Managing Your Time at Graduate School Self Reflection Questions: Why should I use time management skills? a) in my life? b) in my academic setting? Am I having trouble organizing & managing my time? If so, do I want to improve my time management skills? If the answer to this last question is YES, read on! There is no mystery about the importance of managing our time. We all have 168 hours each week to eat, sleep, study, exercise, and have a personal life. A combination of improved time management skills and effective study and learning strategies will result in you feeling more in control of your life and more likely to achieve your academic goals. The greatest difference in managing time from undergraduate to graduate school is the level of complexity. By graduate school, there are greater responsibilities and expectations both academic and personal. These expectations are both internally (self) and externally imposed. Some common challenges facing graduate students are: * unclear expectations (from self, professors, supervisor) * not feeling in control (of processes, timelines, outcomes) * feeling guilty (e.g. of not doing enough work) * fear: feeling not capable and/or over one’s head * supervision: communication, availability, unclear on rights * lack of accountability or feedback on progress * juggling multiple and complex tasks * managing large projects e.g. thesis writing, data collection * lack of structure (e.g. no classes to ‘frame’ the week) * non-academic demands: family, work * finances Overseas students have added stressors and challenges such as: * homesickness, loneliness, and/or culture shock * language (especially for non-native speakers of English) * taking care of and worrying about family who has accompanied them and family back home Purpose of this Module This module aims to assist you in balancing your complex life, specifically through good time management practices. Reflective questions in each section help you to assess how well you are managing right now and if any changes need to be made. Specific time management strategies are provided from which you can pick and choose according to your style and preferences. The strategies are grouped around central themes: I. becoming aware of your values and current habits II. setting and prioritizing your goals III. organizing your schedule IV. overcoming procrastination Knowing Your Values Self-Reflection Questions What are my values? Do my current actions reflect those values? Values are those core ideas you have about the worth of something, and the judgments you make about what is important in life. The values we form help determine how we use our time, e.g. if there are 30 spare minutes, someone who values orderliness and needs a tidy space to think clearly may spend that time organizing their work and home space, while someone who places a higher importance on fitness may go for a run. Our attitudes or opinions stems from our values which, in turn, result in our actions. When our actions (e.g. chronically missing deadlines) and our values (e.g. being a responsible student) don’t match, we tend to feel conflict. Students generally place a high priority on successfully completing their university degree (a value), think they are capable of doing this (an attitude), and are willing to persist and do whatever it takes to get there (actions). Motivation is one of the keys to success, and internal motivation happens when things are in line with our values. For strategies to help you keep motivated, go to the TOOLS section and review the following: Manufacturing Motivation I. Becoming Aware Self-Reflection Questions What is my current approach to managing my time? e.g. * a structured approach vs. flexible approach? * find deadlines helpful/ not helpful? * need pressure to perform vs. can’t work well at last minute? Why do I use this style and why do I keep using it? When is this style helpful and when is it not effective? When do I need to be more self-aware and change my style to suit the situation? Generally, do I feel in control of the time available to me? Issue 1: My Time Management Style We all have developed personal habits that may help or hinder our efforts at using time effectively. These patterns may reflect our personal values, or may result in distress or internal conflict. The self-reflection questions will help you understand where you are coming from, and where you might want to go. Strategies An Awareness Approach 1. Monitor --> 2. Analyze --> 3. Revise Monitoring: How is my time used? What are my time usage patterns? Analyzing: When am I the most productive? Is this style working for me? Should I change or modify what I am doing now? Revising: Given what I now know, what do I need to change? Tools Monitoring My Time & Accomplishment Chart Weekly Time Use Chart Issue 2: Controlling My Time - Who’s in Charge? Grad school requires a great deal of independent thought and work. Therefore, one might assume that grad students have more control over their time. Although this might be true at some levels (e.g. organizing their schedules, setting up research apparatuses), there are many aspects of grad life over which a student has limited or nominal control (e.g. availability and time spent with supervisor; deadlines for proposals and theses; research data such as live lab specimens). Even a well-organized grad student might face slowdowns and stoppages from time to time and this can be very frustrating and scary, especially when your 4th year of funding is drawing to an end and you still have 1 more year of work to do! Unchecked, high levels of stress associated with this feeling can produce crippling affects, both emotionally and physically. Your stress may affect not only you, but your loved ones and colleagues. Before things start feeling out of control, take time to sit down and analyze how much control you wield over each aspect of your program. Once you have a better (and probably more realistic) sense of your situation, you can implement processes and strategies to assist you in feeling more in control. Use the following TOOLS to guide you through a process: Being in Control of Your Time Learning to Accept What We Can’t Change II. Setting & Prioritizing Goals Self-Reflection Questions What are my goals: * short