The most effective time management exercises. Methodological development of the lesson "time management for students"

Have you noticed that time has begun to pass much faster than 5–10 years ago? The development of communications, Internet technologies, even more “intelligent” office equipment than before - everything is designed to simplify communication and other aspects of human activity. However, as they say, “to whom much is given, much will be required.”

Society places increasingly high demands on its members, sets tasks one more difficult than the other, and in order to get everything done we have to call on time management for help - a strategy that helps organize time management.

Why do we need this?

• Simplification of the work process,
• The efficiency of the work process will increase,
• A significant time resource will be freed up,
• You will learn to spend time on the most important things, set priorities,
• You will be able to organize your time exactly in accordance with your goals.

How to manage time

• Specialized literature on the topic “time management”,
• Trainings, seminars, courses,
• Computer programs.

Time management training exercises

• "Values ​​and Priorities". This exercise requires two participants. Everyone writes down on small pieces of paper the ten most important fundamentals and values ​​of life, ranking them in order of importance. Participants take turns asking each other questions about the importance of a particular value, ultimately rearranging the list of priorities.
• "Time Sinkers" To complete this exercise, you need to build a table listing 5-6 time sinks, possible causes of this loss, and corrective measures. First, the table is discussed in pairs, then in the whole group.
• "The Connecting Thread" For this exercise, the training participants need to take turns wrapping a thread from a skein of thread around their finger, voicing the goal they want to achieve. The purpose of the exercise is to realize that when one goal is achieved, other areas of life will inevitably suffer.

My favorite exercise to start time management training is this “Boot.” The exercise is easy, quick, fun and very visual.

Instructions: on a piece of paper (each participant receives a small sheet), write a task for your subordinate, friend, colleague, asking him to buy you shoes. You have 1 minute.

After a minute, ask the participants to exchange sheets of paper, read the colleague’s request, then discuss: is it possible to misunderstand and buy the wrong shoes. Often they don’t write the size, color, price for which to buy, when to buy (if I buy them in 10 years, will you be happy?), etc. Discuss those nuances that lead to unclear understanding.

Conclusion: When we give someone an order or plan our activities, the wording must be clear, contain specifics, be time-bound, measurable, i.e. we go out to discuss the system of goal setting and planning -

The theory of smart is discussed and an exercise is given, from a real working situation, where they must plan actions according to this system.

Eisenhower Matrix

Ask participants to make a list of to-dos for the next month, 6 months, year, then distribute all the to-dos on this table, analyze. Move something from one sector to another if necessary. So, if a lot of things fall into the Urgent and Important categories, then this column can be ranked by importance.

Sense of time

Ask participants to stand and close their eyes. At the same time, say that you are timing a minute. Everyone must internally measure a minute for themselves, and then sit down (counting, you can’t peek). Participants, as a rule, sit down at different times, some a little earlier, some a little later. We can further discuss that everyone has their own internal sense of time. How and what can this affect? How to communicate with people who have a different sense of time than you?

Also, in time management training, you can discuss what prevents us from planning tasks (time wasters), what helps.

Talk about the time when peak performance is achieved

Time is the main resource of every person, and our fate largely depends on how we treat every hour and minute of our lives. Time management, or the science of time management, offers all sorts of techniques and techniques that allow you to save precious time, distribute it more rationally and thereby achieve your goals faster. The book describes ways to effectively manage time at the personal, team and corporate levels, as well as methods and rules for achieving personal effectiveness through self-motivation and prioritization. You will be able to study the concepts, essence, and tasks of time management techniques, and then apply them in practice.

Book:

Exercise 1. Read the manager's reflections on the day ahead and the day's plan he created below.

Well, today is the day! It’s only nine o’clock in the morning, and there’s so much to do that it seems like there’s not enough time.

An angry customer called: he didn't receive his order on time. We should call him back, clarify all the questions, calm him down. Materials for the exhibition need to be prepared: the opening is in two weeks, but there are no slides or text for advertising brochures yet. And it’s time to get puzzled about printing, call and order the production of materials - all sorts of calendars, leaflets, booklets, souvenirs, posters, otherwise, as always, at the last moment we realize it, and again - a bare stand and two pathetic leaflets. A shame!

Negotiations with the supplier are scheduled for 13.00 - this is a sacred matter, you have to go yourself. I just wonder what? I never found time to pick up the car from the service center, but I should have. Metro? Or order a taxi? Wow – we still have a presentation today! Well, of course, it starts at 18.00, and the team is neither sleepy nor in spirit. We urgently need to gather everyone for instructions. It would be nice to edit the text of the article in the Economic Bulletin, otherwise it’s been lying somewhere in the table for a month. Speaking of the table, it wouldn’t hurt to sort out this chaos, otherwise you’ll spend half an hour digging around until you find the document you need. And I really wanted to go to the gym today and warm up! Well, that's unlikely. If we also take into account the accumulated volume of customer information not included in the database... But this is the company’s potential profit.

Well, the secretary called - in half an hour there is a meeting with the boss, attendance is required. You need to have time to at least sketch out a plan for the day, otherwise half of the tasks will fly out of your head again. So, what is the most important thing for us today?

1. Review your thoughts and plan. Note any mistakes that were made. What principles and rules of day planning do they violate?

2. Analyze how accurately the day planning algorithm was executed.

3. Create your daily plan for this manager. Explain why you planned your affairs and tasks this way? Support your answers with references to the material in the chapter.

Task 2. Read the stories below. Answer the questions at the end of each text in writing.

