should your time go? Record a log of how much time you spend with different activities. Try to identify patterns.
5	A Conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat (Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) “Would you tell me please which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice. “That depends a good deal on where you want to go to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
6	You can avoid Alice’s plight by determining what it is you really want to accomplish and your specific destination
7	Setting Goals Take time, go inward and think about your deepest values and desires. As a consequence of knowing those goals, you will be able to:
8	Goal Conflict Are your goals realistic? What hurdles must you overcome in order to reach your goal? Does any other goal conflict with or undermine your main goal? Reflect upon the importance of the conflicting goal. Give up secondary goals that are not important or time-wasters.
9	Attitude about time Do you feel in control of your life? Do you procrastinate? Do you get sympathy when you are overloaded? Does being rushed add drama to your life? Do you use the excuse of not having enough time when your work lacks quality?
10	Negative emotions are time wasters! Positive attitude is the single most important factor in success. Set high standards of excellence! Believe in yourself. Have a sense of enthusiasm in your actions. See the best in situations and people. Have a healthy self-image.
11	Balance your life For each area of your life write down your goals. Then indicate how you can commit a certain amount of time to meeting that goal.
12	Make a schedule Make up your own schedule or mark on a calendar your commitments. Include everything: social events, exercise time, etc. Allow free time, too. Follow this schedule for two weeks and see how accurate it is. Make changes accordingly.
13	Project schedule In addition to a regular weekly or monthly schedule, you might find it helpful to make a schedule for each important project. It works best to start with the due date and work backward, allotting plenty of time for each step. Mark completed activities, then give yourself a “pat on the back”.
14	Revise and modify, don’t throw it out Unexpected things do happen - the best plans have to be changed sometimes, but it is still important to plan. Goals empower you to be in control of your life and to change direction, just as using a map and planning your route are integral parts of mountain climbing.
15	Time wasters Identify and list the time spent on low-priority, often unplanned activities. Invest time in high-priority items. The 80/20 rule: people tend to spend 80% of their time on activities that produce only 20% of the results they want. The rule of thumb is invest your time on items that produce the results you want.
16	Identify time wasters Compare your answers with the following list of major time wasters:
17	Time wasters may be symptomatic of other problems such as: Procrastination Lack of motivation Lack of self-discipline Lack of skills Negative thoughts and worrying Inability to say no Perfectionism Daydreaming Spending time on trivia
18	Helpful things in managing time Create a supportive study area (private, quiet, etc.) Keep your study space organized Know your rhythms Discuss study needs with family or room mates Don’t blame others if you can’t decline offers to socialize
19	Daily energy levels Be aware of your particular energy fluctuation during the day (body rhythms) Study at the times when your energy level is high Commit low energy-times for mindless physical work, chores, easy reading
20	Other strategies Tackle most difficult tasks first or during high-energy times Study during “down-time” (between classes, etc.) Study in short segments during the day Break projects down Delegate if possible Be flexible
21	Be ‘in Sync’ with your Left- or Right-Brain Style Left-brain dominant: organized, consistent, self-directed wants a quiet place to work alone likes to work step-by-step Right-brain dominant: focus on the whole picture instead of parts more visual cues energized with people likes to juggle several projects during the day flexible schedule
22	Just do it!