term? * long term? * academic goals? * life goals? How do these goals relate to my values? How are these goals helping me achieve what I want in university and in my life? What can I do when I’m not clear on other peoples’ expectations? What roles do I play? Which is the most/least significant in terms of demands on my time and energy? Issues Setting goals helps us determine a direction, assess whether or not we are on track, and provides an opportunity for us to celebrate our achievements. Goals can reflect different time frames (short, mid or long-range) but are most useful when they are specific, measurable, and involve an action or concrete outcome. Some goals are realistic and others are idealistic, and keep us reaching for a high standard or level of thinking. Given the nature of grad school, it would prudent to be more realistic than idealistic when setting your goals. Ask how much you can really accomplish at one time. Being an over-doer hurts not only yourself but your loved ones, too. You might need to alter your expectations once you’ve done a thorough and realistic plan for yourself. Challenges to Goal-Setting & Prioritizing Unclear Expectations Expectations of professors, supervisors, and your department are not always clearly laid out. This can make goal setting and prioritizing abstract and, therefore, more difficult to do. It can also lead to working too much and not having a life and/or wasting a lot of time. Another problem might occur if there is dissonance between your goals and that of your supervisor or department. For example, your supervisor wants your thesis proposal done by the end of the term, but you feel this is unattainable and would like several additional months to complete it. Multiple & Competing Demands Grad students need to juggle competing demands placed on them from the multiple roles they play, both professional and personal. For some students recognizing the relative significance of goals and tasks can be difficult as everything feels important. However, all things are not created equally! With the immense number of tasks grad students face, prioritizing is a must. Sometimes priorities are set based on immediate need, the relative value of the task, how quickly a task can get done, your motivation, or the consequences of not doing something. To survive and thrive as a grad student you’ll need to assess the importance of each task vis-à-vis your life values and your goals. Strategies for Goal-Setting Values-Based Goal-Setting The process of goal setting can be viewed in a shape of a coffee filter: you start by thinking about what you value in your life and how these values translate into BIG picture, long term goals. Once you have done this, you will find that you have greater clarity to make good decisions in the short and medium term. Thinking at the macro level first will help guide your daily decision-making and ensure that the immediate goals you set are couched in your value system. Therefore, it is important to spend time considering what part your values play in your academic choices. Life Values What are your important life values? Identifying the areas of your life which are the most important to you lays the foundation for determining where you want to head in the future, that is, your goals. Take a moment to write down your life values. These values can be concrete, e.g. “career success”, “family”, “financial security” or they can be more abstract e.g. “pursuit of excellence”, “personal growth”. As your values tend to evolve and change over time, you may wish to jot down all your values and then place them in order to get a snapshot of your life right now. Moving from Values & Goals After you’ve listed your values, you may wish to convert one (or many) of your values into a goal. It’s best if you write the goal out so it can be reviewed later. Use the SMART method of writing goals as described on the next page. After goal-setting you will need to put an action plan into play to activate and track your goal. For a values and goals worksheet and an example, go to TOOL: Values-Based Goal Setting Identifying and Recording Goals Academic Program Set aside an hour or more to jot down your needs and desires for your program. Compare this list to the one you made last year. Are the goals the same? different? Are you satisfied with where you are now? If not, what changes do you need to consider? Term or Academic Year Goals Goals should be set at regular intervals, perhaps each month, throughout the term. Continuous assessment of term or academic year goals will help you stay on track with your weekly and daily goals. For guidance in writing useful goals, try using the SMART method. Make your goals SMART! Weekly Review your upcoming week. What tasks need to be accomplished and when? Set aside 30 minutes, for example each Sunday night, to prepare a list of goals for the week. Daily The ‘To Do’ List At the end of each day, set aside 5-10 minutes to prepare a ‘To Do’ list for the upcoming day. While doing this, have your weekly goals at hand so you can compare and contrast bigger picture items with here-and-now tasks. If you find that the weekly and daily tasks collide, it is time to rethink and revise. The ‘Unlist’ Some students find facing a ‘To Do’ list stressful, especially when they cannot complete the tasks they previously set out. Instead of a motivator, the list provokes guilt and may lead to procrastination. If this is your situation, try compiling an “Unlist”. Instead of writing a list of tasks prior to doing them, write down your tasks AS you complete them. The outcome of seeing a list of items accumulate can be very motivating. You may wish to continue adding completed items to your “Unlist” throughout the week, month, or term, whichever you find most useful. Strategies for Prioritizing There are a number of strategies and tools you can use to help prioritize your goals. Always refer to your course outline (especially learning objectives and evaluation sections) to see what the professor considers important. We have provided an array of techniques in the hopes that you will find one (or more!) that really works for you. 4D’s No matter what the stuff in your "inbox" is, you only have 4 choices: Do it: If the task can be completed in 2 minutes or less, do it