1. One day, David Curtin, sitting in a hotel room, held a glass of water in his hands. He was in a terrible mood, and in addition he was very thirsty. He had already raised the glass to his lips, but then he remembered that because of poorly washed glasses, many people get sick... Why aren’t there disposable glasses? Probably because there is nothing cheaper than glass. And suddenly it dawned on him - paper! Disposable paper cups! He spent the entire day trying to make a cup that was simple and would hold water. Finally he succeeded. So in 1910, David Curtin invented a disposable paper cup and earned the equivalent of € 1 million from it.

Answer the questions:

What helped Curtin make his discovery?

What type of contexts can this circumstance be attributed to? Justify your answer.

2. Wally Amos, entrepreneur, “king of chocolate biscuits,” could not start his own business for a long time. But one day at a party, his friend said that she knew people who were ready to invest in the production of sweets. With this money, Amos began making biscuits and opened his first store. His friend and neighbor, artist Tony Christian, helped Amos decorate the new store, creating a unique interior design that gave the store a distinctive and memorable look. To attract customers, Amos hired girls who handed out free biscuits to passers-by in Beverly Hills and Hollywood and took orders for their production. Wally Amos and his biscuits quickly became famous. Within five years, he opened a chain of stores in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Hawaii.

Answer the questions:

What helped Amos start and grow his business?

What type of contexts can these circumstances be classified into? Justify your answer.

3. At the end of the 1980s. This is a time of significant disruption for some US airlines. During this period, changes occurred in the policy of government regulation of air transportation. The government has reduced its intervention in airline operations. Many of them, having lost valuable rights and benefits, deprived of a significant share of government funding and support, suffered greatly. But there were also those who managed not only to maintain the previous volumes of air traffic, but also to increase them, achieving prosperity.

Answer the questions.

What influenced the collapse of some companies and the success of others?

4. Henry Ford was an authoritarian entrepreneur, prone to loneliness, headstrong, despising theories and “meaningless book reading.” He considered his employees to be “helpers.” If the “assistant” dared to argue with Ford or made a decision on his own, he immediately lost his job. In 12 years, Ford transformed a tiny company into a giant industry. However, loyalty to the Ford corporation tradition, according to which only one person - the head of the company - can command and make decisions, ultimately failed. The needs of Americans changed, and the Ford empire simply could not keep up with the situation, could not flexibly respond to the changes taking place, implement new concepts, or implement new ideas. Ford Motor's market share declined sharply, and by the end of the 1920s. it began to occupy only 10% of the automobile market.

Answer the questions.

What influenced the change in Ford's position?

What type of contexts can these factors be attributed to? Justify your answer.

Task 3. Read the problem statements below.

Go to the gym.

Institute, test.

Find the keys to the apartment.

Call the client.

Talk to Ivanov.

Create a title page for your abstract.

Discuss the project with the team.

Make an action plan for tomorrow.

Time management assignment.

Interview at 14.00.

Give the CD to your neighbor.

Have lunch.

Mail. Inbox folder.

Project work.

Questions about the diploma.

Arrange a time for consultation with the teacher.

Solve five difficult math problems.

Mobile. Money.

Job, resume, agency.

Complete the following tasks.

Divide a sheet of paper into two parts.

In the left column, write down those tasks that are compiled in a result-oriented form. Explain which tasks and why you considered appropriate for the results-oriented form? Support your answer with references to the text of the chapter.

Reframe tasks that you believe are not results-oriented so that they fit the results-based planning formula. Write them down in the right column. Explain which objectives you reformulated. Why? Support your answer with references to the text of the chapter section.

Time management exercises (time management).

Target: participants’ awareness of the problems of time distribution, its perception, and its use. Teach participants to use time more effectively, increase personal efficiency, allowing them to achieve significant goals with less time and energy. Clarification of life goals.
Time spending: in the training on the topic “Time management. Time management”, these exercises will relate to the main block, therefore, they can take 30-40 minutes of the entire training. The time for each exercise is indicated. You can arrange the exercises you like as you wish.
Notes: time management exercises contain information in the form of mini-lectures, which must be spoken in order to fully understand the topic.

Exercise “If the clock spoke...”

Each participant needs to prepare (5 minutes to prepare) and deliver a monologue about himself, on behalf of the watch (wristwatch hanging over the head of the bed, alarm clock - choice - by the training participants). If my watch could talk, it would say:
*Do I, their owner, know how to manage my time?
*How much time do I think about time?
*My attitude to time.
*What do I manage to do in a day?
*Do I love my watch and why?
*What do I think about the future.
*Am I happy with the way I have lived my life so far.
*How much time do I spend on work, and how much time do I spend on rest?
*How much time am I willing to give to others? To whom? What are you ready to do at this time?
* My time flies or barely lasts.
Time spending: 15-20 minutes.

Exercise "Squirrel in a Wheel"

The presenter calls a volunteer. He asks him whether the participant has a lot of routine things in life that are not very pleasant, boring, but obligatory. As the participant names these cases, the facilitator writes them down with a marker on separate sheets of paper. Having finished compiling a list of routine tasks, the facilitator places the cards in different corners of the training room (with the inscriptions facing up). Next, the presenter raises all the participants and invites them to “live the life” of this volunteer. The presenter names things in random order. Participants must all move together to the card on which the case is written and stand next to it. After waiting for all the participants to group, the leader calls the next case. It is advisable to strive to ensure that participants move from place to place as quickly as possible, constantly accelerating the pace. Having run up, the participants sit down for a while. The laid out cards are removed. Another volunteer is called. The procedure is repeated. At the end it is carried out discussion: Did you manage to feel at least a little “in the shoes of another person”? What emotions did you have during the “running”? What are your emotions now? What is the best way to live so as not to remind yourself of “a squirrel in a wheel”?
Props: sheets of paper, marker.
Time spending: 15 minutes.

