The answer to that, my friends, like most things, is: yes and no. Some of the same strategies will be effective, but the work that we apply those strategies to is going to change. Depending on what our jobs are, it will be necessary to feel out the new routine and identify what areas have the most perceived risk, or negative consequences that could occur, (Babin, 2016, p. 253) due to poor time management. Forbes magazine recognizes that there are a wide span of problems a working person may face in the real world, and to that, they offer 30 Time Management Tips for Work-Life Balance, by Frances Booth. I will highlight some of my favorites below:
#19 (according to Booth's list): You can actually get an awful lot done in half an hour. Don’t just float because you’ve only got half an hour until your next meeting or appointment.
This is AMAZING advice! How often do we procrastinate because we convince ourselves we don't have enough time to get "it" done? When considering the awareness set of alternative possibilities when deciding what to do with our time (Babin, 2016, p. 257), it is easy to dismiss the one thing we have to do on the assumption that it is going to take awhile. Instead, think of every minute with the same potential as the next. What is the difference between the thirty minutes before your meeting and the last thirty minutes when you were productive? Nothing. There is no time like the NOW.
Another amazing strategy. By ending your workday at a fixed time, you cannot put anything off for later. Knowing that there is a time limit on getting everything done will force you to be productive and embrace the idea that there is no time like the present. Plus, when you finish, you are done for the day! No lingering responsibilities or to-do's (unless you are going into investment banking...in that case you're on your own).
Putting things off, no matter how much we procrastinators try to suppress the feeling, causes cognitive dissonance (Babin, 2016, 298). All of a sudden, when you become crunched for time and are struggling to get your work done, you are angry and scold yourself. Why didn't I just DO IT? To minimize this cognitive dissonance once and for all, it is time to shed the procrastination blanket and never look back, because good time management is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Good luck!
References
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., p.253-298). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Gupta, Sunil. "Marketing Reading: Creating Customer Value." Core Curriculum Readings Series. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing 8176, 2014.
Links
https://giphy.com/gifs/scared-college-old-bwkE04r0V3s9G
https://lifesjourneyblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/now.jpg?w=292
http://www.gyanibaba.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/459.jpg
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ReplyDeleteHi Kitty! I really enjoyed reading your blog post about procrastinating and time management. I can totally relate to feeling like there is no point to doing work if I only have a 30 minute block. I always tell myself, “No matter what I do now, there is no way I can get as in depth in the assignment as I need to, so I might as well just call my friends and talk instead.” But you are right that that 30 minutes is just as good as any time to get ahead on homework! Managing time effectively can be really difficult, especially as students I think we constantly want a break from school and look for excuses to procrastinate. However, if we get in the habit of doing work in the 30 minute block in our schedules or when we are waiting on a meeting to start, would be a great way to be more productive and procrastinate less. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg says, “This process within our brains is a three-step loop. First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use. Then there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional. Finally, there is a reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future”(Duhigg, 2017, p. 19). The concept of habitual decision making is what makes the overall process a routine (Babin, 2016, p. 254)! In this case, the cue is an empty block of time, the routine is staying busy during short schedule blocks, and the reward is being more productive. I think if we can get into a more focused routine and habit, procrastinating will surely be mitigated!
ReplyDelete-Hannah
Sources
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp. 254). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Duhigg, Charles (2012). In The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (p. 19). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Hi Kitty!
ReplyDeleteAs always, I love reading your blog about procrastination! I’ve procrastinated enough this week, so I’m just getting to writing my peer responses right now. You made a great point about cognitive dissonance, for me I really do tend to file tasks away in the back of my and put them off until they finally need to be done (Babin, 2016, 298). I’m already mentally preparing myself for the weeks leading up to final exams, I’ve enlisted positive peer pressure from my friends; a group of us are planning to study together at scheduled times, and through that hopefully because of their influence I won’t be sidetracked as much (Babin, 2016, 298).
Sources:
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.