now. Delegate it: Give the task to someone else to do. This might be troublesome if you hate waiting for something to be done by someone else. Defer/Delay it: But make a plan as to exactly when you will deal with it. Dump it: Your choice here! Source: David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”   www.davidco.com A-B-C Categorize your goals into: A: immediate/ must do B: might do now but don’t have to/ could do if time C: nice but not likely to happen/ can be delayed Mark each goal with an A, B, or C. Do the A goals now! Other Tools for Goal-Setting & Prioritizing? Juggling Multiple Goals & Roles Steven Covey’s “Time Management Matrix” “Task Analysis” Chart III. Getting Organized Self-Reflection Questions What is my preference? What is my organizational style? Why do I use this style? How is it working/ not working for me? How can I improve my organizational skills? Issues Being organized involves having an understanding of the task to be done, the estimated time to complete the task and time available, and the tools needed. While there may be a connection between neatness and organization, it is not always the case. People have different styles and tolerances, and some people are “selectively organized” in areas that reflect their personal values. In broad terms, individuals may adopt a style that is “left brain” (logical, detailed, sequential, linear) while others favour a “right brain” (holistic, relational, creative, gestalt) approach or a mix of the two styles. Depending on your personal cognitive style, different strategies will be helpful around “task, time and tools”. If you’d like to know more about your cognitive style, go to: “Two Different Organizing Styles” in the TOOLS Section. Common Organizational Challenges Facing Grad Students * Loose or ‘Open’ Schedule * Large Projects * Multiple and Competing Tasks (see TOOL: Goals & Roles to assist you) * Negative Thoughts The Loose & ‘Open’ Schedule On the surface your schedule may appear very open. Unlike undergraduates who often have their school days filled with classes, grad students, especially those in non coursework streams, don’t have a great deal of structure in their day. Therefore, creating a self-imposed plan of action for each year, term, week, and day is paramount to keeping on track. Planning a schedule can be particularly difficult at the beginning of one’s program if “things haven’t started yet” e.g. reading courses not yet laid out, thesis unclear, etc. For some students setting up supervisory and group meetings and research studies may take weeks. During this phase students who have not organized a tentative plan might find themselves wasting precious time. Getting into a routine too late may also lead to procrastination. A sense of openness or too much space in your schedule accompanies some students throughout their programs with dire consequences. They might chronically hand in work late, not be well prepared for presentations or comprehensive exams, and/or get further and further behind in their research. This “fluid” feeling is particularly challenging for students whose cognitive style is more “right brain” as they are not naturally predisposed to highly structured routines. “Right brain” students might find sticking to a self-imposed schedule very difficult, even though, it is critical to achieving their goals. To assist you in planning your schedule, review the strategies in “Learning Strategies for Right-Brain Thinkers” in the TOOLS section. Regardless of your cognitive style, regularly revisiting your values, goals and priorities will give purpose to your schedule. Large Projects Large projects, e.g. researching and writing a dissertation, may span many years. Even with clear goals and time management skills, the project may feel daunting and energy levels may ebb and tide. In addition, there will be certain aspects of the project that are in your control (e.g. making a plan to finish your literature review) and others that are not (e.g. waiting for your supervisor to read and feedback on your research proposal). Finally, a large project will be competing with many other tasks, both academic and personal, so managing your time is paramount. Issues graduate students face when managing large projects are: * Long timelines: When do I want to be finished my project? When are major deadlines? When do I need to complete X, Y, Z? What are the consequences of not finishing on time? Do I have a Plan B in this event? * Loose structure (see above section “Loose & Open Schedule”) * Locus of control: What aspects of the project do I control totally, somewhat, not very much? Who else has control over my decision-making and in what ways? How do I feel about having limited control in some aspects of the projects? * Limited feedback: How and from whom can I get feedback? What feedback can I expect from my supervisor? * Unclear expectations & accountability: What is expected of me? When? To what extent/level? Who am I accountability to? What am I responsible for? * Multiple and competing tasks: How will I ensure that this project is not obscured by other competing tasks? Where does this project fit in vis-à-vis my other priorities? How can I maintain a balance in my academic and personal life? * Energy: How will I sustain my energy and a positive attitude to the project? How will I stave off burnout? How will I balance my schedule to ensure I have downtime, sleep, exercise, healthy meals? * Procrastination & Perfectionism: How will I get started on the task I’ve planned to do? How will I know when it’s time to let go and move onto something else? How can I do my best without going overboard to the detriment of other tasks? How can I control my tendency to want everything to be perfect? Negative Thoughts: Fear & Guilt Do any of these statements or a variation sound familiar to you? “What if I can’t do what my supervisor has asked?” “I’m way over my head.” “If I can’t get this done when [my supervisor] asked for it, will s/he think I’m lazy? not smart enough to be a grad student? “If I don’t finish this degree, what will my [family, friends, partner, kids] think of me?” “I’m not grad student material. Who was I trying to kid?” Negative thoughts have a negative impact on your ability to perform. They will increase your