"Pareto principle" (rule 80:20)

Presenter: 80% of our business gives us only 20% of our profit, and 20% of our business gives us 80% of our profit. In this case, it’s worth figuring out where the 80 percent is and where the 20 percent is? This can be done in different ways. For example:
1. Analysis of the structure of time consumption by item:(time 5 minutes)
Each participant writes down their own time expenditure items on the sheet, point by point (the presenter writes these points on the board for clarity).
Instructions: Highlight your standard “time expenditure items” and calculate how much time per week you spend on each of them. It is desirable that there be no more than 7 ± 2 large “expense items”. These items may include subitems.
Time consumption items:
1. Sleep
2. Work
3. Household chores (cleaning, cooking, laundry, grocery shopping)
4. Entertainment (TV, Internet, parties, games, recreational reading)
5. Study
6. Transport
7. Self-care (food, hygiene)

Analysis of the structure of time consumption by utility.(time 5 minutes)

Divide all your time expenditure items into three large groups: “useful time”, “technical time” and “time sink”.
"Useful time"- the time that works for your goals helps you achieve the desired results. This time works to create something new, to develop.
"Technical time“I” is the time spent on maintaining and restoring the body and environment (sleeping, eating, cooking, cleaning, etc.) This is time with zero “bottom line,” although all the actions on this list are necessary. Only, unlike the cases in the first group, they work not to create a new one, but to maintain the current state.
"Useless Time", "Time-Sink"- empty entertainment, this time also has zero bottom line, but unlike the second group, these costs are not necessary. For example:
Useful time: Work, Study
Technical time: Self-care, Household chores, Transport
Time sink: Sleep, Entertainment
Note: Be honest when dividing your activities into these groups. For some, “work” really is “Useful time”, because there he constantly learns something new, develops, and grows as a person. And for some, “work” is simply a way to earn money to “feed” and “cloth” themselves. Then it would be more honest to classify “work” as “technical time”.

Analysis of the structure of time use by direction(time 5 minutes)

With this analysis, you need to divide all your time into three parts. Namely, for the time spent “for oneself”, “for loved ones” and “for a great life”.
For myself- this is the time you spend personally on yourself.
For loved ones- this is the time that you spend to give something to your family, friends and acquaintances (for example: you helped your mother, a classmate.)
For a great life- this is the time that you use to give something to all other people, humanity and life in general (for example: you took your grandmother across the road, helped a stranger carry her bag, planted a tree).

Checking whether the current state matches your strategic goals. (time 5 minutes)

Leading: In order for you to use your time successfully, first of all, you must have clear goals and objectives. If you really want to achieve something specific, then it's time to write down your strategic goals for the main areas of your activity: What do you want to achieve at work? What do you want to become? When? What do you want to achieve in your personal life? What do you want to achieve in sports, in studies? And after that, answer the question for yourself: “Does the existing time structure work to achieve these goals?” To achieve your goals, you need to learn how to plan your activities throughout the day. Planning principles:
1. Make a to-do list
2. Prioritize them (ABC)
3. Estimate how much time you will need to complete the task
4. Reserve time for unexpected events
5. Schedule work to be completed when you are at your peak.
6. At the end of the day, monitor what you accomplished and what you didn’t.
7. Make a plan for the next day at the end of the previous one.
Discussion: What new things have you learned about your own time management? Are you satisfied with your results? What time management tools will you use?
Props: A4 sheets for each participant, pens, board.
Time spending: 25 - 30 minutes.

Exercise “My Time Capital”

Leading: How much time do we have? (participant responses). Everyone has their own time. But let’s roughly answer the question: “What is my time capital?” (see table 1.)
Table 1.

Note: The presenter records the participants' answers on the board, and the average results are taken.
Leading: Now compare the resulting time capital with the number that you told me when I asked. On average, we got 200,000-400,000 hours. Alas, we are not capitalists. This is the first conclusion we must draw. If we lose 1000 rubles, we will make up for it, since we can earn money. If we lose 10-20 hours, then we will never be able to make up for this loss. (Discuss the results in a circle.) When 100 rubles are stolen from us, we get nervous. When hours of our lives are stolen, we reason philosophically: “Well, what should we do…. How to deal with this..."
Props: board
Time spending: 30 minutes

Exercise “Time Wasters”

• I don’t know how to separate important matters from unimportant ones;
• I don’t pre-plan my day;
• personal disorganization (clutter on the desk, in the room, etc.);
• I don’t always know what to do;
• I get distracted by phone calls (and for a long time);
• I don’t know how to say “no”;
• my personal indiscipline;
• I don’t finish what I started;
• I hesitate for a long time at the beginning of each task;
• I spend a lot of time on small and routine work, but don’t get around to important things;
• I don’t know my personal rhythm of physical and mental activity;
• I get distracted very easily (for example, by noise).

Leading: Do not be confused by the large number of weaknesses you have noted. Identify “your” 3 most expensive ones and figure out a way to eliminate them. By overcoming the three most important time sinks, you can significantly reduce wasted time.
Props: sheets for each participant, pens.
Time spending: 25 minutes.

