How do you manage your time?
This entry was posted on October 15, 2007
If you’re someone like me, your to-do list is about as long as your arm. Right now I can think of at least five different things I should be doing, yet my brain is so over-active I’m constantly adding to my imaginary to-do list (I’m far too disorganised to consider writing it down!).
Do to-do lists work for you? Or do you just do things as and when you think of them? Are you type of person who leaves everything until the last minute and then rushes it?
I’m the type of person who does things spontaneously. One second I can be working on a new tutorial, and then the next I’ll go and work on the layout I promised someone. I’m also fairly good at multi-tasking. I can be talking to a friend in Australia, catching up on forum posts, spamming people’s walls on Facebook, writing a tutorial, updating my blog, and working on a layout.
Sometimes that makes me feel like I’m going to explode though, and I worry that if I spread myself too thinly then things won’t be done properly. Of course, it doesn’t take much concentration to talk to people or write on their Facebook wall, but it does require concentration to update my blog, even more so when it comes to tutorials and layout-making. I don’t want to teach people poorly and I don’t want to make a poor quality layout for someone.
What are you doing right now, and what should you be doing instead?
15 lovely people have commented
You’ve downloaded a to-do list app? Care to share the link?
I sometimes make to do lists, but I’m fairly organised so manage to get things done fairly quickly anyway. 
To-do lists don’t really work for me because I lose them! I should be paying attention in class but I’m catching on on unread blogs. Tsk Tsk on me!
Psst. I was just giving you a hard time about that layout. I’m not in a hurry
I never make to-do lists 
When something has a deadline, I always end up rushing it at the last minute, and the time I should have been working on it was spent on distracter things.
I should be eating breakfast, yet I’m writing this comment instead…
I write /everything/ down. I have a calender, notebooks, to do lists and the lot. When it comes to time management I used to be a wreck but forcing myself to be organised really makes things easier and sometimes even enjoyable! It stops me from getting too stressed out too. I’m not sure what to recommend, but I’d say to get a calender or diary and jot down everything!!
^ Lil, I already have a calendar though, and writing in it is on my to-do list…
I’m posting this comment I’m looking for wordpress plugins and I’m reading on Snark..
But I really need to do my homework!
This is my half an hour slot in a day to read blogs and the suchlike. So this is what I’m supposed to be doing!
I have a timetable for my day after school: and I tend to do most of them too. For me to-do lists make me productive.
I’m weird like that.
My planner and I are one. Without each other, the world falls apart.
For me, I absolutely *cannot* do anything without seeing where it’s heading. For example, when I start a course and get my outline, I’ll divide it up appropriately and date each section to where I expect myself to be in the future points of time (e.g. “by Christmas, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 need to be done”). I also can’t start a day without planning it out, or knowing where it’s heading/what I hope to get done. I do the same thing when I go to theme parks or fairs (”well, if we want to do xzy and the park closes at midnight, we’re going to have to do this, this, and then this now…”)
I also keep three separate to-do lists on the front of my planner, or on the inside flap. (I keep them on lined post-its)… I have one for work-related stuff, one for school-related stuff, and one for personal stuff. I have an explicit rule to myself that everything on the to-do list must be completed in that week - nothing can spill over into a new week.
I cannot multitask to save my life. When faced with a swarm of work, I usually evaluate it based on 1) priority (due dates 2) value (marks or consequences of getting it done later) 3) length of time it will take for me to complete said task. Then, I will start with the most important task that has the highest value and will take me the longest time to complete, then work from there.
So to make this long comment short… Yes, to-lists work for me. Without them, I’d forget EVERYTHING.
Right now I should be eating breakfast (yes, breakfast!) and getting started with my course work, which I will be doing as soon as I submit this comment.
I had a planner during Katimavik that had everything scheduled and it was great. Now my days have no structure at all! But once I start work again they will, so I will need a new planner…
I don’t jot down a to-do list because I’m just too slow at writing. I’ll mentally note something down and remember it. My brain is my planner :P. I am interested in this to-do list application though ;).
I’m the type of person who gets on the computer, promising myself to finish some essay or something, then think “hey, lemme check my email”. Then I think of more sites I want to visit, and I get all side tracked.
I always have long to-do lists. Such as work on the current layout for my site, create pixels, respond to my emails, work on stories, etc etc. I rarely write down to-do lists, though.
Right now I should be doing math.
I basically cannot get anything done. A lot of people consider me a smart person who always remembers the homework, but I’d say I’m a procrastinator that forgets everything. I procrastinate work and chores by doing my website. However, when I’m working on my website I don’t get any of that done because I’m checking my email and looking at sites. So, I never get anything done.
Right now I should be…folding laundry?
I do make to do lists, and they do help (I feel so happy when I cross stuff off, and I always leave a reward at the end, like free time on the computer) but it takes me forever to finish.
I’m, well, doing nothing …
I should be studying.
It’s like that every day.
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Ben said:
I always make to-do lists, but never really get them done! BUT I have actually just downloaded a new to-do list app, and it makes the lists fun! So I actually get things done. Woot for fun to-do lists!