stress levels and, consequently, interfere with concentration, focusing, and managing your time. If you are feeling this way, you might consider a professional consultation with a learning strategist and/ or a personal counsellor at Queen’s Counselling Services. Strategies for Organizing Self Create Structure * Use scheduling tools: term calendars, weekly and daily planners, “To Do” lists * e.g. see TOOLS: “Task Analysis”; “Weekly Schedule” * Include quiet time for thinking, discussing, percolating ideas, and spontaneous creative thought. * Seek balanced health (physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual). * Give yourself permission for downtime, sleep, exercise, and socializing. Guilt-free play is very important as it recharges your batteries for the next work day. * Use “found-time”: these are small amounts of time between scheduled activities that can add up to many hours over the week. Create a Positive Learning Environment: Organize your study space/ desk area. Make sure it is a quiet place where you cannot be distracted. Stick to Your Schedule: Make a contract to get and stay organized. List what you will do in the presence of a family member, friend, colleague, faculty member, or learning strategist. Have him/her witness it. Review it regularly. Show Progression: Allow yourself to see that you are moving ahead, e.g. Mark Xs on your calendar days to denote work days complete leading up to a big event. External Supervisor & Faculty Support Faculty can play a key role in helping you stay on track. Set regular meetings with faculty involved in your learning. Have regular, ongoing email communication, even when your supervisor is not physically available. Keep a personal record of weekly goals and achievements and next intended steps and share these with your supervisor at each meeting. Make a copy for his/her files. Professional Support & Mentoring Get professional support to help you organize: learning strategists, Writing Centre tutors, other faculty members inside or outside your department. Sometimes there are retired professors in the community with expertise in your area who are very willing to lend a hand. Collegial Support Colleagues can help you stay on track. Find a colleague who is very organized as your role model. Ask what his/her time management strategies are. Family support Explain your student life to your partner and family, and enlist their cooperation in making realistic plans involving you. IV. Overcoming Procrastination Self-Reflection Questions Have I ever put off a task I really had to do? How often do I find myself, at the end of the day, wishing I had completed more tasks? Why do I do put things off? Is procrastination a problem in my personal and/or academic life? Issues Procrastination is the most common motivational problem affecting all of us to some extent but severely affecting about 15-20% of the general population. And, its prevalence is growing. However, the percentage is higher amongst post-secondary students: 50 to 70% of students procrastinate to such an extent that they feel their marks are affected. Procrastination is not simply putting things off. According to procrastination expert, Professor Piers Steel, at the University of Calgary, procrastination occurs when a person believes it would be better to start working on a task immediately, but can’t get started. Working-Hard-To-Get-Out-of-Work Syndrome We work very hard to find anything else to do which allows us to avoid the inevitable. For example, most of us wouldn’t jump up and down to do housecleaning. However, faced with an even disliked task, e.g. preparing my comps, cleaning your toilet seems like a lot more fun! Why do I procrastinate? Procrastination can occur for many reasons; however, here are some of the most typical reasons for procrastinating. Some Typical Reasons for Procrastinating 1. Feeling overwhelming. 2. Insufficient prioritizing of the task’s importance. 3. Fear of being evaluated. 4. Feeling like there’s plenty of time. 5. Not sure how to do the task. 6. Burnout. P.S. Perfectionism is Not the Culprit! Perfectionism is not a predictor of procrastination, according to Professor Steel. He argues that “perfectionists actually procrastinate less, but they worry about it more”.1 He also points out that there may be a genetic component to procrastination. So, maybe you can blame your great-great grandparents. How do I procrastinate? Do I use: * avoidance? * external distractions: e.g. noise, other people? * internal distractions: mood, thoughts, feelings? * negative thinking: e.g. don’t have enough time/ not good enough? * Time Bandits: computer, friends, domestic tasks? Producers vs. Procrastinators In his book The NOW Habit Neil Fiore’s distinguishes between procrastinators and producers. Procrastinators: * feel pressured * fear failure or success * try harder, work longer * feel resentful, lose motivation * focus on what they “should” be doing * feel like they have little or no control of their circumstances Producers: * put aside fears: failure, success, feeling overwhelmed, low self-esteem * enjoy guilt-free play … * feel in control of your life; i.e. you are the producer of your own narrative * focus on what they can start NOW. The Effects of Negative Self Talk Fiore argues that negative self-talk can lead to procrastination and outlines self-statements that distinguish procrastinators from producers. Procrastinators say… Producers say… “I must finish…’ “When can I start?” “This project is so big and important.” “I can take one small step” “I must be perfect.” “I can be perfectly human.” “I don’t have time to play.” “I must take time to play!” Fiore, N. (2007). The NOW habit: A strategic program for overcoming procrastination and enjoying guilt-free play. 2nd edition. Toronto: Penguin Group. Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination The MOTIVATION MYTH: Don’t wait for motivation to magically appear when you sit down to work. Motivation usually follows after you’ve done the work. 1. The Pleasure/Pain Principal: Procrastination causes both pleasure and pain. Ask yourself if one outweighs the other. See Tools section 2. Use Covey’s Time Management Matrix. Focus on Quadrant II. See Tools section. 