Exercise “My Life Goals”

Leading: Everyone knows that clarity is the key to effectiveness. The most common reason for wasting time and the main obstacle to success is the inability to concentrate on the necessary task. Therefore, an important step in managing your time is to clearly define your goals and distribute them in order of importance. Choose 3 important areas of your life. Write their names on separate pieces of paper.
- Now, from these three areas, choose the one that is most important to you. Place the piece of paper on which you wrote down its name in front of you and ask yourself the question: what do I want to achieve? After this, write down all the thoughts and images that arise in your mind. Write down everything that comes to mind. From the remaining spheres, select the one that is in second place in value, do the same. After that, take the third piece of paper.
- Take the first list of goals and read it. What else can you write? Maybe you'd like to cross something out? To correct?
- Rank all your goals in order of importance from 1 (most important) to N (number of the last goal, not the most important). Set the list aside.
- Read the first three paragraphs. Ask yourself: Is this really the most important thing for me in this area? If the answer is yes, then turn the sheet over and write them on the other side. If in doubt, choose from the items that follow the one that you consider important, and then transfer it to the other side of the sheet.
- Do the same with the second and third lists.
- Put all the lists with three main goals in front of you. Now you have a clearer picture of what you want. Read your notes again and think: How important are these goals to me? Is this what I really want? How realistic are these goals? How consistent are they with each other? Don't they contradict each other? Often people set themselves significantly more tasks than they can actually accomplish. They simply do not have enough strength, time, or abilities to achieve everything they want. Therefore it is necessary set priorities, that is, decide: Which goals are most important? Which ones can you hold off on? To achieve what goals should you direct your resources, that is, time, abilities, skills?
Now set priorities A, B, C, for each of the nine purposes , which you have selected from the three most important areas of your life.

• very, very important goals.
• very important goals.
• just important goals.

Take a blank piece of paper and write down priority A goals, then B and C. Look at the list of priority A goals. This is what you want. This is what you need to focus your strength and energy on. Are you ready to start implementing them now? What will be your first step?
Requisites: sheets for each participant (3 sheets), pens.
Time spending: 35 minutes.

Exercise “Five Fingers” (according to L. Seiwert)

Note: preferably at the end of the lesson to summarize and receive feedback.
Leading: For achieving your goal to become a reality, you must constantly ensure that you stay on course. To manage such a “subtle matter” as time, control is especially important. Lothar Seiwert offers a very simple and convenient method for daily final TM control (however, the method can also be used for intermediate control over the implementation of individual tasks during the day) - the so-called “five fingers” method. The method is an elementary mnemonic technique in which one of the controlled parameters of the quality of goal achievement is assigned to each of the fingers. It is enough just to look at the palm of your right hand and, by the first letters of the names of the fingers, remember the parameters on the basis of which control is carried out. These are the parameters (in a slightly modified form compared to those proposed by L. Seiwert):
M (little finger)- Thoughts, knowledge, information. What new did I learn today? Have I learned anything new about my time? Have you come up with new “tricks” to manage it better?
B (unnamed)- Proximity to the target. What operational tasks have I solved today that bring me closer to achieving important goals (long-term strategic ones)?
C (medium)- State. What cases were particularly interesting? What was associated with positive emotions and high motivation? On the contrary, what things were boring, subjectively difficult, or done “through force”?
U (index) Service, help, cooperation. Who did I help, whom did I provide a valuable service, with whom did I find a common language, with whom did I work well?
B (big)- Cheerfulness. On what tasks did I spend the most energy and physical strength? What have I done today to maintain my health and fitness?
Try right now, at the end of our lesson, to look at your right palm and check the result, for example, of the information received:
-Can you name a few of the most important ideas that interested you during the lesson, what thoughts arose in your mind (little finger)?
-Will the knowledge gained during the training help you achieve your current life goals, your proximity to the goal (unnamed)?
-Were there any exercises during the training that changed your condition (average)?
-Did the lesson help you understand yourself better? Were you able to change yourself in some ways, and in others accept yourself as the person you are (index)?
-Was the lesson hard and difficult? Did understanding the material presented (major) tire you out?
Time spending: 20 minutes.

Time is the people's wealth, the same as mineral resources, forests, and lakes. It can be used wisely, and it can be destroyed. It’s so easy to let it slip, sleep through it, spend it on fruitless expectations, chasing fashion, drinking, you never know. Sooner or later, our schools will begin to teach children how to “use time.” The author is convinced that from childhood it is necessary to cultivate a love of nature and a love of time. And teach how to save time, how to find it, how to get it. The most important thing is to teach how to report on time.

Daniil Granin

Russian writer and public figure

Introduction

It was this quote that gave me the idea - to write a material on time management, to reflect in it such fundamentals and rules that, firstly, will be convenient and pleasant to use, and secondly, they will bring significant benefits if you start applying them in life. In this material we will talk not only about such a science as time management, but in general we will try to build a vision of life that should help the maximum number of people, and primarily the younger generation. Before we get started, I’ll ask you a question: “How do you feel about having your money stolen?” I guess you don't see anything good in this. But time is an even greater value than money; you need to understand this as quickly as possible. This value is irreplaceable. By learning to take care of your time, you will learn to take care of other people's. Yes, you need to start with yourself. You need to cultivate this quality in yourself.

Chapter 1. Reasons for lack of time

In this chapter, you need to list all the main reasons why you cannot do more and find a solution for them.

Dream

Getting ready for school

Studies

You have 9 hours left to do your homework, your hobbies, communicate with friends, all your chores and responsibilities! This is truly a wealth that many adults who spend significant time at work dream of.

