I am not sure if it is only me or if it’s actually a thing, that around November I am the most overworked whether it is outside or inside school, I am recently finding it quite hard to divide time properly between Proakatemia, regular courses, my student association and finally person life, which made me switch my read topic from “business ethics and HR” to “time management” because that is something that I am poor it right now. I have read two books actually regarding the topic and learned a couple useful things that I think will guide me through out this busy period, and I would also like to share them in case someone is having the same struggle.

THE LEAD SYSTEM

When I hear the word management I instantly link it with organization. Which means: First things first you must establish a written overview of your tasks, doesn’t matter digital or paper format, alongside with that, comes creating a time span for your work needs, and again weekly or daily, doesn’t matter. But the important part is to keep checking and updating this overview to stay organized.

Up next comes the L-E-A-D system and this is how it works

“L” stands for Listing activities. All tasks needing to be accomplished must be listed down and sorted into your calendar based on task importance and deadlines.

“E” stands for Estimating time. Realistically estimating how long each activity will take is quite important as understanding how much time tasks will take allows for better planning and resource allocation.

“A” stands for Allowing contingency time. Plan buffer time for unexpected interruptions. This ensures productivity even in the face of unforeseen delays, like for example when you’re on a work trip and you still have an essay deadline to catch.

“D” stands for Deciding priorities. Assess the importance and urgency of each task, and update your priorities based on changing events or new information.

The lead system allows the individual to batch tasks, making your work pace even smoother. For example, one thing I learned doing through this method is categorizing activities into groups, like email that I write and reply to in one fell swoop. This saves a surprising amount of time that’s usually spent on context-switching. One thing about this system is that it can also be used to incorporate checklists for routine tasks, in order to stay consistent and accurate. I personally write one essay page by the end of each day, so what I do is that I decide the key points that they should include earlier in the day, which surprisingly, does save me time

One more thing, making sure your organization extends to your physical workspace. So Keeping your desk clean and tidy, and having all tools needed closeby like books, laptop, relevant papers can also help.

80/20

Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto proposed a very interesting rule called “20/80”, in which the principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect.

Question is how the heck can I identify the 20% ?

Well well well, just categorize your tasks into four distinct categories, the exact steps to do that are not quite hard, we all have tasks that are both urgent and important. These tasks require immediate attention, as they have a direct impact on your goals.

Next, some of our tasks might be urgent but not necessarily important. These tasks may demand your attention, but they don’t contribute significantly to your long-term success. Then come the important but not urgent ones. These tasks require your attention, but you’re all flexible to reschedule them strategically.

Lastly, there are tasks that are neither urgent nor important, but still necessary like scrolling through tiktok for 5 minutes that turn into 2 hours. These kind of tasks are quite common, so allocate some time to tackle them to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. But structure your work schedule around what’s urgent and important those are your 20 percent tasks. And make sure to reschedule the tasks in reverse order. For example, if you’re producing an essay, begin with the deadline and work backward. Estimate the time required for topic, such as resources, headliners, and formatting. Don’t forget to allow buffer time for unexpected delays (I’m still working on that). Then simply, schedule those subtasks into your calendar. And Voila !

REFERENCE

Successful time management (Creating success). P, Forsyth. Kogan Page; Fourth edition. 2016.