3. Set Realistic Goals: Be realistic about what you can accomplish in the available time. Try not to overshoot and become overwhelmed. Estimate about 25% MORE time to each task. 4. Plan & Schedule: Use the Weekly Schedule and a day timer to identify time available for school work and then commit to treating that time like a job. 5. Set False Deadlines: Set a false deadline about a week before the actual due date. Set up legitimate and meaningful check-ins with an outside party to ensure you meet your goal. 6. Remove Distractions: Don’t try to fight temptation. Simply remove those distracting things so that you set yourself up for success. 7. Reward Yourself: Reward yourself for working hard with short and simple things that you enjoy. When you’ve earned it, feel proud of yourself. Conversely, do not reward yourself before you’re completed your task. 8. Record Distracting Thoughts: Give your brain permission to forget distracting thoughts by writing them down and knowing you can return to them later. 9. Break the Habit: Like they say at Nike, Just Do It! See TOOL section: The “Now Habit” Tools BECOMING AWARE Being in Control of Your Time Challenges/Stressors List your present challenges/stressors which pertain to time and managing your time. Include both professional and personal challenges. You might wish to rank order them from most to least challenging/stressful. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Internal & External Controls Activity: 1. Choose one of your challenges. Using the model above, enumerate which aspects of the challenge are under your control and which aspects are externally controlled. 2. From there, prepare a plan of action to attain and maintain what you do control and a plan for managing those elements over which you have less control. 3. For elements in your life over which you have no control but still must face, acceptance of your situation will help to relieve stress. See TOOL “Learning to Accept What We Can’t Change” for ideas on how to practice acceptance. BECOMING AWARE Learning To Accept What We Can’t Change Ways to Acceptance The following are some ways to help your learn to accept what you cannot change. Mindfulness Mindfulness is awareness, without judgement, of life as it is, of you as you are, of others as they are. It is a condition of “being” present rather than “doing”. How to practise being mindful? Mindfulness is a learned skill that develops with practice. * Sit with your eyes closed in a quiet, safe place. * Begin with some slow, deep breaths to calm the mind and body. * Pay attention to the moment (rather than the past or future) * You may wish to focus on something like the breath, the soundscape, your body, an object, a mantra or simply watch, from a detached, non-judgemental point of view, any thoughts, feelings, moods, or sensations that arise. Resource: Dr. John Kabat-Zinn’s wonderful book Full Catastrophe Living lays out his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program. Surrender * Trying to control a problem can result in the problem controlling you. * Reach for help when it is too big for you to handle yourself. Queen’s Counselling Services provides free and confidential counselling from both learning strategists and personal counsellors. * Surrender to a higher power, whatever that means to you. Love Your Problems * Accept the problem by telling yourself the truth about it. Describe it in detail. * Unconditionally accept the problem. This is not giving into the problem, or giving up, but is a way to be with the problem and get to know it. Rather than denying the problem exists or struggling against it, “loving the problem” frees you by draining its power over you. Celebrate Your Mistakes * Deal with fear of making mistakes by celebrating them. Get them out in the open. Examine them. Hiding them takes a lot of energy. * Mistakes teach you more than successes do. Mistakes are how we learn. * Mistakes involve risk-taking which means you’re stretching the limits of your ability and growing. * Celebrating allows you to focus on correcting the problem. * You’re not alone. Everyone makes mistakes. BECOMING AWARE Monitoring My Time & Accomplishments Start Time End Time Time Used Description of Activity How well did I use my time? 1= poor 5= great Analysis: Why did I rate the task in this way? e.g. time was well spent/ wasted; I accomplish/didn’t accomplish my goal See instructions on next page BECOMING AWARE A. Monitoring Your Academic Accomplishments Goals: * Know real time spent on academic work * Track and increase productivity * Increase motivation * Decrease procrastination * Assist in re-prioritizing goals and task. Over the course of several days or a week, keep a record of all the academic activities (studying, homework, assignments, etc.) you accomplish. Under the description column you may include: “Product” tasks, i.e. tasks you have completed including small steps; and “Process” tasks, i.e. tasks which are helping you progress toward a product or outcome, e.g., analyzing a topic or problem, brainstorming ideas, planning how an essay or assignment will be organized. The total “Time Used” now reflects the real time you have spent doing academic tasks, not just the final outcomes. B. General Time Monitoring You may also wish to use this form to get an overview of everything you are doing over a period of several days. 1. MONITOR Over the course of two days (one busy class day and one less structured weekend day), keep a record of all your activities from the time you get up till you go to bed.  For example, 8 - 8:30:  getting ready (includes waking, washing, dressing, breakfast), 8:30 - 9:00:  walking to campus; 9:00 - 10:00:  library prep - reading chapter 1, Psych 100; 10:00 - 10:30:  talking on MSN to friend, 10:30 to 12:00 (noon) attending Psych class, etc.  2. ANALYZE At the end of the day, review your use of time and rate yourself (from 1 = poor, to 5 = great) according to how well you used the time.  Was the amount of time spent necessary to the task?  Did you accomplish what you wanted to in the time allowed?  Was the time wasted? Could you have used the time better?  The analysis column is for comments like: "good use of time", "waste of time", "felt too tired to concentrate", "felt focussed".  