Andrey Belousov, a student of grade 9 “A” in 2009, wrote a research paper on the topic: “The time of a high school student. How to manage it." In his work, after conducting a survey, he identified the following reasons for the lack of time among guys like him. The results were as follows (I combined some because they were similar): 1. I take too long to do my homework. 2. Internet and TV take up a lot of time. 3. I don’t plan my day in advance. From here I shift things to later, and there is no clear picture of what needs to be done. 4. I am easily distracted from important matters by unrelated matters. 5. I don’t finish what I started. 6. I do everything very slowly and generally rock for a long time at the beginning of the day. I believe that each of you has found yourself in these problems that prevent you from living and learning fully. If I’m mistaken and everything is fine with you, then you can close the work. And for those who want to solve these problems for themselves, I advise you to continue reading. Next, I will try to go through these “time wasters” problems in detail.

Reason #1: I take too long to do my homework. How to do homework effectively?

The information highlighted below is truly not for the faint of heart; if you are the type of overly impressionable person, then I strongly recommend skipping it:

Important

Do your homework in the morning. To do this, you need to get up 2 hours earlier, and, of course, go to bed too. For most, productivity in the morning is exactly 2 times higher than in the evening. For example, if you do your homework in the evening for 4 hours, then in the morning the same work will take you only 2 hours. Plus, you will absorb information much better. Not only will you reduce your work time, but the quality of your morning classes will be higher. In addition, by the first lesson at school, your brain, unlike your classmates, will be in full combat readiness, it will think faster, while your classmates, as a rule, yawn throughout the entire first lesson and do not understand what’s what.

Nowadays, the tendency to spend almost all of one’s free time on social networks, communicating and viewing pictures from famous public pages, has become quite firmly entrenched. However, in the morning, almost no one will be able to distract you from work, because there will simply be no one. Your classmates will be asleep. And in the evening, unlike them, you can do what you love. How you spend the two hours you gain from doing homework in the morning is up to you.

Reason No. 2 Internet and TV take up a lot of time

This technology, whose task was to give a person the opportunity to do more in less time, for many, on the contrary, has become a real cauldron in which thousands of hours are burned. At one time, this “cauldron” also consumed a significant part of my time. I decided that this problem could only be solved in a radical way.

1. Give the opportunity to write personal messages on VKontakte to only a few people. For example, I only got 3, these are the people with whom it is not possible to communicate live. They are far from me.

2. Remove from the news feed public posts that do not develop me in any way and do not provide anything useful. Now I only receive news from my study group. Filter out everything unnecessary.

3. Deleted accounts on Twitter, Instagram. At first they were offended at me and asked, “Why can’t I write to you on VKontakte?” Over time, the majority finally realized that they could call me on very important matters. And what do you think, the flow of meaningless communication “for the sake of communication” has stopped.

TV

Think about what will happen to you if you don’t watch TV? Yes, NOTHING will happen to you! 99.9% of the information you receive from newspapers, TV or the Internet is not related to you in any way at all. Why worry needlessly about “where the world is heading”?

Another way to rid yourself of unnecessary communication on social networks, without blocking access from everyone, is to connect yourself to notifications from VKontakte about new personal messages by mail. That is, you will receive text messages directly to your inbox. It’s immediately clear whether it makes sense to go there and respond, or not, whether someone’s message requires an immediate response, or whether it will wait. It often happens that a person who wrote to you about a “very urgent and important matter” that no one else can handle except you, resolves the issue on his own after a short amount of time. Statistics show that this figure is close to 100% in some cases.

Go to Settings – Alerts – Email Alerts, check the box next to personal messages.

Reason #3 I don't plan my day

… Even the simplest plan, if designed correctly, will give you much more freedom and much more time for those activities that you really like and enjoy.

Diana De Lonzor

"An easy way to stop being late"

Brian Tracy, the famous American author of a large number of bestsellers on the topics of self-development, motivation, and sales, quite often advises the following: “Think on paper.” “By formulating a task in writing, you sharpen it and give it tangible tangibility; you create something that you can touch and see. Until a goal is written down, it remains just a wish or a fantasy. There is no energy in it. Unfixed goals lead to confusion, uncertainty, misdirection and many mistakes.” “Having a goal on paper and an organized plan of action will make you much more productive. Your achievements will compare favorably with those who keep their intentions in mind.”

Small portions

Don't try to cover a large area of ​​work at once. In order for the work to proceed, and you have the desire to return to it, and not put it off, you need to break it down into a large number of small points. You will not have the same fear of facing one big task, which you were previously afraid of because you did not know which way to approach it. Let's say you need to study the work of A.P. Chekhov. Read his key works, which are present in the school literature course. First, we will find biographical information. We will see that in the writer’s work, researchers distinguish 3 periods. Let's immediately break down our work into subsections.

I. The first, associated with short humorous stories.
1. Read the criticism of the stories.
2. Read the story “Chameleon”.
3. Read the story “The Man in the Case.”
4. Read the story “The Death of an Official.”

II. The second is long stories and novellas with a “novel” beginning.
1. Take a quick look at Sakhalin Island.

2. Review the plays “The Seagull”, “Three Sisters”

As we see, our work in studying creativity has already become more specific. After reading the stories of the first period, we will turn to criticism and study the opinions of researchers. What, in fact, is the novelty and strength of these stories. Then we will gradually proceed to the next stage and finally complete the work.

BUT! Making a to-do list is one thing, but completing them is another. Put deadlines next to each item. The work of studying Chekhov's work can be divided into a week, maybe less. In any case, it depends on the setting of your goals: how fully you need to approach this issue so that we can ultimately be satisfied with the result.

Important

The task of time management is not to load your day with activities as much as possible, but to unload it from unnecessary ones. Perform the most important and most responsible tasks more efficiently

When to make a to-do list?