Notice your patterns of effective vs. ineffective time use. 3. REVISE Notice your most effective and least effective times of the day for doing school work. Plan to schedule difficult subjects during the most effective times of day.  Plan your healthy breaks during times when you feel less energetic, cannot concentrate, etc. Make a list of break activities that re-energize you (e.g. physical activities you enjoy, meeting friends for coffee, playing or listening to music, power-napping.) Implement your new plan for two weeks, and then monitor yourself again.  BECOMING AWARE Weekly Time Use Total Time Available = 168 hrs/wk Activity Number of Hours/ Day Number of Hours/Week Sleep Meals: cooking and eating Personal Hygiene Travel (to/from campus; going ‘home’ on weekends) Going to classes Study time Personal Communication: MSN, Email, Phone Socializing with friends Job Volunteer work Extra curricular activities Watching TV, movies Exercise Errands e.g. laundry, groceries Other: TOTAL TIME USED Instructions: a) Monitor: Estimate how much time you spend on all your weekly activities out of a maximum of 168 hours/ week. b) Analyze: Are you satisfied with the amount of time spent on each activity both daily and weekly? On which are you spending too much or too little time? c) Revising: What do I want to change? Continue doing? Not sure yet? SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING Making Your Goals S.M.A.R.T A well-conceived goal includes: * what you want to do * how you’re going to get there e.g. tasks resources * how long it’s going to take to get there Using the SMART acronym can help you set meaningful goals Specific (also significant, stretching) * Well defined * Clear to anyone that has a basic knowledge of the project For example, a statement like "I will improve communication with my supervisor" is too vague. How will you know if and when you've reached your goal? Saying, "I will send a weekly work report to my supervisor every Friday" is more specific. Measurable (also meaningful, motivational) * Know if the goal is obtainable and how far away completion is * Know when it has been achieved For example, many of us want read more. But, "read more research articles" is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is "I will read a research article each week." It's a simple, concrete goal. This makes it easy to see if you hit your target. Agreed upon, (also attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented) * Agreement with all the stakeholders what the goals should be Trying to write an entire thesis in 1 month doesn’t sound reasonable or achievable. It doesn’t give you enough time for mental processing or editing. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach. Realistic, (also relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented) * Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time While we can work a lot, we can't have it all at the same time. It's important to honestly evaluate yourself. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? Or does it need a little adjustment? For example, you want to present your research findings at an upcoming conference but your results are still inconclusive. Can you get the research in time to prepare a good presentation? Be honest. Time Based (also tangible, trackable) * Enough time to achieve the goal * Not too much time; which can affect project performance Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. For example, you want to finish your proposal so you need to set a date, even if you are not sure of all the variables. Without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress. Modified from: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING Values-Based Goal Setting My Value: ________________________________ Goal I want to achieve: _______________________________________________ Steps to achieving my goal Barriers Strategies Date achieved 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. EXAMPLE My Value: Being a First-Class Scholar Goal I want to achieve: Publish my latest research findings in Journal X by October 31. Steps to achieving my goal Barriers Strategies Date to be achieved 1. Set aside 2 hours each day for writing Very tired after working in lab all day Have a rest after my lab shift. After my two hours of writing, treat myself with some ice cream. 15/10 17/10 18/10 2. Send a draft to my supervisor Sometimes my supervisor doesn’t give me very concrete feedback Ask post-doc in my lab to read over my draft. In exchange, offer to do something for her. 19/10 Source: Forsyth, J.P. & Eifert, G.H. (2007). The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING Juggling Multiple Goals & Roles Role: e.g. Student Role: e.g. Daughter/ Son Role Role Goal (immediate, mid, and, long) * Future/Life * Program * Year * Term * PhD (future) * Program (distinction) * Year (finish proposal) * Term (80% in coursework) * Keep parents in the loop on my achievements, struggles, etc. * Visit my parents bimonthly * Call home weekly/ biweekly Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Instructions 1. Across the top, fill in all the significant roles that you play as a graduate student. Include professional and personal roles. 2. For each role, fill in your goals for this term or academic year, your overall program, and post degree. 3. Once completed, you may wish to use this as a planning and prioritizing tool. SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX Adapted from: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey, 1990 Covey breaks activities in four groups or quadrants: A. important-urgent B. important-not urgent C. not important-urgent D. not important-not urgent. Covey found that highly effective people spend some of their time in the B quadrant, i.e. they are not crisis managers but time managers. Try not to let B’s become A’s. URGENT NOT URGENT IMPORTANT A. Crises Pressing Problems Deadline-driven Projects B. Prevention, Personal Enhancement activities Relationship Building Recognizing new opportunities Planning, recreation NOT IMPORTANT C. Interruptions, some calls Some e-mail, MSN Some meetings Pressing matters Popular activities D. Trivia, busy work Some e-mail, MSN Some phone calls Time wasters Pleasant activities Consequences of spending time in each quadrant URGENT NOT URGENT IMPORTANT A. Stress Burnout Crisis