Set aside time for this activity about an hour before bed. Find out what subjects you have homework for in the morning, highlight the most important one in order of importance, then the one that is less important, etc. Start with the most difficult task first, because having completed it, you will receive an emotional impulse, satisfaction from having completed it, and with even greater desire to begin completing the remaining work. Arrange your to-do list in order of importance. Do the most important ones first, because even the most difficult tasks will not become easier to complete, no matter how much you put them off.

Grid of the day

The first half of the day, as a rule, is quite clearly scheduled for most schoolchildren. The lesson gives way to a break, then another lesson, etc. And the second half, from about 14:00, is your personal time. Someone attends extracurricular classes, goes to clubs, sections, thus freeing up time even later. But let's try to think about how our uncontrolled time, the second half of the day, can be curbed.

1. Isn't it time to bring back quiet time? If you feel tired after returning from school, a club or a section, rest. And you need to do this not by sitting in front of a computer or TV, but by disconnecting from all means of communication and getting some sleep. In order not to go into deep sleep, into the slow-wave sleep phase, a short 30-minute nap will be enough for you. Your strength will be restored once or twice. The brain will be ready to absorb new information. When you wake up, resist the temptation to pick up your phone or turn on your computer. Take on the important task that needs to be done. Do it immediately!

2. Change activities every hour. In the famous phrase of V.V. Mayakovsky “Comrade, remember the simple rule: if you work while sitting, rest while standing!” there is a lot of truth. Read it again. Also, alternate between less enjoyable activities and more enjoyable ones. Diana De Lonzor in her book “The Easy Way to Stop Being Late” confirms this idea: First, we put off and put off starting something, and then, having started it, we postpone stopping it. The inability to stop halfway is partly explained by the desire to have fun and the desire to avoid unpleasant experiences. Changing activities is often accompanied by some discomfort. ...And it can be especially difficult to interrupt if you have delayed the start. For example, you tidy up your room or read a book and feel quite good - until the time comes to stop this activity. But after you strengthen your willpower, you will be able to not only start things on time. But also stop them at the right time.

3. Record the time. I divided each notebook page into 2 columns. In one I write down what I spend it on. Time up to 5 minutes may not be recorded. Especially keep track of the afternoons when there are no classes. When we keep such records, then on a subconscious level we begin to reproach ourselves for the fact that another hour has passed and you have done nothing. A notepad will greatly help you with this.

4. Figure it out, how long it will take to complete this or that task in order to complete the key ones first. If you don’t have enough time, then move minor matters to tomorrow. At first, you will overestimate your abilities, setting insufficient time for execution, so I recommend immediately setting aside an additional 20-30% of time to complete the task.

5. Get ready in the evening. Decide in the evening what you will wear in the morning, especially for girls, because for this reason many are late, spend a long time rummaging through their underwear and don’t know what to choose. If you follow the advice to do your homework in the morning, and I strongly recommend this, then prepare all the necessary textbooks and notebooks on your desk in the evening. Yes, tidy it up so there are no distractions.

Don't overwork yourself!

Let's sum it up: don't overwork yourself. If you feel that your brain is tired, give it a rest. Arrange tasks in a notebook by importance and start completing them immediately. Keep track of time and track how much you need for certain tasks.

Scum of time

Quite a lot of time is spent on the road, waiting for the turn to come, for the right person to arrive. Therefore, now I will list some tips on how to spend your time profitably. Waiting time.

1. Read on the go. A.A. Lyubishchev, around the 30s of the 20th century, noted the following: “What are the advantages of reading on the road? Firstly, you don’t feel any inconveniences on the road, you can easily put up with them; secondly, the nervous system is in better condition than under other conditions.” For example, I always have a Nook Simple Touch e-reader in my inner pocket. Firstly, it is small in size and lightweight. Secondly, the round trip alone gives me a whole hour of reading. Yes, perhaps not exactly the same conditions, but in this way you can develop the ability to concentrate, despite the noise and extraneous conversations.

2. Audiobooks, audio courses. If you get to school on foot, or the roads do not allow you to concentrate at least a little on the text and hold the book in your hands, then download the necessary audiobooks or audio courses. For example, on the road you can learn poems that are read by an announcer. Good announcers take the right pauses, and at the same time learn how professionals read them with feeling.

3. Insignificant matters. If you have tasks on your daily to-do list that are not a priority, why not spend your time waiting in queues getting them done? For example, check your email, think about how to spend the coming weekend, who to meet, where to go, what to read.

Reason #4 I am easily distracted from important matters by unrelated things

When you have taken on some important task, working on your homework, solving a test or writing an essay, it is important not to be distracted, otherwise you will lose your thoughts, lose concentration and it will take much more time to work.

We create favorable conditions for work and reading

1. Find a secluded place. At school, you can go to the library or an empty classroom to read or do something useful.

2. Let technology work for you. Turn off the sound on your phone and all notifications that come to your phone, you can even set it to “Airplane” mode and no one will be able to reach you at this time. And get into the habit of checking email or social media messages on a schedule. If you are often distracted, then first set a goal to check them no more than 5 times a day. Then you can reduce this figure.

3. Let others work for you. It’s no wonder you have time to do everything. Yes, and this is not necessary. When you are at home, simply ask them to answer your parents' calls and not to be distracted.

4. Listen to Mozart. There is an assumption that Mozart's works, like any other classical music, help improve concentration and memory while reading and memorizing text. As you work, let it play in the background to help you focus on what you're doing. If you don't like Mozart, just listen to music without words or any soothing melody. Something in the New Age style with piano and guitar is perfect. Make sure that the selected ringtones do not bother you.

5. Sit in the right place. If you want to increase your chances of learning to concentrate and understand and remember text better, sit at a desk or desk, as these are the places your brain has come to associate with work.

6. Turn off the TV. If you are going to engage in serious reading and set certain goals and objectives for yourself, the accompaniment played by the turned on TV will only get in the way.

7. Read during your most productive hours of the day. If you know that you work better in the morning, find an opportunity to read during this time. Schedule your reading according to your body's natural rhythm.

8. If you are going to read a lot(or work a lot) and you have a lot of different things on your mind, write down what you are thinking about. If you are worried that you might forget to call someone, write yourself a reminder (keep a notepad with you at all times).

9. Set yourself a time frame. Set aside the time for reading that you can actually spend on it. When I write this material, I have a stopwatch in front of me, which allows me to work faster. You begin to feel time running inexorably.

10. Take breaks. Every schoolchild or student should read a lot. But reading for hours without rest can not only leave you exhausted and tired, but it will also bring up unpleasant memories in the future, which can cause you to lose interest in reading. 45 minutes is not a figure made up out of thin air. Allow yourself to take a break from reading every 45 minutes. The longer you work, the longer your stops should be. If you set yourself the task of devoting 3 hours to reading, then for the first break you can allocate 5 minutes, after the second forty-five minutes 10, after the third - 15. Then, of course, it will be useful to do physical labor.

Teaching yourself to say “No”

One of the reasons why we are so often distracted from important matters by unrelated ones is that we simply do not know how to refuse people. They ask us, sometimes, for completely basic things that we could definitely handle, but a mechanism turns on in our heads that caustically tells us: “help if you don’t want the relationship to deteriorate.” As Jana Frank once noted in her book The Muse and the Beast, “99 percent of the reasons people come to you for are not really urgent at all.” So is it worth it to instantly respond to someone’s request to the detriment of your own business? Just imagine how much you could get done if you weren’t distracted every time!

In addition, if you do not respond to a request immediately, but after 15 minutes, then you will be surprised that the supposedly “problem that cannot be solved without you” has already been solved! Learn to say no. “No” is a solution, “maybe” is the worst answer you can imagine. When we say “no” to a person, we make him think. First of all, think about how to try to resolve the issue yourself. And since over time we teach those around us to shift even the smallest issues and responsibilities onto our shoulders, it is no wonder that a person simply stops thinking about the problem. His task from now on is to find you as quickly as possible and foist his problem on you.

Be cool. Say your steadfast “no” or “yes”. But still, “no” is better than “yes.” Don't be afraid to ask people to wait, to leave, to call back in 15 minutes or half an hour. Believe me, nothing incredible will happen in their lives during this time. Because people come to you when it is most convenient for them. And since they need you, it’s their business to wait until it’s convenient for you.

If someone asks you to do something for them, ask: “Wait, what do you actually need and where can I find it?” This way, you leave it to him to solve the problem himself. So always ask questions before you habitually say, “Okay, I’ll handle it myself.” And take into account the following phrases:

 Sorry, but I already have too many things to do and responsibilities.
 Thank you for the offer, but I have to refuse.
 Thank you for remembering me, but I have other plans.

Indeed, in most cases, simply saying “no” is enough for the person to stop asking you to do something.

Reason #5: I don’t finish what I started.

This reason often follows from the previous one. We get distracted, put off work in every possible way, devote too little time, set it after completing unimportant ones, etc., and as a result, we move away from achieving priority goals.

« A goal is the constant pursuit of a worthy object until its achievement" Let's take a closer look at each word in this sentence. “Constant” is the performance of a specific action that requires time. The word “persecution”, I believe, in this case means that certain difficulties and barriers will have to be overcome. “A worthy object,” that is, our time spent and the amount of effort spent are needed in order to get something really good and necessary, useful. And the last phrase “until achievement” first of all suggests that you will never stop until you reach it - the goal.

The goal should be exclusively yours, you decide what you want to achieve, what you want to achieve and what kind of life you want to have. Don't let others set your goals for you.

Before you start writing down your goals, ask yourself 3 simple questions:
1. What is really important to me?
2. What am I willing to give up for this?
3. What will I win? Be more specific when setting goals.

The goal of “doing well in exams” is not a goal, but just a dream. The goal should be specific and motivate action, for example: “I want to score *** points based on the sum of three exams. For this I will prepare for at least an hour a day, except Sunday.” Your goal should be clear and understandable. Now write down on a piece of paper right now 12 goals that you would like to achieve during the year. Then choose one, the most important one, and write it down on a separate piece of paper. Make a schedule, a plan of your actions. Even though the work to achieve the goal can be changed, you should not force yourself into a framework and engage in routine all the time. As part of achieving this goal, you can find different types of activities that will bring you closer to its fulfillment.

Before you start having problems with motivation, selectively share it with your inner circle, let them support you in difficult times.

And lastly, write down one or more key reasons why you need to achieve your goal within the right time frame, because reasons are the driving force that will keep you on your toes even in the most difficult times

Reason #6 I do everything slowly and generally rock for a long time at the beginning of the day.

After we learned how to make to-do lists. To form a vision of what we have to do today, tomorrow and the whole next week, all that remains is to overcome our laziness and get down to business.

1. In addition, you must clearly understand that you need to start the day and perform your duties with the most difficult and most important task, which will bring you closer to achieving your goal. If the goal is not written, not recorded on paper, then it is just a dream that does not stimulate you to work normally.

2. Set artificial time frames. Set a timer, let it be in front of your eyes, then you will work much faster.

3. Reward yourself for successes, even the smallest ones. It is not so important how you stimulate yourself, it is important to feel the result of your changes, your work.