management Always putting out fires B. Vision, perspective Balance Discipline Control Few Crises NOT IMPORTANT C. Short term focused Crisis management See goals and plans as worthless Controlled by other people’s priorities Feel victimized, out of control D. Total irresponsibility Fired from jobs Dependent on others for basics SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING Interpretation of the Time Management Matrix Which activities would you like to spend most of your time doing? A, B, C, or D? TYPE A “Fire Fighter” Trap I must do now or the house will burn down! Examples: cramming for tests, last minute paper writing - deadline tomorrow, friend in crisis needs to talk, need to arrange for accommodations on exam, bill needs to be paid,etc. TYPE B “This is what it’s all about” * Many activities in life are TYPE B. * TYPE B activities require planning and initiative. They also require time to reflect. * TYPE B activities are easily put on hold due to lack of urgency. TYPE C “I can’t say NO” Trap I don’t consider this important or satisfying but I have a hard time getting away from it and it prevents me from accomplishing the important stuff. TYPE D “Procrastinator” Trap I’ll just do this because it is easy, mindless and helps me avoid the hard stuff activities. SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING Prioritizing: Time Management Matrix URGENT NOT URGENT IMPORTANT A. B. NOT IMPORTANT C. D. Instructions 1. Look at your goals or tasks in relation to each quadrant and assess where each fits. 2. Organize each goal or task onto your weekly and monthly calendars based on its urgency and importance. Beware! Although you might have Type A goals from time to time, the ultimate aim is to spend most of your time working in the Type B quadrant. In other words, do IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT TASKS FIRST. If you are finding yourself more often in the Type A quadrant, you are in crisis mode. Perhaps you are procrastinating, stressing too much, or do not yet have strong time management skills. SETTING GOALS & PRIORITIZING Task Analysis/Reverse Calendar Assignment/Task: ____________________________ e.g. Writing a proposal Step/Task Completion Date Estimated Time Needed Actual Time Taken 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th DUE DATE Instructions 1. For major assignments (e.g. research papers, projects, or theses) requiring many steps, break down into small, manageable steps. 2. Estimate time required for each step. If you’re not sure about timing, overestimate. We recommend adding about 25% e.g. If you think the task will take 1 hour, allocate 1.15 hours. It’s better to have more time than less. If you get finished in 1 hour, you have an additional 15 minutes to do something else. 3. Back plan from the final deadline. Instead of starting with the first step, determine what date you would like to finish the assignment and work backwards from there. Back planning can help to ensure you don’t run out of time and/or assignments can be handed in when you want them to be. 4. Keep track of actual time required to complete each step. GETTING ORGANIZED Whole Braining Learning: Mind-mapping Why use a mind-map? * Mind maps use your WHOLE brain, both left and right brain functions. * Left brain: contains lists and sequences and show relationships * Right brain: shows a picture of a subject. Visual patterns provide a framework for recall * They are both verbal (words) and non-verbal (pictures, symbols, colours). * Other benefits: * Show relationships between ideas quickly, vividly, accurately * Using key words, condenses a large subject into a small area * Moves thinking from the general to the specific: start by choosing a main topic and focusing on the big picture and then zero in on the subordinate ideas * Can review quickly by looking at key words * Improves long-term memory: the picture enters your memory quickly and when How to use a use mind-map? * Brainstorming a topic * Planning and organizing ideas * Linking main ideas to smaller details * Summarizing * Taking notes from text and lectures GETTING ORGANIZED Two Different Approaches to Organizing Left-brain/ Sequential Learners * Love an orderly approach? Overwhelmed by chaos? * Do you find it hard to do your best work at the last minute? * Do you like to finish a task before starting another one? * Do you like to know where you are heading (i.e. the learning goal or desired end- product) before you get into details? * Do you like step-by- step increments in acquiring new information? If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you may have a preference for a left-brain, or sequential style. These people may find it easiest to learn through auditory presentations and abstract reasoning. Their strategies for organization will favour reasonably detailed and schedule-based techniques. Right-brain/ Simultaneous Learners * Do you love to brainstorm ideas? * Are you good at starting projects but then find your attention wanes and you need the stimulation of a new project or topic? * Are you someone who just can’t see the point of organizing or scheduling every detail of your life? * Are you oblivious to time? * Do you find you get sidetracked or engrossed in a reading which is not what you intended to read? * Is your desk a bit cluttered? If you answered ‘yes’ to some of the above, you might be a right-brain/simultaneous thinker! GETTING ORGANIZED Learning Strategies for Right-Brain Thinkers 1. FOCUS: Follow One Course Until Successful 2. Get organized! Use term calendars, weekly calendars, and daily ‘to do’ lists. Find useful tools in Getting Organized section. If you need some flexibility, try not to pack your weekly calendar with too many activities. If you find that using calendars and to-do lists make you feel even more stressed, try looking at your life as a whole. Ask yourself: What are my values? What are my goals for the future? List your goals and then prioritize them. This might help you focus on what to do today and in the future. 3. Don’t overbook. Schedule “downtime” every day where you are not accountable to anyone or anything. 