4. Stop scolding yourself with or without reason. Praise yourself. Let others scold you, but you will always have time for yourself. Encouraging yourself with a kind word is still better than letting your inner voice laugh at you in every possible way.

5. Don't take on too many tasks and responsibilities. Your daily schedule should have enough free areas for relaxation, time to think, and escape from everything. Then you will work more concentrated and move on to a new task faster. Remember, our physical and mental capabilities are not limitless.

Chapter 2

A little more action

How can I wake up?

“The hardest thing is getting up in the morning!” – many will exclaim. It's difficult, no doubt about it. In fact, the theory that a person needs to sleep 8 hours a day is somewhat misleading. During sleep, a person alternates between slow and fast sleep phases. On average, one phase of REM sleep lasts about 20 minutes, and slow sleep lasts about 2 hours.

Sleep begins with the REM sleep phase, followed by the slow-wave sleep phase, then REM sleep again, and so on. That is, if we want to feel good after waking up, we need to get up before the slow-wave sleep phase begins, otherwise you will curse everything in the world and never want to get up unless someone throws cold water on you. You will feel more alert if you sleep: 2:20 minutes, 4:40 minutes, 7 hours, 9:20 minutes, 11:40. Of course, 2 options will be acceptable for us in this case - 7 hours or 9:20 minutes. As you can see, there is no 8 o'clock here.

If you fall asleep quickly enough, then still give yourself a small head start so that your sleep is approximately 7 hours. For example, I don’t fall asleep right away; on average it takes from 20 to 30 minutes. Therefore, I add these additional minutes to 7 o’clock. Keep track of your phases, some will have slightly different indicators.

Relax. The benefits of short sleep.

Quite often, after working or reading for a long time, your head begins to ache a little. The brain says it is tired and urgently needs a break. I believe that in almost any school library there are far corners where you can “catch” silence. Sit comfortably on a chair, or better yet, an armchair, put on headphones and turn on relaxing music quietly. For example, I also have a special sleep mask, which really helps eliminate such an irritant as bright light. So, having made yourself comfortable, give yourself the opportunity to forget about everything for 15 minutes, and even try to fall asleep. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to set the alarm clock.

After such a rest, your brain will thank you and reward you with the opportunity to work productively again.

Keep records

How do you like this idea: when applying for a job, they will look not only at your diploma, if one is needed, but also ask for a list of books you have read in the required specialty?

I confess that writing this manual would have been impossible if I had not previously begun to take notes from books and write down from them the most interesting things that I encountered during the reading process. I enter all data into OneNote. There is also a complete list of works that have been read over the past year, and a list of books that are awaiting reading.

Be sure to challenge yourself to read a certain amount each month. It is not known which of them will have the strongest impression on you, but the search must be continuous, because the more you have time to read, the more likely it is that you will stumble upon the very book that will allow you to reconsider your life...

Let’s say, if a year ago a very small 10x15 notebook was enough for me, now I use a fairly large one - an A5 spring notebook. The setting of tasks and their control have also undergone a slight transformation. Somewhere on Saturday evening I sit down and sum up the results of the week, see which tasks were completed and which were not. If there is something small left, then I have Sunday to finish them off, if not, then I proceed to the second step.

The second step is that I make a list on one sheet of paper of all the tasks that need to be completed in a week, including those that I did not have time to complete. If these are really important things, then I set them to be completed no later than Wednesday. Otherwise, such tasks tend to be shifted further and further. When the complete list is compiled, I begin to scatter them by day. As a rule, I don’t touch Saturday and Sunday at all.

For every day there is a “frog”, a task that requires its speedy completion. And the most difficult thing, the one I’ve been working towards for so long, that I started and then gave up after some time, is a diary. It’s hard to call it a diary, because before going to bed I just write down my thoughts and feelings, the memories that I realized during the day. I use the same notepad for this. I turn it over (I don’t turn it to the end, but just turn it over, since the notebook is spring-loaded, the pages are covered with writing on all sides). Simple, at first glance, notes are very helpful in freeing yourself from many sad thoughts, putting your brain in order, and giving it a rest at night.

1. Formulated tasks.
2. Tasks in progress.
3. Completed tasks.

I like the mechanics that are implemented there. You simply move task cards across columns. A kind of gameplay when you work on a task with the thoughts “I’ll finally finish this task and drag it to “completed”!”

For tasks (you can give descriptions and comments), you write down links to the materials you used, so that later, after a while, when you need to repeat something, everything will be at hand.

Over time, when a lot of these cards accumulate, they can be sorted into other columns, for example, by time, or by author. As you prefer.

I also actively use the wunderlist.com application. Everything is the same - cross-platform, the ability to work together from any device, etc. Only it is more tailored to small tasks, some ideas that arose suddenly. And since your phone is always with you, you can quickly record them.

That's probably all. Nothing else seems to have changed dramatically. Don't forget to share your life hacks, young life hackers!

CONCLUSION

I hope that as you read, you were able to ask yourself questions that helped you overcome some of life's challenges. I understand that for some this material will seem too far from the truth and from the possibility of practical application, because it is not provided with the necessary number of examples illustrating certain theses and advice.

Still, I hope that by applying at least some of the tips outlined above, you will realize that your work was not in vain. As the great industrialist H. Ford said, “everything can be done better than it has been done before.” The desire to change your habits, to make them useful not only for yourself, but also for those around you, is a great thing.

This is still only the first attempt to combine the small accumulated experience of time management, so now my goal was also to understand how useful this work would be. I really need your feedback. Any criticism and feedback, your stories.

I hope that the work will continue, and in the future it will be replenished with ideas on how to improve your life, change habits and start managing time. Your stories will be a good inspiration for peers like you.