4. Use a mind-map: To see the whole picture first, draw a mind-map. Mind-maps are powerful visual tools for seeing the connections between a big concept and its associated detail. In other words, it allows you to see both the forest AND its trees. A bonus of mind-maps is that details can be easily added, deleted and moved around. See “Whole Braining Learning: Mind-mapping”. 5. Breaking down big projects i. Start by brainstorming, which you love to do! ii. Break the project down into steps, focusing on one step of a project at a time. Imagine putting on blinders like a racehorse so you can help yourself focus. You can do this by: reorganizing and redrawing your mind-map; writing the steps on sticky notes and rearrange until you have the right order; or using a task analysis form. See “Task Analysis” chart iii. Break steps into activities. You could then make a new map for each step. iv. Schedule activities: Use an agenda. Put sticky notes in an agenda and only take off the ones that are to be completed for that day. v. Complete project. 6. Just Do It. ( Sometimes just getting started on a task can help you feel better and will jump-start your motivation. GETTING ORGANIZED A Generic Planning Model Following a sound planning model will help you feel more in control and prepared for the unexpected. Plan: define a mission statement (i.e. broad philosophy, values), set goals and priorities Organize: Put tasks and times onto your monthly, weekly, and daily calendars. Know what tools you need. Implement: Follow your plans! Evaluate: To what extent have I met my goals? Have my goals/ priorities changed? Make Recommendations: What’s working/ not working? If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! Update and Restructure Plan: Implement recommendations. Celebrate Achievements: Reward yourself for both small and large achievements. OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION Manufacturing Motivation What makes us want to do something? Motivation can intrinsic, extrinsic, or amotivational. Extrinsic motivation operates on a continuum from a 100% externally driven to 100% internally driven. Ryan & Deci (2000) describe four different forms of extrinsic motivation: “external regulation” – external; motivated by external rewards and punishments “introjected regulation – somewhat external; motivated by internal rewards and punishments, self-control “identified regulation” – somewhat internal; conscious valuing of the external goal “integrated regulation – internal; external motivation is brought into congruence with one’s other values Intrinsic motivation is thoughts or feelings within ourselves e.g. we may feel proud, relieved, amazed, intelligent, ambitious. Intrinsic rewards are very powerful motivators as they are under your own control, and they lead to increased self-esteem. “I said I’d do it …and I did!” Three basic psychological needs must be in place for intrinsic motivation to occur: mastery, autonomy, and relatedness. In particular, autonomy is a key element as it assists in internalizing and integrating extrinsically-motivated activities (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Ryan, R.M. and Deci, E.L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist. 55(1), 68-78. Some Strategies for Building INTRINSIC Motivation 1. Create opportunities for “autonomy supportive” work. If your supervisor does not support autonomous thought and activity, try to off-set this by seeking outside activities which give you choice, volition and freedom! 2. Reflect on whether your values and goals are congruent with the external needs and goals. 3. Develop mastery in skills, knowledge, and behaviours requisite for your area of studying. 4. Connect with people with whom you can share ideas. If you feel isolated, join a support group or use the online dissertation support website www.phinished.org. 5. Reward your efforts and accomplishments. Pay attention to your own feelings of intrinsic reward (satisfaction, pride, relief from pressure, etc). Earn your pleasure. 6. Observe when you are becoming uncomfortable thinking or doing particular tasks. Discomfort is a signal: “Am I unsure, bored, scared, out of my depth…?” What is appealing or fearful about this activity? Experience the discomfort and soon it will have less power over you. 7. Act like the person you wish to become. Picture yourself as already having reached your goal, or being successful. What do you look like? What are you doing? Where are you? Bring this image to mind as you start undesirable activities. 8. BELIEVE in yourself. Reflect on times when you’ve been motivated. What is similar between those times and now? Can you make small changes so this situation is more like those times? 9. Set goals and stick to them * Set specific, realistic goals. * Tell someone, and ask them to follow your progress. Be accountable. * Keep a log or journal of your goals and achievements. 10. Develop a routine. Try linking a new activity with one that you do routinely. e.g. do your sit-ups (new activity) before drinking your morning coffee (old habit). 11. Reduce the pressure by focusing on the NOW. Plan small steps and focus only on one step at a time. OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION The Pleasure-Pain Principal Procrastination can cause pleasure in the short term and pain in the long term. It’s up to you to decide which of these is more important. TASK: Studying for comprehensive exams Pleasure I will have from putting off my studying until later: Pain I will have from putting off my studying until later: * Fun spending time with family, friends * Catch up on correspondence * Won’t have to think hard right now when I’m not in the mood * I’ll be more motivated later when I feel ‘the crunch’. * I can put more time into my research and writing. * I’ll feel guilty that I’m not doing the work. * In the back of my mind I’ll still worry about the studying I have to do. * My schedule will be thrown out, i.e. can’t finish other tasks and/or meet deadlines now. * I’ll have to cram and then might be very stressed and not get the mark I want. Ask yourself: Does one outweigh the other? 1 Toronto Star, January 10 2007, “Sorry this is late; we meant to send it out sooner”. Available www.ucalgary.ca/news/january2007/procrastination-release. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Learning Strategies Development, © Queen’s University 2010 www.queensu.ca/learningstrategies